Oklahoma Mourns Loss of Wrestling Icon Stan Abel

The Oklahoma City legend went from three-time All-American to coaching the Sooners for 21 years and leading the team to a national championship.

Stan Abel / National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum

By OU Media Relations/Wrestling Hall of Fame

NORMAN — The University of Oklahoma Athletics family and wrestling community mourn the loss of Stan Abel, a National Wrestling Hall of Famer and former Oklahoma head coach, who passed away on June 28 at the age of 87.

Abel, who wrestled at OU and later served as head coach from 1973-93, led the Sooners to the 1974 national championship and is the program's all-time leader in wins. He achieved 279 dual victories at OU and finished with a .690 winning percentage.

"Our hearts are heavy with the passing of Stan Abel," said head wrestling coach Roger Kish. "Coach Abel was truly one of the greats of our sport, and his impact on the wrestling world will always be felt. We share our deepest condolences to his family and friends."

Abel's wrestling career spanned five decades.  A native of Oklahoma City, he was a three-time All-American for the Sooners, winning the 130-pound national title in 1959 and 1960. His championship win in 1960 contributed to OU's team title under Hall of Fame head coach Tommy Evans.

As a wrestler, he was a three-time collegiate All-American, placing third as a sophomore and winning the NCAA title at 130 pounds the next two years. In 1960, Abel won his second Big Eight crown, was conference wrestler of the year, and led the Sooners to the NCAA team championship. He had a career record of 53-5-1.

After posting a 69-4-2 record as coach at Putnam City High School, where he had wrestled, Abel served three years as an assistant at Ohio University, then became head coach at Cincinnati in 1972. One season later he was summoned home to Oklahoma, to continue the wrestling tradition established by Paul Keen, Port Robertson and Tommy Evans.

During his 21-year tenure as Oklahoma's head coach, Abel guided the Sooners to one national championship (1974) and four runner-up finishes (1975, 1981, 1985 and 1986), and finished outside the top 10 only once. He coached 15 individual champions and 74 All-Americans, leading OU to three Big Eight Conference titles.

One of his proudest moments came in 1984 when his son, Darren, earned All-America honors as an OU wrestler. The Sooners captured three Big Eight trophies and Abel was conference coach of the year three times. He was elected Man of the Year in 1974, and national Coach of the Year in '85.

Inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1989, Abel became the fourth consecutive OU head coach to receive the honor. Although he secured 279 wins with the Sooners, his 29-year overall coaching career included over 350 dual meet victories.