Hall of Fame
Mike Ritchey earned the induction in his first year of eligibility, just two months after being selected as part of the National Wrestling Coaches Association's NAIA Hall of Fame Class of 2026. He ended a 25-year run as SOU's head coach in 2020 with two NAIA Coach of the Year awards, nine Region Coach of the Year awards, 235 dual victories and a streak of 23 consecutive winning seasons under his belt. His crowning achievement came in 2001, when he led the Raiders to their fourth (and most recent) NAIA championship. He went on to oversee an NWCA National Dual Meet Championship in 2009 and five separate second-place team finishes on the NAIA stage. In total, his tenure yielded 136 All-America performances and 22 individual national titles. Ritchey's career as an athlete was Hall-of-Fame worthy even without the coaching accolades: Competing for the Raiders from 1984-88, he wrestled at 126 pounds and became the program's first four-time All-American with a fourth-place, fifth-place and two sixth-place performances. He went on to assist coach Bob Riehm and was part of the staff when SOU celebrated the 1994 title in his final season.
