The OKSU Cowboy Wrestling program announced this week that former wrestling alum J Robinson would receive the 2022 Gallagher Award. The award, given annually to an OSU alumnus who has exemplified the spirit and leadership eminent in the tradition of champions, will be presented during the Cowboys' final home dual against Oklahoma on Feb. 20.
J Robinson, known to wrestling fans as JRob, was the legendary Head Coach of Gopher Wrestling for 30 years, where he won 3 Natty Championships in 2001, 2002, and 2007!! J was fired during a drug scandal in 2015, but he is still very beloved in Minnesota and amongst the Gopher Wrestling community. Recently, J and his 2001 and 2002 Natty Championship teams were honored by Gopher Wrestling, and now with this honor by OKSU, J's reputation has been completely rehabilitated and restored. I and many others think this is a good thing!!!
Cheers To JRob!!!
Thanks for all you've done for Gopher Wrestling!!!
Here's the article on JRob's award from OKState.com:
OKState.com
Wrestling
February 16, 2022
STILLWATER – Former Oklahoma State wrestler and NCAA champion head coach J Robinson will be the recipient of the 2022 Gallagher Award, the program announced Wednesday.
The award, given annually to an OSU alumnus who has exemplified the spirit and leadership eminent in the tradition of champions, will be presented during the Cowboys' final home dual against Oklahoma on Feb. 20.
"It's an unbelievable honor," Robinson said. "It's humbling because when you come to Oklahoma State from halfway across the country and you work out in Gallagher Hall where Ed Gallagher started and how he brought the sport along, it's kind of mind blowing in a way. You looked up to this guy and respected everything he did and all the things he said, and then to get something in his name is hard to believe. If someone would've said in 50 years you will get this award, I'd have a hard time believing it."
Robinson wrestled for the Cowboys from 1966 to 1968 compiling a 20-15 record over the span of his career, but it's his legacy after leaving Stillwater that will be remembered in the sport of wrestling.
After graduating from Oklahoma State in 1969, Robinson attended Airborne, Ranger and Jungle Warfare School before being deployed to Vietnam. Following his service, he returned to the United States where he wrestled for the Army and won four national titles, two in freestyle and two in Greco-Roman. He also made two World teams and competed at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich in Greco.
Following the Olympics, he went back to school at Iowa where he became a graduate assistant and eventually an assistant coach under Dan Gable. While Robinson got his start in the coaching industry at Iowa, he credits two former Cowboys who were coaches of his for putting him on the path to become a coach.
"I would say Roderick was (an inspiration), but it was also my high school coach, Ned Blass, who wrestled at Oklahoma State," Robinson said. "The direction that he gave me as a senior coming out of high school when a lot of times you don't know what you should do … was super positive for me. As I was in San Diego, he was the one who sent me to Oklahoma State. He said this is the place you need to go and a place that will help you. When you have that kind of mentorship and direction it helps a lot, and it takes a lot of the stress off of getting to where you want to go. A guy once said, 'find the guy you want to be like, find what he did and then go ask him what he did to get there, and then go do it'. That's what Blass and Roderick did for me."
Learning under Myron Roderick, Robinson excelled as a coach for nearly 40 years. He spent nine seasons at Iowa helping lead them to seven NCAA championships from 1976-84, including the '83-84 season when he served as the interim head coach and led the Hawkeyes to Big Ten and NCAA titles.
In 1986 he was named the head coach at Minnesota where he would change the direction of Minnesota wrestling for the next 30 years.
"I enjoyed what Roderick instilled in me about having a philosophy," Robinson said. "That was really a big advantage from the coaching standpoint because a lot of people that coach just coach, but Roderick had such a philosophy where everything was interconnected and supported each other, it just led to coaching because it was so logical … Wrestling is like a puzzle and a lot of people have some of the pieces, but they don't have all of them. When you can put them together in a logical way, it takes you a lot farther and simplifies it and gets rid of wasted time and effort. That's the thing that Roderick did for me and the people who were at OSU at the time was he had a system and we stayed within it."
Robinson led the Golden Gophers to three team national titles in 2001, 2002 and 2007. His wrestlers amassed 14 individual national championships and 124 All-America honors under his leadership, including an NCAA-record 10 All-Americans in the 2001 season. His 440 dual wins stands as the fifth most all time with 430 of them coming at Minnesota, which stands as the best mark in program history.
