Wayne Baughman

January 04, 1941 - February 16, 2022

As a high school wrestler, his best finish was third in the state. But Wayne Baughman went on to compete in 25 national tournaments and placed as low as third only twice!

He won 16 national championships, was runner-up seven times, and became the first athlete to win a national title in each of four recognized styles of wrestling - folkstyle, freestyle, Greco-Roman and Sombo.

At the University of Oklahoma, he sandwiched the 1962 NCAA crown between a pair of runner-up efforts. But during his career as an Air Force officer, his wrestling success soared to unparalleled heights.

He won five national championships in Freestyle, nine in Greco-Roman and one in Sombo. He won eight world-wide Air Force trophies and 15 Interservice titles. He captured the Freestyle gold medal in the Pan American Games of 1967 and was a member of three Olympic teams and eight World teams. He was a place winner in Olympic or World competition in all three international styles. He served as captain of two Olympic teams, coach of another, manager of yet another. Five times he coached U.S. wrestlers in the World Championships.

Through a combination of ability, determination and self discipline, Wayne Baughman reaped a rich harvest in the fields of wrestling. And throughout his career he worked with equal diligence to plow those same values back into the sport. He was largely responsible for keeping the U.S. Air Force active in wrestling, and he coached service teams in eight years of international competition before becoming head coach at the Air Force Academy in 1975.

As a wrestler and as a coach, he was an ambassador for the sport, visiting many junior and senior high schools to stress the importance of academics as a part of athletic success.

As an athlete of incredible achievement, as a sportsman in the full sense of the word, Richard Wayne Baughman is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Awards:

Year
2012
Award
Alan and Gloria Rice Greco - Leadership Award
Chapter/Region
National
Year
1982
Award
Distinguished Member
Chapter/Region
National

All American Awards:

Season
1963
School
Oklahoma
Tournament
Division I
Weight
191
Place
2
Season
1962
School
Oklahoma
Tournament
Division I
Weight
191
Place
1
Season
1961
School
Oklahoma
Tournament
Division I
Weight
177
Place
2

College Season Records:

Season
1963
School
Oklahoma
Class
Senior
Bouts
21
Wins
20
Losses
1
Ties
0
Falls
8
Win PCT.
95.24
Place
2nd
Season
1962
School
Oklahoma
Class
Junior
Bouts
21
Wins
18
Losses
3
Ties
0
Falls
3
Win PCT.
85.71
Place
1st
Season
1961
School
Oklahoma
Class
Sophomore
Bouts
18
Wins
15
Losses
3
Ties
0
Falls
2
Win PCT.
83.33
Place
2nd
Season
Career
Bouts
60
Wins
53
Losses
7
Ties
0
Falls
13
Win PCT.
88.33

All Coaching Dual Records:

Season
2006
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
10
Wins
2
Losses
8
Ties
0
Win PCT.
20
Season
2005
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
12
Wins
5
Losses
7
Ties
0
Win PCT.
41.67
Season
2004
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
10
Wins
3
Losses
7
Ties
0
Win PCT.
30
Season
2003
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
8
Wins
6
Losses
2
Ties
0
Win PCT.
75
Season
2002
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
14
Wins
11
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
78.57
Season
2001
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
9
Wins
7
Losses
2
Ties
0
Win PCT.
77.78
Season
2000
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
13
Wins
7
Losses
6
Ties
0
Win PCT.
53.85
Season
1999
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
13
Wins
5
Losses
7
Ties
1
Win PCT.
38.46
Season
1998
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
10
Wins
8
Losses
2
Ties
0
Win PCT.
80
Season
1997
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
9
Wins
5
Losses
4
Ties
0
Win PCT.
55.56
Season
1996
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
9
Wins
6
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
66.67
Season
1995
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
9
Wins
8
Losses
1
Ties
0
Win PCT.
88.89
Season
1994
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
10
Wins
8
Losses
2
Ties
0
Win PCT.
80
Season
1993
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
11
Wins
10
Losses
1
Ties
0
Win PCT.
90.91
Season
1992
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
10
Wins
6
Losses
3
Ties
1
Win PCT.
60
Season
1991
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
13
Wins
10
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
76.92
Season
1990
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
11
Wins
4
Losses
6
Ties
1
Win PCT.
36.36
Season
1989
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
14
Wins
7
Losses
7
Ties
0
Win PCT.
50
Season
1984
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
15
Wins
12
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
80
Season
1983
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
14
Wins
6
Losses
8
Ties
0
Win PCT.
42.86
Season
1982
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
19
Wins
6
Losses
13
Ties
0
Win PCT.
31.58
Season
1981
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
13
Wins
7
Losses
6
Ties
0
Win PCT.
53.85
Season
1980
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
20
Wins
13
Losses
7
Ties
0
Win PCT.
65
Season
1979
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
9
Wins
5
Losses
4
Ties
0
Win PCT.
55.56
Season
1978
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
13
Wins
6
Losses
6
Ties
1
Win PCT.
46.15
Season
1977
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
10
Wins
3
Losses
7
Ties
0
Win PCT.
30
Season
1976
School
Air Force
Division
Division I
Duals
13
Wins
7
Losses
6
Ties
0
Win PCT.
53.85
Season
Career
Duals
321
Wins
183
Losses
134
Ties
4
Win PCT.
57.01

All Rankings:

Season
1963
Rank Date
02/20/1963
Weight
191
Rank
1
School
Oklahoma

Our Mission: To honor the sport of wrestling by preserving its history, recognizing extraordinary individual achievements, and inspiring future generations