Cornell College coach Mike Duroe, 63, a past USA Wrestling employee, passed away today in Iowa
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by USA Wrestling, National Wrestling Hall of Fame
Mike Duroe, 63, head coach at Cornell College and a past USA Wrestling employee, passed away today in Iowa, after an inspiring battle with an aggressive form of cancer.
The wrestling community rallied behind Duroe this season, as he continued to coach in spite of his health issues. Duroe was an honorary coach of the 2018 U.S. men’s freestyle World Cup Team, which won the team title in Iowa City this April.
Duroe served 13 years as head coach of Cornell College, a NCAA Division III institution in Mount Vernon, Iowa. He is the winningest coach in program history. At Cornell, the Rams have finished in the Top 20 eight times, including back-to-back Top 10 finishes in 2008 and 2009, and had 19 All-Americans, five national finalists and one national champion.
Duroe served in two professional coaching positions for USA Wrestling, the national governing body. From 1998-2000, he was USA Wrestling's Freestyle Developmental Coach. In 2001, Duroe served as USA Wrestling's Freestyle Resident Coach, working with the elite men's freestyle wrestlers at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. He also managed USA Wrestling's women's wrestling programs, including serving as the Head Women's National Coach.
“We are heartbroken with the news of Mike’s passing. Few have had such a broad impact on USA Wrestling and the entire sport. He was actively involved in virtually every aspect of wrestling from Youth Development to Olympic Success in every single style of wrestling. He will remain an inspiration to us as we all work to move wrestling forward in his honor. Mike has long been a leader within the organization as both a wonderful employee and incredible volunteer. Our thoughts and prayers go out at this time of loss to Mike’s entire family, especially his wife Lisa, his beautiful children, his friends and all whose lives he touched. Our sport lost a good one today,” said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director.
“Mike Duroe was one of the special people in the sport of wrestling who will be greatly missed by all those he touched in both sport and life,” said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director, National Wrestling Hall of Fame. “He left a tremendous coaching legacy that impacted students and athletes at every level by helping them achieve their dreams and goals.”
Memorial arrangements have not yet been announced, and will be posted when received.
Under Duroe's leadership, the United States was successful in age-group and Senior World Championships in freestyle wrestling. The highlight of his efforts with the women's program came in 1999, when the United States won the World Team Title in women's wrestling for the first and only time.
He was also very active and successful as a volunteer coach within USA Wrestling. He has served on the men's freestyle coaching staff at six Olympic Games dating back to 1996, either as a staff member or volunteer. He also served on dozens of other coaching staffs for U.S. international teams, at both the Senior and age-group levels.
Duroe served as a World Team Coach for the 2006 U.S. Freestyle World Team, which placed third as a team at the 2006 World Championships in Guangzhou, China. The team featured four individual medalists, including World champion Bill Zadick.
Duroe was also a World Team coach for the 2005 U.S. Freestyle World Team, which placed eighth in the standings and featured two medalists, competing in Budapest, Hungary. He served as the head coach of three U.S. Women's World Teams (1995-97).
He was also a coach with the 2007 Pan American Games team, which won seven medals, led by champion Henry Cejudo. Duroe was also the head coach of the 1995 Cadet World Team. He also served as a coach at four U.S. Olympic Festivals (1989-90, 1993-94). He also served as head coach of Guam's freestyle wrestling team at the 2008 Games in Beijing.
He was named 2005 Freestyle Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. He has also received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Iowa Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. As Cornell College head coach, Duroe was tabbed Iowa Conference Coach of the Year during the 2009-10 season. He also served on USA Wrestling’s Board of Directors and numerous USA Wrestling committees.
He was head coach of the Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling Club from 2003 to 2005 and continued to be an assistant coach. He also served a stint as the administrative assistant for the University of Iowa wrestling program.
Duroe served as head coach at Northern Michigan University from 1980-85, and assistant coach from 1978-80. During his tenure at Northern Michigan, he tutored 27 All-Americans and three national champions. Duroe was also the coach for the Wildcat Wrestling Club at Northwestern University from 1985-86 and an assistant wrestling coach for the University of Pennsylvania from 2001-2003.
Duroe served as the head coach at New Trier High School in Illinois from 1986-98, where he led his team to four conference and five regional team titles. He also served as the head coach of the boy's golf team and as an assistant coach of the varsity football team.
As an athlete, Duroe was a two-time regional champion for Drake University. He served as captain of Drake's team for three years and has been inducted into the Drake University Wrestling Hall of Fame. Duroe graduated from Drake University in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in education. Duroe received Master’s degrees in education and in exercise physiology from Northern Michigan University.
