Bill Scherr of Glenview, Ill. has been named 2005 Women's Coach of the Year

Bill Scherr of Glenview, Ill. has been named 2005 Women's Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. This is the first time that Scherr has received this prestigious award.

Scherr was a coach of the 2005 U.S. Women's World Team, which placed third in the team standings and featured four medalists, including World champion Iris Smith.

Along with Joe Corso of New Orleans, La., Scherr has been named by USA Wrestling to serve as a 2006 U.S. Women's World Team coach, working at the Wrestling World Championships in Guangzhou, China in the fall.

Scherr is currently a women's coach with the Sunkist Kids, and also works with the Wildcat WC freestyle wrestlers. Scherr was an instructor at the FILA Women's World Training Camp held at the Japan Institute of Sports Science in Tokyo, January 5-15, an elite program in which 13 nations participated.

He was an assistant coach at Indiana University for five years, from 1984-89, working with coach Jim Humphrey. The team was 2-17 the season before his arrival and had a 15-0 record his final year with the program. Scherr is also a widely respected clinician, working numerous camps and clinics around the nation.

Scherr was one of the greatest wrestlers in U.S. freestyle history. He was a 1985 World champion and a 1988 Olympic bronze medalist. He ran off an amazing five-year run of consecutive World-level medals for the United States from 1985-89. He was also a 1986 and 1989 World silver medalist and a 1987 World bronze medalist. His five consecutive World-level medals is one of U.S. wrestling's greatest feats, surpassed only by superstars Bruce Baumgartner, John Smith and Dave Schultz.

Bill Scherr was a two-time World Cup champion, a Pan American Games champion, a World Grand Masters champion, a Goodwill Games champion and a four-time U.S. Nationals champion. In 1992, he made a late comeback to the sport, winning the U.S. Nationals title and making the finals of the Olympic Team Trials where he placed second. He is a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Scherr was a 1984 NCAA champion at the Univ. of Nebraska, where he starred alongside his twin brother Jim. He was also a two-time high school state champion from Mobridge, S.D.

Scherr has developed a new web page about wrestling coaching (www.mywrestlingcoach.com), where he posts numerous detailed articles with information and advice on technique, coaching, mental toughness and other important training issues. Professionally, he is a Vice President with Goldman Sachs & Co.

USA Wrestling will be announcing major award winners each day this week on TheMat.com.

PAST WOMEN'S COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
2005 - Bill Scherr, Glenview, Ill., Sunkist Kids
2004 - Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
2003 - Townsend Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
2002 - Joe Corso, Des Moines, Iowa, Sunkist Kids

Mike Duroe of Iowa City, Iowa has been named 2005 Freestyle Coach of the Year

Mike Duroe of Iowa City, Iowa has been named 2005 Freestyle Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. This is the first time that Duroe has received this prestigious award

Duroe was a coach for the 2005 U.S. Freestyle World Team, which placed eighth in the standings and featured two medalists, competing in Budapest, Hungary. Duroe has coached numerous U.S. World-level teams, both in men's freestyle and women's freestyle, as a volunteer coach and also as a staff member for USA Wrestling. He was on the staff of the last three U.S. Olympic men's freestyle coaching teams.

Along with Lou Rosselli of Edinboro, Pa., Duroe has been named by USA Wrestling to serve as a 2006 U.S. Freestyle World Team coach, working at the Wrestling World Championships in Guangzhou, China in the fall.

Duroe is the head wrestling coach at Cornell College, a Div. III school in Iowa. He served as an interim coach in 2005-06, and accepted the full-time position this spring. He was previously the coach of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club and the administrative assistant for the Univ. of Iowa wrestling program. He has extensive coaching experience on the high school, college and international levels.

Duroe served in two professional coaching positions for USA Wrestling, the national governing body. From 1998-2000, he was USA Wrestling's Freestyle Developmental Coach. In 2001, Duroe served as USA Wrestling's Freestyle Resident Coach, working with the elite men's freestyle wrestlers at the U.S. Olympic Training Center.

As National Developmental Coach, Duroe was responsible for the responsible for developing age-group freestyle wrestlers. He also managed USA Wrestling's women's wrestling programs, including serving as the Head Women's National Coach.

Under Duroe's leadership, the United States was successful in age-group World Championships in freestyle wrestling. The highlight of his efforts with the women's program came in 1999, when the United States won the World Team Title in women's wrestling.

Prior to joining USA Wrestling's national staff, he coached U.S. teams on the national and international level in men's and women's wrestling. He served as the head coach of three U.S. Women's World Teams (1995-97). Duroe served as head coach of the women's team at the 1997 Pan American Championships. He also was an assistant coach for the 1996 Pan American Championships men's team. Duroe was also the head coach of the 1995 Cadet World Team. He also served as a coach at four U.S. Olympic Festivals (1989-90, 1993-94).

Duroe served as head coach at Northern Michigan Univ. from 1980-85, and assistant coach from 1978-80. During his tenure at Northern Michigan, he tutored 27 All-Americans and three national champions. Duroe was also the coach for the Wildcat Wrestling Club at Northwestern Univ. from 1985-86 and an assistant wrestling coach for the Univ. of Pennsylvania from 2001-2003.

