Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Famer, longtime coach passes away

Arthur “Bucky” Maughan won a state title for Canon McMillan and went on to lead North Dakota State University’s program to four NCAA II national titles, dies at 83

Bucky Maughan instructs one of his North Dakota State University wrestlers. The former Pennsylvania state champion from Canon McMillan High School passed away this week at the age of 83. / North Dakota State University Athletics

One of the country’s premier college wrestling coaches, Arthur “Bucky” Maughan, who guided North Dakota University to four NCAA Division II championships, passed away on Oct. 15, according to a story by the Minot Daily News.

Maughan, who coached the Bison for 47 years from 1964 to 2011, passed away in West Fargo, N.D., per the obituary released by Hanson-Runsvold Funeral Home in Fargo.

"He was a really special person, one of one. He put NDSU on the map with USA Wrestling," said NDSU wrestler Steve Saxlund on the Hot Mic with Dom Izzo sports talk show. Saxlund won three NCAA Division II titles at NDSU under Maughan.

A superb athlete as a youngster, Maughan won a Pennsylvania state championship as a senior competing for Canon McMillan High School in Canonsburg, Pa., 18 miles southwest of Pittsburgh. He then attended Indiana University for one year before heading to Moorhead State College, where he captured two NAIA national titles and an NCAA Division I championship in the 115-pound weight class.

After graduating from Moorhead State with an English degree, he was hired at NDSU as a graduate assistant head coach in 1964. He went on to earn a master’s degree in counseling in 1966. Maughan was an Emeritus Professor, Health, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences, M.S., retiring in 2011, per the Minot Daily News.

As wrestling coach, he guided NDSU to NCAA Division II titles in 1988, 1998, 2000 and 2001 and six national runner-up finishes, according to the Minot Daily News.

Twenty-one of his wrestlers won a combined 30 NCAA Division II national titles. When the Bison bumped up to Division I, he coached five wrestlers to the NCAA Championships.

In the near five decades of coaching at NDSU, he compiled a dual-meet record of 467 wins, 157 losses and 13 ties.

Maughan’s accomplishments earned him hall of fame inductions into the NDSU Bison Athletic, Pennsylvania High School Wrestling, NAIA Wrestling, NCAA Division II Wrestling, Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, and the MSU Moorhead Dragons.

A “Send-Off Celebration” for Maughan is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 26, from 3 to 7 p.m., at The Four & Four Downtown Venue in Fargo.