John smith biography wrestling matches

John Smith pondered retirement at various times during his 33-year tenure as Oklahoma State’s head coach but never made the move to leave the Cowboy corner. 

Until Thursday. 

The iconic Oklahoma State coach announced he’s retiring after a legendary career that included 490 dual wins, five national championships and 21 conference titles. 

Smith took over as the co-head coach at Oklahoma State in 1991 as a 26-year-old in the midst of an incredible competitive career.

I’m not kidding, I really did think about it and almost did it. 

“It takes some off time to really evaluate everything.”

The Cowboys went 14-1 in duals this past season and finished 10th at the NCAA Championships. John was a three-time All-American with a pair of national titles, while his younger brother, Pat, was the NCAA’s first four-time national champion with titles in 1990, 1991, 1992 and 1994.

Oklahoma State’s 153 team points eclipsed second-place Michigan by 70 points. Under Smith’s guidance, Fix wrapped up his storied career as the Big 12’s first five-time champion and first five-time All-American in program history. Combined with his collegiate totals of 152-8-2 and his high school marks of 105-5, he competed 458 times for his school, club, or country and won 436 times, for a success rate higher than 95%.

Coleman Scott will serve as the interim head coach of the Cowboy Wrestling program.

Over a six-year span, which started while he was still a student at Oklahoma State, John Smith was the best wrestler in the world.

Smith led Oklahoma State to the 1994 NCAA title and then reeled off four consecutive national championships beginning in 2003. He coached the USA Women's Cadet World Team in 2018.

Prior to taking over as Oklahoma State head coach in 1992, Smith put together a wrestling career that squarely places him in the conversation for the greatest American wrestler ever.

He won six consecutive world championships as a competitor from 1987-92, including gold medals at the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul and at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona.

He saw his wrestlers earn All-America recognition 153 times, which is believed to be the most in Division I wrestling history and an average of 4.6 All-Americans per year. Smith was honored as the first wrestler to ever claim the James E. Sullivan Award as America’s outstanding amateur athlete in 1990. He spent some time at 126 pounds, compiling a 27-4-2 overall mark, and won his lone career match at 142.

After Smith’s junior year at Oklahoma State, he won his first world title in Clermont-Ferrand, France.

The Cowboys also went 13-3 during the shortened 2020 season, crowning three individual conference champions and six being named All-Americans by the NWCA after the NCAA Championships were cancelled due to COVID-19.

Another highlight came in 2017 as Smith guided the Pokes to a 14-1 regular season record before running away with the conference title by claiming eight individual conference champions, tied for most in his tenure.

Alongside the titles, Smith’s resume also includes All-America selections in 1985, 1987 and 1988, as well as the 1987 NCAA Outstanding Wrestler award. Five of Smith’s wrestlers at Oklahoma State also made their way to the Olympic Games, including medalists Jamill Kelly and Coleman Scott.

He was recognized as the National Wrestling Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 1994 and 2003 and was a 15-time selection as his conference’s coach of the year (1994 and 1996 in the Big Eight and 1997, 1998, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011, 2013 2014, 2015 and 2016 in the Big 12).

Smith is OSU’s all-time winningest coach with a dual record of 490-73-6.

Known for his signature low single leg takedown, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest freestyle wrestlers of all time.