His coaching career also included stints at the national and international level. He served as an assistant coach on four consecutive U.S. Olympic teams in 1976, 1980, 1984 and 1988. He also led the United States at the 1983 Pan American Games as the head coach.
His time at Minnesota ended in 2016 after 30 years of leading the program to new heights. Robinson is a member of the National Member Hall of Fame and was twice named the National Wrestling Coaches Association Coach of the Year.
"The thing I hoped I've given to wrestling is the old saying of pass it on," Robinson said. "When you find something in your life that gives you a lo of joy, you want to share that with other people and have them feel what you feel. That's what wrestling did is give me direction and purpose. It taught me how to work hard. Somedays when you're losing it taught you to be humble, but also to get yourself back up and go start again. There are so many things you learn and learn quickly that it might take some people 10 or 15 years to learn a lesson, but in a season of wrestling where you deal with wins and losses and have to change directions, it brings a lifetime together, good, bad and hard in a short period of time."
Robinson will be in Stillwater on Sunday to accept the award along with his wife, Sue, his children, Jeb and Jordan, and other friends and family.
Gallagher Award Recipients
1986 – Rex Peery
1987 – Frank Lewis
1988 – Myron Roderick
1989 – Tommy Chesbro
1990 – Joe McDaniel
1991 – John W. Divine
1996 - Ray Murphy
1997 - John Smith
1998 - Grady Peninger
1999 - Kenny Monday
2000 - Pat Smith
2001 - Kendall Cross
2002 - Mike Sheets
2003 - Doug Blubaugh
2004 - Grover Rains
2005 - Bobby Douglas
2006 - Charles Hetrick
2007 - Fred Davis
2008 - Lee Roy Smith
2009 - Bobby Stites
2010 - Bill Harlow
2011 - Eddie Griffin
2013 - Jim Shields
2014 - Mike Jones
2015 - Jay Arneson
2016 - Hardell Moore
2017 - Stanley Henson
2018 – Nick Williams
2019 – Tadaaki Hatta
2020 – Jim Rogers
2021 - Ned Blass
2022 - J Robinson
J Robinson, known to wrestling fans as JRob, was the legendary Head Coach of Gopher Wrestling for 30 years, where he won 3 Natty Championships in 2001, 2002, and 2007!! J was fired during a drug scandal in 2015, but he is still very beloved in Minnesota and amongst the Gopher Wrestling community. Recently, J and his 2001 and 2002 Natty Championship teams were honored by Gopher Wrestling, and now with this honor by OKSU, J's reputation has been completely rehabilitated and restored. I and many others think this is a good thing!!!
Cheers To JRob!!!
Thanks for all you've done for Gopher Wrestling!!!
Here's the article on JRob's award from OKState.com:
J Robinson to Receive 2022 Gallagher Award
OKState.com
Wrestling
February 16, 2022
STILLWATER – Former Oklahoma State wrestler and NCAA champion head coach J Robinson will be the recipient of the 2022 Gallagher Award, the program announced Wednesday.
The award, given annually to an OSU alumnus who has exemplified the spirit and leadership eminent in the tradition of champions, will be presented during the Cowboys' final home dual against Oklahoma on Feb. 20.
"It's an unbelievable honor," Robinson said. "It's humbling because when you come to Oklahoma State from halfway across the country and you work out in Gallagher Hall where Ed Gallagher started and how he brought the sport along, it's kind of mind blowing in a way. You looked up to this guy and respected everything he did and all the things he said, and then to get something in his name is hard to believe. If someone would've said in 50 years you will get this award, I'd have a hard time believing it."
Robinson wrestled for the Cowboys from 1966 to 1968 compiling a 20-15 record over the span of his career, but it's his legacy after leaving Stillwater that will be remembered in the sport of wrestling.
After graduating from Oklahoma State in 1969, Robinson attended Airborne, Ranger and Jungle Warfare School before being deployed to Vietnam. Following his service, he returned to the United States where he wrestled for the Army and won four national titles, two in freestyle and two in Greco-Roman. He also made two World teams and competed at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich in Greco.
