NEO Wrestling Coach Joe Renfro receives first-ever Hauck Award
Apr. 24—MIAMI, Okla. — Accolades continue to roll in for Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Hall of Fame Wrestling Coach Joe Renfro, who was give the first-ever Walter Hauck NJCCA Coaches Association President of the Year Award.
He received the honor at the National Junior College Athletic Association annual awards dinner in Charlotte, North Carolina, last week.
Earlier this year, Renfro was named to the Wrestling Coaches Association Class of 2024 Hall of Fame by the NJCAA.
According to a statement from NEO, the Coaches Association President of the Year Award is given to "a president in the NJCAA Coaches Association who goes above and beyond to create an enjoyable experience for their coaches and student-athletes."
In addition, the award recognizes coaches' many years of dedicated service, devotion and commitment to the NJCAA.
"Coach Renfro is an exemplary leader and coach who uses his position to foster a spirit of servant leadership within the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M community," NJCAA President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Christopher Parker said in a statement. "He is known for his great works throughout the association and continues to make a forceful impact as the NJCAA Wrestling Coaches Association president. This award holds true to the ideals of the association and the importance of service to NJCAA student-athletes, member colleges, and two-year collegiate athletics. We are thrilled to have Coach Renfro be the first recipient of such honor."
The recipient of the award is determined by the president and CEO of the organization, and named in honor of the late Walter Hauck, former NJCAA Bowling Coaches Association president.
"This is a great honor and I am extremely grateful for it," Renfro said in a statement. "I know there are plenty of other presidents in the NJCAA Coaches Association more worthy of this award than I am. Our NJCAA wrestling committee is top notch and they are very helpful at the national level with any issue we are working on. The National Wrestling Coaches Association is a huge mentor for our coaches at the NJCAA level, and we are very fortunate to have their guidance as well."
Renfro is a seven-time NJCAA National Coach of the Year and in 10 years at NEO he has captured three national titles; in his 21-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.
He is the only coach to win back-to-back NJCAA Wrestling National Championships at two different colleges. He led Labette Community College in Parsons, Kansas, to a national title in 2013 and then led NEO to its 2014 Wrestling National Championship.
Renfro has recorded an overall 236-46-4 record in 21 years of coaching.
He has coached 136 All-Americans, 22 individual national champions and qualified 39 wrestlers for the finals at the national tournament. He has been named the NJCAA National Coach of the Year seven times and NJCAA District Coach of the Year 12 times. He has also served as the president of the NJCAA Wrestling Coaches Association for several years.
