Edward C. Gallagher (wrestling)

Edward Clark Gallagher (September 5, 1887 – August 28, 1940) was the head wrestling coach at Oklahoma Agricultural and Mechanical College—now known as Oklahoma State University–Stillwater—from 1916 to 1940. With his knowledge of physical principles like leverage and stress along with anatomy he all but invented the modern style of wrestling. He remains one of the most successful coaches in NCAA athletics history. Overall in his wrestling coaching career at Oklahoma A&M his teams went 138–5–4, including 19 undefeated seasons and 11 NCAA titles.

Gallagher-Iba Arena on campus at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma is named after him.

Gallagher was born in Perth, Kansas in 1887.

In high school and college, he was a natural athlete, excelling in football and track. While a student at Oklahoma A&M, Gallagher won the 100-yard dash in a Southwest Conference meet in 9.8 seconds. In 1908, he ran for a 99-yard touchdown against Kansas State, which still stands as a school record for longest run from scrimmage.

He was never involved in amateur wrestling during his high-school and collegiate days.

Gallagher earned a degree in electrical engineering from Oklahoma A&M in 1909. Upon graduation, he stayed at the Stillwater school, where he served as track coach. In 1913, he left Oklahoma A&M for Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas, where he coached all sports.

He held the head football coach at Baker for the 1913 and 1914 seasons. His football coaching record at Baker was 8 wins and 8 losses.

In 1915, he returned to Oklahoma A&M as athletic director. During the 1914–15 school year, Oklahoma A&M started its wrestling program, with A.M. Colville as coach. That first season, the team wrestled only one dual meet, and lost to the University of Texas. In the 1915–16 school year, Gallagher remained athletic director, but took on the added responsibility of being the wrestling coach. The team again had only one dual meet, and again lost to Texas. However, by the second year, Gallagher's wrestlers competed in three duals, winning two (against Emporia State and Texas) and tying with Arkansas. The team did not compete during World War I.

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