New coach Smith brings winning tradition to Black Diamonds wrestling
The Sallisaw School Board made a splash last June when it approved the hiring of new Black Diamonds wrestling coach Mark Smith. A well-respected coach with a wealth of experience, Smith is no stranger to success on the mat.
The Sallisaw School Board made a splash last June when it approved the hiring of new Black Diamonds wrestling coach Mark Smith. A well-respected coach with a wealth of experience, Smith is no stranger to success on the mat.
‘I’m excited to join the Black Diamonds and continue their winning tradition,’ Smith says. ‘We have a talented group of wrestlers here, and I’m confident that we’ll be able to achieve great things together.’
Smith hit the ground running, and the changes he has implemented are already paying off for the wrestlers and the program as a whole.
A standout wrestler in high school, Smith earned three state championships and was named Oklahoma’s Wrestler of the Century by The Daily Oklahoman. He graduated with an impressive overall record of 87-2 as a Del City Eagle, earning him distinction as the No. 1 college wrestling recruit in the country.
But for Smith, who comes from one of the most prolific sports families in Oklahoma, with wrestling at the forefront, this was just par for the course. His older brothers Lee Roy, John and Pat are all wrestling legends and members of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. The four brothers are known as the ‘first family of Oklahoma State wrestling.’
Smith followed in his brothers’ footsteps by attending Oklahoma State University and wrestling under his older brother John’s program from 1995 1999. Despite struggling with injuries as the only true freshman on the team, Smith used a medical redshirt the following year to heal, and went on to achieve great success, winning three straight Big 12 Championships and becoming a three-time All-American. His overall collegiate record was 79-10, with three top-five finishes at the NCAA Championships.
Now, as the head coach of the Black Diamonds, Smith is eager to bring his winning tradition to Sallisaw. With his expertise and drive, the team is poised for a successful season. ‘We have a lot of talented wrestlers on this team,’ Smith says. ‘I’m confident that with hard work and determination, we can reach our goals.’
