Respected USA Wrestling leader Ned Zollinger, former chairman of Idaho-USA Wrestling, passed away at 74

Long-time USA Wrestling leader and former chairman of Idaho-USA Wrestling, Ned Zollinger, 74, passed away on May 23 following a decade-long battle with brain cancer.

In 2014, Zollinger was recognized for his commitment and leadership as the recipient of the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award from the Idaho State Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Until his passing, Zollinger was a member of USA Wrestling's Youth Development Council, a position he held for over 20 years.

"Ned was one of the great ones in our sport," said Tony Black, USA Wrestling Director of State Services. "It was known that Ned was going to greet you with a smile while wearing a plaid shirt, a trademark many of us knew Ned by. He was incredibly respected by his peers, and his influence on people, our sport and organization was not an accident."

Zollinger spent countless days attending USA Wrestling events in Idaho, the West, and across the nation. As a dad and administrator, he attended the Junior Nationals from the 1990s through his last time in 2024, where two of his grandchildren competed, his son Bryan coached and his other son Brock officiated.

Wrestling has been a family affair for the Zollingers. His aforementioned sons, Bryan and Brock, along with Brett, have been long-time members, and his daughter Janell formerly processed USA Wrestling memberships for Idaho-USA Wrestling.

While other USA Wrestling regional championships were regularly rotating, Zollinger was a proponent of a central location for such events, which would allow for increased institutional knowledge by the community, host, participants and families in attendance. Since the West Region made the decision to host its annual championship in Pocatello, Idaho, in 2008, other regionals looked to mirror the success and similarly have removed their annual rotations in lieu of a centralized host with combined regional resources.

The obituary for Ned Zollinger can be seen here. Additionally, below is a public post written by Bryan Zollinger on May 24 regarding Ned’s passing:

Yesterday our family said goodbye—for now—to my dad, my best friend and my hero.

My dad was never someone who sought attention or recognition. He was a quiet, selfless servant—the kind of man who simply saw what needed to be done and did it. He served without fanfare, loved without conditions, and led more by example than by words.

He was also a coach in every sense of the word. Not just in sports, but in life. He taught through steady encouragement, gentle correction, quiet confidence, and unwavering belief in the people around him. He had a way of making you want to be better—not because he demanded it, but because of the kind of man he was.

If I have learned anything about faith, hard work, humility, or perseverance, much of it came from watching my dad.

Today our hearts are heavy, but they are also deeply grateful.

I thank my Heavenly Father with all my heart for the incredible blessing of having this man as my father. What a gift to be raised by a man of quiet spiritual strength and deep conviction. Dad didn’t need to speak loudly about his faith—you could see it in how he lived, how he served, and how he treated others.

Because of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we grieve with hope. I know that Dad has moved on to a glorious spiritual paradise—whole, at peace, and joyfully reunited with loved ones who have gone before him. I can picture him with that same calm confidence, stepping forward ready to serve, ready to teach, and ready to continue doing the Lord’s work.

That thought brings peace.

We will miss his steady presence, his wisdom, his kindness, and the quiet strength that anchored our family. But because of Heavenly Father’s plan, this separation is only temporary. Families are eternal, and I look forward with faith and even excitement to the day I get to see my hero again. 

Even in his last year when he was often in pain, he made it to just about every sporting event, every significant church or school function and every important family milestone for all of his kids, grandkids and even countless events for his "adopted" kids often referred to as Ned's boys or Ned's girls.  He loved all of the kids and adults he ever worked with. I never heard my dad speak ill of anyone. There is not a person that ever wronged him that he didn't forgive and even love.  He exemplified charity, the pure love of Christ.

Love you, Dad. Thank you for your example, your faith, and your quiet strength. Until we meet again.