Inductees

On January 18, 2008, Coach TJ Kerr became the fifth active NCAA coach to surpass 400 wins. He finished his 37-year coaching career with a 421-211-7 record.

At California State University-Bakersfield from 1985-2010, Kerr compiled a dual match record of 239-141-4. That was preceded by a record of 182-70-3 at San Jose State University from 1973-84.

TJ’s teams finished in the Top 25 of the Nation 11 times, including five Top 10 National Finishes. His best NCAA Division I finish was third place with CSUB in 1996; this is still the highest in California history. His best NCAA Division I finish at SJSU was ninth in 1982 — still the highest in school history. He coached three NCAA Division I Individual Champions and 29 All-Americans at that level. These accomplishments earned him the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division I Coach of the Year recognition in 1996.

He won the NCAA Division II Team Championships in 1987, with six NCAA Div. II Individual Champions and 17 All-Americans in three seasons. Kerr was chosen NCAA Division II Coach of the Year in 1987, and he was Coach of the Year in the PCAA seven times during his 12 years at SJSU.

His teams won the Pac 10 Conference in 1996 and 1999, and he also recorded 10 Pacific Coast Athletic Association Conference Championships. Kerr coached 29 Pac-10 Champions and 166 Pac-10 Place-winners. He was selected Pac-10 Coach of the Year in 1991, 1996 and 1997. Kerr coached five U.S. Olympic wrestlers, one world Champion, five World Championships qualifiers including three medalists, five USA National Freestyle Champions, one USA National Greco-Roman Champion, three Pan-Am Games Freestyle Champions, and one Pan-AM Games Greco-Roman Champion.

As president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association from 1993-96, TJ increased its budget, hired office staff and led the NCWA’s efforts to reform Title IX and to. He testified in front of a U.S. Congress subcommittee to support equal opportunity for women without taking opportunity away from men. He was able to improve several NWCA events, including the All-Star Classic, the National Duals, and the Scholastic Wrestling Showcase. Kerr had military service from 1972-80, and he enjoyed over 30 years of higher education teaching on subjects like physical education, outdoor education, coaching philosophy and self-defense.