NEO Wrestling coach Joe Renfro named to NJCAA Hall of Fame
Feb. 29—MIAMI, Okla. — Joe Renfro, long-time wrestling coach at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College, was named to the Wrestling Coaches Association Class of 2024 Hall of Fame by the National Junior College Athletics Association.
The NJCAA will honor Renfro Saturday at the National Wrestling Tournament.
Renfro, a seven-time NJCAA National Coach of the Year, is no stranger to national championships. In his 10 years at NEO, he has captured three national titles, and in his 20-year career, he has won six. After 22 years with no wrestling program at NEO, Renfro guided the Norsemen to a national title in 2013-2014 — his first year at the helm of the newly reinstated program.
Renfro has coached 135 All-Americans, with 39 wrestlers in the national finals and 22 individual national champions. He has been voted the NJCAA District Coach of the Year 12 times. He also actively serves the NJCAA Wrestling Coaches Association as president.
He is the only coach to win a back-to-back NJCAA Wrestling National Championship at two different colleges. He set the record in 2013 when he was the winning coach for Labette Community College in Parsons, Kansas, before coming to NEO to win the 2014 Wrestling National Championship.
"Joe Renfro's impact on the wrestling community is nothing short of remarkable," NEO A&M College President Dr. Kyle J. Stafford said in a statement. "What is most impressive is his transformative impact on student-athletes, turning them into NJCAA All-Americans and several ascending to national champions, nurturing their talents and instilling in them the values of discipline, perseverance, and sportsmanship."
With an overall record of 236-46-4, Renfro led NEO to 17 NJCAA District Championships, 14 top-three finishes in the national tournament, and six NJCAA Wrestling Championship team national titles.
NEO will recognize Renfro's Hall of Fame induction on March 7 between the women's and men's team games as NEO Basketball takes on Northern Oklahoma College-Tonkawa. The women's team tips off at 5:30 p.m., and the men's team at 7:30 p.m.
Renfro also currently serves as NEO athletic director.
