Championship Pedigree

Take a look at the names on the University of Oklahoma wrestling coaching staff. Listed there are some noticeable names in the wrestling community.

Michael Lightner, Andrew Howe and Kendric Maple left their marks on OU wrestling as student-athletes and continue to do so as assistant coaches.

In fact, all three boast impressive resumes, complete with individual NCAA titles and multiple All-America honors, making the staff one of the most decorated in the country.

Lightner joined the OU staff in 2008 as a volunteer assistant before being named assistant coach in 2009, while Howe and Maple are in their first seasons as assistant and volunteer assistant coaches, respectively.

All three of them are at least three-time All-Americans, with Lightner and Howe reaching that mark four times in their careers. During their NCAA championship seasons, they each finished with unblemished records. Lightner's title came in 2001 at 141 pounds, Howe's in 2010 at 165 pounds while he was at Wisconsin and Maple's in 2013 at 141 pounds.

On top of their on-the-mat success, Lightner, Howe and Maple reached high standards in the classroom. All three are Oklahoma graduates, with Howe holding both a bachelors and master's degree from the university and Maple on track to finish his master's in May.

Fourth-year OU head coach Mark Cody says having such an accomplished trio on his coaching staff provides a valuable example to the squad.

“They're all really, really tough,” Cody says. “They've all done what they needed to do and they all accomplished great things in the sport. They've done it as well as anyone could possibly do.”

List of Assistant Coaches' AccomplishmentsHide

Michael Lightner
2001 NCAA Champion at 141 pounds
Four-time All-American
Four-time Big 12 Champion
144-16 overall record
Ranks second in school history for wins

Andrew Howe
2010 NCAA Champion at 165 pounds (while at Wisconsin)
Four-time All-American
Three-time Big Ten Champion
2014 Big 12 Runner-Up
122-10 overall record
2014 Academic All-Big 12 First Team
2014 NWCA Division I All-Academic Team

Kendric Maple
2013 NCAA Champion at 141 pounds
Three-time All-American
Three-time Big 12 Champion
Three-time NWCA Division I All-Academic Team
Three-time Academic All-Big 12 Team (first team twice, second team once)
2014 Capital One Academic All-America Division I At-Large Team
NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient
Big 12 Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship recipient

Additionally, Cody adds that their experience with the OU standards and system is a positive.

“We're early on in this process in trying to build this up to where we want it to be and where we hope that we can get to,” Cody explains. “All three of them wrestled here, and that's great because they have the right perspective. They all know the system. They all know what we're trying to do, what we're trying to accomplish. It's nothing different for them. We can just stay the course and keep moving forward. It's great and very special to have them here.”

When it comes to coaching, Lightner, Howe and Maple all say they do so out of a passion and love for the sport of wrestling and a desire to help the current student-athletes achieve their goals. The trio also value the OU program and were drawn to staying in Norman to be involved with it.

“It was the same reason I came here in the first place. It's a family here,” Maple says of working with the team. “These guys are my brothers and now I'm coaching them and it's still the same relationship. I want to be part of this family for as long as I can.”

Lightner shares that his NCAA title is an accomplishment of which he is very proud, and he hopes to help more Sooners reach that level.

“I take pride in this program and I take pride in being able to represent it on the biggest stage and being able to win an NCAA title for the program,” Lightner explains. “I take pride in it and I take pride in hopefully some of the guys on the team get up there as well.”

Maple adds that he thinks his, Lightner's and Howe's experiences as NCAA champions is of value in the training room as they work with the current student-athletes.

“I've been through it, and I know what it takes. It takes a lot more than a lot of people are willing to give,” Maple explains. “That's what we try to get our guys to see that not everybody can step up to that challenge. We want them to visualize and see where they need to go and have the heart to do it.”

They're all really, really tough. They've all done what they needed to do and they all accomplished great things in the sport. They've done it as well as anyone could possibly do.
Mark Cody

Both Howe and Maple say the transition from OU wrestler to coach has been good but also an interesting experience as they have to adjust to not just focusing on their own matches but the bouts of the entire team. As a coach, Howe works to set an example through his actions.

“I think it's important to have somebody in a leadership role that wouldn't ask you to do something they wouldn't do themselves,” Howe says. “I've been through every workout that these guys have done and will do, and I wouldn't ask them to do anything I wouldn't do myself. I think that's something that can be respected.”

The OU coaching staff is tight knit, sharing close relationships and building off of the ideas and energy of each other. All of the coaches trust each other and are invested in the program and share the common goal of making the program the best it can be, Maple says.

All they coaches have their own twist on wrestling, according to Howe, and they discuss their own experiences as they determine how to approach a given situation.

“We are able to brainstorm and we can think about everything that made us successful individuals and maybe that's something that the other one isn't thinking about and we bounce ideas off of each other and techniques and it works really well,” Howe explains.

While the assistant coaches bring great value to OU, Lightner says that the success of the staff starts at the top with Cody, whom he calls a “great leader” and someone who truly cares about the student-athletes on the team, investing his time with them.

“He's a great guy to work for,” Lightner says of Cody, who was named the 2011 NWCA National Wrestling Coach of the Year while at American. “He gives us a lot of freedom to work with the guys and coach them and I truly believe he's the best man for the job. He's a great coach.”

And just as his assistants enjoy working with him, Cody says it is nice to walk into the office and be around people who all get along so well. He adds he is proud of his staff and what all three assistants bring to the program, both as coaches and people.

“I have four little boys at home, and if they go to college and wrestle, hopefully they'll be able to wrestle for one of these guys because they're just great guys,” Cody shares. “They're good people and good mentors, and across the board they're hitting it out of the park so far.”