Following the Olympics, he went back to school at Iowa where he became a graduate assistant and eventually an assistant coach under Dan Gable. While Robinson got his start in the coaching industry at Iowa, he credits two former Cowboys who were coaches of his for putting him on the path to become a coach.
"I would say Roderick was (an inspiration), but it was also my high school coach, Ned Blass, who wrestled at Oklahoma State," Robinson said. "The direction that he gave me as a senior coming out of high school when a lot of times you don't know what you should do … was super positive for me. As I was in San Diego, he was the one who sent me to Oklahoma State. He said this is the place you need to go and a place that will help you. When you have that kind of mentorship and direction it helps a lot, and it takes a lot of the stress off of getting to where you want to go. A guy once said, 'find the guy you want to be like, find what he did and then go ask him what he did to get there, and then go do it'. That's what Blass and Roderick did for me."
Learning under Myron Roderick, Robinson excelled as a coach for nearly 40 years. He spent nine seasons at Iowa helping lead them to seven NCAA championships from 1976-84, including the '83-84 season when he served as the interim head coach and led the Hawkeyes to Big Ten and NCAA titles.
In 1986 he was named the head coach at Minnesota where he would change the direction of Minnesota wrestling for the next 30 years.
"I enjoyed what Roderick instilled in me about having a philosophy," Robinson said. "That was really a big advantage from the coaching standpoint because a lot of people that coach just coach, but Roderick had such a philosophy where everything was interconnected and supported each other, it just led to coaching because it was so logical … Wrestling is like a puzzle and a lot of people have some of the pieces, but they don't have all of them. When you can put them together in a logical way, it takes you a lot farther and simplifies it and gets rid of wasted time and effort. That's the thing that Roderick did for me and the people who were at OSU at the time was he had a system and we stayed within it."
Robinson led the Golden Gophers to three team national titles in 2001, 2002 and 2007. His wrestlers amassed 14 individual national championships and 124 All-America honors under his leadership, including an NCAA-record 10 All-Americans in the 2001 season. His 440 dual wins stands as the fifth most all time with 430 of them coming at Minnesota, which stands as the best mark in program history.
His coaching career also included stints at the national and international level. He served as an assistant coach on four consecutive U.S. Olympic teams in 1976, 1980, 1984 and 1988. He also led the United States at the 1983 Pan American Games as the head coach.
His time at Minnesota ended in 2016 after 30 years of leading the program to new heights. Robinson is a member of the National Member Hall of Fame and was twice named the National Wrestling Coaches Association Coach of the Year.
"The thing I hoped I've given to wrestling is the old saying of pass it on," Robinson said. "When you find something in your life that gives you a lo of joy, you want to share that with other people and have them feel what you feel. That's what wrestling did is give me direction and purpose. It taught me how to work hard. Somedays when you're losing it taught you to be humble, but also to get yourself back up and go start again. There are so many things you learn and learn quickly that it might take some people 10 or 15 years to learn a lesson, but in a season of wrestling where you deal with wins and losses and have to change directions, it brings a lifetime together, good, bad and hard in a short period of time."
Robinson will be in Stillwater on Sunday to accept the award along with his wife, Sue, his children, Jeb and Jordan, and other friends and family.
Gallagher Award Recipients
1986 – Rex Peery
1987 – Frank Lewis
1988 – Myron Roderick
1989 – Tommy Chesbro
1990 – Joe McDaniel
1991 – John W. Divine
1996 - Ray Murphy
1997 - John Smith
1998 - Grady Peninger
1999 - Kenny Monday
2000 - Pat Smith
2001 - Kendall Cross
2002 - Mike Sheets
2003 - Doug Blubaugh
2004 - Grover Rains
2005 - Bobby Douglas
2006 - Charles Hetrick
2007 - Fred Davis
2008 - Lee Roy Smith
2009 - Bobby Stites
2010 - Bill Harlow
2011 - Eddie Griffin
2013 - Jim Shields
2014 - Mike Jones
2015 - Jay Arneson
2016 - Hardell Moore
2017 - Stanley Henson
2018 – Nick Williams
2019 – Tadaaki Hatta
2020 – Jim Rogers
2021 - Ned Blass
2022 - J Robinson
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