Distinguished Member: Terry Steiner

Terry Steiner has served as the U.S. Women’s National Coach since 2002, leading the rise of American women’s wrestling to global prominence. Under his leadership, Team USA has earned four Olympic gold medals, three silver, and six bronze across six Olympic Games, along with 16 gold, 17 silver, and 29 bronze at 17 World Championships.

Steiner has coached five of the six women inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as Distinguished Members: Clarissa Chun, Kristie Davis, Sara McMann, Patricia Miranda, and Toccara Montgomery. His teams have consistently reached the podium, tying records for most medals at the World Championships and producing historic Olympic performances— including two gold medalists at the 2024 Paris Games.

At the 2003 World Championships, Steiner coached Team USA to a tie for first place, with a record seven medalists. That same record was tied again in 2021, 2022, and 2023, demonstrating the consistency and depth of the program he has built. In 2022, his athletes captured three gold medals—matching the U.S. women’s all-time best showing at a single World Championship.

Before joining USA Wrestling, Steiner served as an assistant coach at Oregon State and the University of Wisconsin. He was instrumental in developing both collegiate and Olympic-level talent and helped lay the groundwork for today’s national team success.

As an athlete, Steiner was a three-time All-American at the University of Iowa, where he captured the NCAA title at 150 pounds and was named Outstanding Wrestler of the NCAA tournament in 1993. He had a 125-22-2 career record for the Hawkeyes and helped uphold the program’s storied legacy.

A native of Bismarck, North Dakota, Steiner was a two-time state champion and three-time finalist for Century High School, finishing with a 128-14 prep record and helping his team win back-to-back state titles.

For his championship pedigree, transformative coaching, and decades of dedication to the growth of women’s wrestling, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame proudly welcomes Terry Steiner as a Distinguished Member.