Duroe served as the head coach at New Trier High School in Illinois from 1986-98, where he led his team to four conference and five regional team titles.

As an athlete, Duroe was a two-time regional champion for Drake Univ. He served as captain of Drake's team for three years and has been inducted into the Drake University Wrestling Hall of Fame. Duroe competed on the national level in freestyle in the early 1980s. He was a three-time national freestyle placewinner, and was the 1983 AAU National champion.

USA Wrestling will be announcing major award winners each day this week on TheMat.com.

PAST FREESTYLE COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
2005 ­ Mike Duroe, Iowa City, Iowa, Hawkeye TC
2004 - Bobby Douglas, Ames, Iowa, Sunkist Kids
2003 - Tom Brands, Iowa City, Iowa, Hawkeye WC
2002 - Tom Brands, Iowa City, Iowa, Hawkeye WC
2001 - Zeke Jones, Morgantown, W.Va., Sunkist Kids
2000 - John Smith, Stillwater, Okla., Sunkist Kids
1999 - Greg Strobel, Bethlehem, Pa., New York Athletic Club
1998 - John Smith, Stillwater, Okla., Sunkist Kids
1997 - Greg Strobel, Bethlehem, Pa., New York Athletic Club
1996 - Bruce Burnett, Colorado Springs, Colo., National Freestyle Coach
1995 - Bruce Burnett, Colorado Springs, Colo., National Freestyle Coach
1994 - Gene Davis, Colorado Springs, Colo., Athletes In Action
1993 - Joe Seay, Oklahoma City, Okla., Sunkist Kids
1992 - Bobby Douglas, Ames, Iowa, Sunkist Kids

Shawn Sheldon named 2005 USA Wrestling Greco-Roman Coach of the Year

Shawn Sheldon (West Palm Beach, Fla./New York AC) has been named 2005 Greco-Roman Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. This is the first time Sheldon has won this prestigious award.

Sheldon currently works for the Palm Beach County Community Olympic Development Program, as its Wrestling Administrator and as a CODP Manager. Sheldon conducts wrestling training for local athletes of all ages in this Olympic-based community sports program.

He is a club coach with the New York Athletic Club, which won the 2005 U.S. Nationals team title in Greco-Roman and placed four athletes on 2005 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team. Sheldon coached at the U.S. Olympic Training Center for a number of years, assisting with the resident program, prior to accepting his position in Palm Beach County. He has also coached U.S. teams on international tours.

Along with Andy Seras of Sandy Hook, Conn., Sheldon has been named by USA Wrestling to serve as a 2006 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team coach, working at the Wrestling World Championships in Guangzhou, China in the fall.

`He was an assistant wrestling coach at his alma mater, SUNY-Albany from 1991-1993. Sheldon served as the Colorado State Junior National Team Head Coach in 2002 and the New York State Junior National Team Assistant Coach in 1993 and also coached the Florida Junior National team in 2005. Sheldon is a bronze-level certified coach in USA Wrestling's National Coaches Education Program.

He was one of the most successful Greco-Roman wrestlers in American history, competing on the national and international levels for almost two decades.

Sheldon placed fourth in the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain, and competed in the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. He was also a silver medalist at the 1991 World Championships. Sheldon competed in eight World Championships for the United States.

Sheldon also won the U.S. National Greco-Roman Championships nine times and was second in the U.S. Nationals eight times. He was a two-time World Cup champion, winning titles in 1989 and 1996. He was also third in the 1987 and 1991 Pan American Games. Sheldon won a U.S. record eight Greco-Roman World Cup medals during his career. He was a five-time Concord Cup gold medalist.

Sheldon was a 1986 NCAA Div. III national champion, competing for SUNY-Albany and a three-time All-American. He was third in the New York high school state championships in 1983, competing for Columbia-Voorheesville High School.   

USA Wrestling will be announcing major award winners each day this week on TheMat.com.

PAST GRECO-ROMAN COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
2005 ­ Shawn Sheldon, West Palm Beach, Fla., New York AC
2004- Andy Seras, Sandy Hook, Conn., Sunkist Kids
2003 - Shon Lewis, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army
2002 - Shon Lewis, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army
2001 - Andy Seras, Sandy Hook, Conn., Sunkist Kids
2000 - Dan Chandler, Minneapolis, Minn., Minnesota Storm
1999 - Dan Chandler, Minneapolis, Minn., Minnesota Storm
1998 - Jay Antonelli, Quantico, Va., U.S. Marines
1997 - Dan Chandler, Minneapolis, Minn., Minnesota Storm
1996 - Rob Hermann, Pensacola, Fla., U.S. Navy
1995 - Dan Chandler, Minneapolis, Minn., Minnesota Storm
1994 - Dan Chandler, Minneapolis, Minn., Minnesota USA Wrestling
1993 - Tony Thomas, Fort Benning, Ga., U.S. Army
1992 - Rob Hermann, Pensacola, Fla., U.S. Navy