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May 29, 2001
University of Minnesota wrestling legend, Olympic athlete and Olympic coach Alan Rice will be inducted on Saturday, June 2, as a Distinguished Member into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla. A longtime supporter of Golden Gopher grappling, Rice joins former wrestling greats Kurt Angle, Tom Brands, Kenny Monday and Rick Tucci as Distinguished Members of the Hall's 25th class.
Rice used his versatile wrestling ability to excel in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. As a wrestler, Rice was a two-time state champion in high school and captured two Big Ten titles for Minnesota in 1948 and '49. He also became Gold Country's 10th All-American with his place finish at the 1949 NCAA tournament. In addition, Rice was elected as the Golden Gophers' team captain as a senior.
Upon graduating in 1950, Rice embarked on his international career, competing at the Pan American Games, the World Championships and the 1956 Olympics. He finished fifth in freestyle at the 1954 World Championships and fifth at the Olympics in Greco-Roman. Rice claimed national AAU championships in both freestyle and Greco-Roman in 1956 before founding the highly successful Minnesota Amateur Wrestling Club (now the Gopher Wrestling Club), which has placed at least one wrestler on every U.S. Olympic team since 1964.
In 1972, Rice served as coach for the U.S. Greco-Roman Olympic team, which included eventual Minnesota Head Coach J Robinson. Off the mat, Rice was one of the leading pioneers of Greco-Roman wrestling and his continued support has helped develop the U.S. wrestlers into world contenders, winning a gold, silver and bronze medal in the 2000 Olympics.
A significant contributor to the University of Minnesota wrestling program, Rice is currently spearheading a major fundraising effort for the Gopher Wrestling Club.
According to the Hall, a Distinguished Member is a wrestler who has achieved extraordinary success in national and/or international competition, a coach who has demonstrated great leadership in the profession and has compiled an outstanding record, a contributor whose long-term activities have substantially enhanced the development and advancement of the sport, or any combination of the above qualifications. Rice, a native of St. Paul, Minn., has also been inducted into the University of Minnesota 'M' Club Hall of Fame, the Minnesota Wrestling Hall of Fame and the Helms Hall of Fame.