Duroe competed on the national level in freestyle in the early 1980s. He was a three-time national freestyle placewinner, and was the 1983 AAU National champion. He is originally from Charles City, Iowa.
The wrestling community rallied behind Duroe this season, as he continued to coach in spite of his health issues. Duroe was an honorary coach of the 2018 U.S. men’s freestyle World Cup Team, which won the team title in Iowa City this April.
Duroe served 13 years as head coach of Cornell College, a NCAA Division III institution in Mount Vernon, Iowa. He is the winningest coach in program history. At Cornell, the Rams have finished in the Top 20 eight times, including back-to-back Top 10 finishes in 2008 and 2009, and had 19 All-Americans, five national finalists and one national champion.
Duroe served in two professional coaching positions for USA Wrestling, the national governing body. From 1998-2000, he was USA Wrestling's Freestyle Developmental Coach. In 2001, Duroe served as USA Wrestling's Freestyle Resident Coach, working with the elite men's freestyle wrestlers at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. He also managed USA Wrestling's women's wrestling programs, including serving as the Head Women's National Coach.
“We are heartbroken with the news of Mike’s passing. Few have had such a broad impact on USA Wrestling and the entire sport. He was actively involved in virtually every aspect of wrestling from Youth Development to Olympic Success in every single style of wrestling. He will remain an inspiration to us as we all work to move wrestling forward in his honor. Mike has long been a leader within the organization as both a wonderful employee and incredible volunteer. Our thoughts and prayers go out at this time of loss to Mike’s entire family, especially his wife Lisa, his beautiful children, his friends and all whose lives he touched. Our sport lost a good one today,” said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director.
“Mike Duroe was one of the special people in the sport of wrestling who will be greatly missed by all those he touched in both sport and life,” said Lee Roy Smith, Executive Director, National Wrestling Hall of Fame. “He left a tremendous coaching legacy that impacted students and athletes at every level by helping them achieve their dreams and goals.”
Memorial arrangements have not yet been announced, and will be posted when received.
Under Duroe's leadership, the United States was successful in age-group and Senior World Championships in freestyle wrestling. The highlight of his efforts with the women's program came in 1999, when the United States won the World Team Title in women's wrestling for the first and only time.
He was also very active and successful as a volunteer coach within USA Wrestling. He has served on the men's freestyle coaching staff at six Olympic Games dating back to 1996, either as a staff member or volunteer. He also served on dozens of other coaching staffs for U.S. international teams, at both the Senior and age-group levels.
Duroe served as a World Team Coach for the 2006 U.S. Freestyle World Team, which placed third as a team at the 2006 World Championships in Guangzhou, China. The team featured four individual medalists, including World champion Bill Zadick.
Duroe was also a World Team coach for the 2005 U.S. Freestyle World Team, which placed eighth in the standings and featured two medalists, competing in Budapest, Hungary. He served as the head coach of three U.S. Women's World Teams (1995-97).
He was also a coach with the 2007 Pan American Games team, which won seven medals, led by champion Henry Cejudo. Duroe was also the head coach of the 1995 Cadet World Team. He also served as a coach at four U.S. Olympic Festivals (1989-90, 1993-94). He also served as head coach of Guam's freestyle wrestling team at the 2008 Games in Beijing.
He was named 2005 Freestyle Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. He has also received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Iowa Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. As Cornell College head coach, Duroe was tabbed Iowa Conference Coach of the Year during the 2009-10 season. He also served on USA Wrestling’s Board of Directors and numerous USA Wrestling committees.
He was head coach of the Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling Club from 2003 to 2005 and continued to be an assistant coach. He also served a stint as the administrative assistant for the University of Iowa wrestling program.
Duroe served as head coach at Northern Michigan University from 1980-85, and assistant coach from 1978-80. During his tenure at Northern Michigan, he tutored 27 All-Americans and three national champions. Duroe was also the coach for the Wildcat Wrestling Club at Northwestern University from 1985-86 and an assistant wrestling coach for the University of Pennsylvania from 2001-2003.
Duroe served as the head coach at New Trier High School in Illinois from 1986-98, where he led his team to four conference and five regional team titles. He also served as the head coach of the boy's golf team and as an assistant coach of the varsity football team.
As an athlete, Duroe was a two-time regional champion for Drake University. He served as captain of Drake's team for three years and has been inducted into the Drake University Wrestling Hall of Fame. Duroe graduated from Drake University in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in education. Duroe received Master’s degrees in education and in exercise physiology from Northern Michigan University.
Duroe competed on the national level in freestyle in the early 1980s. He was a three-time national freestyle placewinner, and was the 1983 AAU National champion. He is originally from Charles City, Iowa.
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