Owatonna's Davis named Wrestling USA Magazine National Coach of the Year
May 28, 2007
Owatonna High School Head Wrestling Coach, Scot Davis, set the standard
this season for high school wrestling coaches with his 800th varsity
career coaching victory, giving him the most career wins made by any
wrestling coach in US history. Now for 21 years in Owatonna, Scot has
built a powerhouse from top to bottom, which has led to ten “Top 25”
nationally ranked Owatonna wrestling teams.
Scot came to Owatonna in the 1986-87 season following successful stops
in Belcourt, ND, Bird-Island-Lake Lillian, MN, Hutchinson, MN and the
University of Wisconsin-Superior, WI. He is a graduate of Augsburg
College, MN (B.A.-'74), where he was an All-American and team captain
for the Auggies in 1973. He also holds Masters Degrees from the
University of Minnesota (M.Ed-'82) and the University of St. Thomas
(M.A.-'95). Scot’s resume of accomplishments as a coach would stretch
from Owatonna, MN to Missoula, MT and back again, but it is everything
he does behind the scenes for the youth of Owatonna that is the true
hallmark of his career.
In 1987, Scot organized his winter youth wrestling program, now called
the OWA Youth Wrestling Program. Under his supervision and direction
this program has grown to 270 wrestlers (K-6), and more than 40 female
(K-6) wrestling cheerleaders. This successful youth program has seen
junior high (grades 7 & 8) wrestling numbers reach almost 60
wrestlers with high school (grades 9-12) wrestling numbers that can
topple 70+ in a season. This high level of participation allows Scot
the flexibility of over scheduling the normal limit per weight
class/wrestler for the season, which allows more JV wrestlers to
wrestle varsity and 9th Grade League wrestlers to move up to JV.
Additionally, Coach Davis has assembled an outstanding coaching staff
and one of the strongest wrestling boosters clubs in the nation, The
Owatonna Wrestling Association. Scot probably takes care of his people,
coaches, media, and supporters better than any head coach I’ve observed
in my 45 years of being around the sport of wrestling.
Many members of the coaching staff have earned national awards through
Scot’s hard work and efforts in nominating these outstanding people for
their invaluable contributions. Keith Stark earned Wrestling USA
Magazine’s “Writer of the Year”, Dale Benjamin earned Wrestling USA
Magazine’s “Broadcaster of the Year”, Larry Hovden earned “National
Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA)” Regional/National and National
“Assistant Coach of the Year,” and his wife Mary Davis WUSA “Coaches
Wife of the Year.” At the state level, Keith Stark, Dale Benjamin, and
Larry Hovden have earned similar awards in those categories,
respectively. At the section level, a trio of his top-notch assistants
have earned Section 1AAA “Assistant Coach of the Year” honors in Bob
Phillips, Jeff Becker, and Matt Kretlow.
He has also nominated several people for The Minnesota Wrestling State
Coaches Association and National Wrestling Hall of Fame-Minnesota State
Chapter. Former 30-year veteran Owatonna Coach Dick Black won a
Lifetime Service honor to The National Wrestling Hall Of Fame.
Additionally, Scot’s loyal assistant Mark Kreir entered the Minnesota
Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame in 2006.
Scot has long been the frontrunner in the promotion and publicity of
wrestling in our state. For many years he has written for Minnesota’s
amateur wrestling newspaper, The Guillotine, and his "Nutrition
Insight" column was one of the first devoted to proper nutrition
information for wrestlers. In fact, Scot was selected as The Bob
Dellinger Award Winner for “The National Wrestling Writer of the Year”
by Amateur Wrestling News in 1986. He has served as MWCA President,
chairing or serving on over 25 committees, including eight years as
MWCA Publicity Director. On the local level, Scot has his own televised
program, “The Owatonna Wrestling Show,” and makes certain that all
wrestling meets are broadcast on live local radio and rebroadcast on
local cable television. Additionally, he has an outstanding wrestling
newsletter and the OWA’s annual “Owatonna Wrestling Book” has earned
several National Media Awards. Finally, he started the annual “Owatonna
Open” that has drawn over 1200 wrestlers yearly in all age groups,
including an “old timers” division.
It seems that Coach Davis’ creativity is endless when it comes to
finding ways to promote Owatonna Wrestling. Owatonna Wrestling
merchandise includes team watches, team posters, socks, blankets, pens,
seat cushions, license plate holders, sunglasses, mugs, tote bags, t
shirts, sweatshirts, glow light bracelets, matching hooded sweatshirts,
stocking caps, state championship rings and even cereal boxes branded
with team photos. He has also initiated the design of team trading
cards that feature not only wrestlers, managers, coaches, cheerleaders,
but custodians, administrators, teachers, bus drivers, and the guest
speaker at the wrestling banquet each year.
While at the University of Wisconsin-Superior Davis was selected as the
NAIA District 14 “College Coach of the Year” and one of the “Top
College Rookie Coaches in the Nation.” Since then he has earned several
individual coaching honors including six section and conference coach
of the year awards, the National High School Coaches Association
“National Coach of the Year” award in 1998, and the Minnesota State AAA
“Coach of the Year” award in 2005. Scot is a member of the Dave
Bartelma Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame and was recently
selected as a Charter Member of the Region I Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Some of his other top honors are Wrestling USA Magazine’s Minnesota
State “Man of the Year” in 2004 and Bloomington Kennedy’s
“Distinguished Alumnnus” in 1998. He also received the NWCA 25-Year
Service Award.
Having gained so much state and national coaching recognition, Scot was
selected to coach the Minnesota All-Star Team Classic versus Wisconsin.
He has also been a popular clinician at the longtime running St. John’s
University Wrestling Camp. Additionally, he helped initiate, organize
and direct the Augsburg College Wrestling Camp with Coach Jeff Swenson
back in 1988 and he still attends every summer.
Granted, Coach Davis’ overall career mark of 804-124-4, eleven state
tournament team appearances, two team state championships, and numerous
state team placings are impressive, but what Coach Davis is most proud
of is his “high school total participation” numbers in Owatonna. Over
30 wrestlers letter each year and during their “Dream Season” over 20
wrestlers earned over 20 individual varsity wins. He directs his
wrestling program with the strong belief that what is best for the
individual development of his wrestlers is best for the team as a
whole. Behind Scot’s success, is the fact that he loves to teach kids
how to wrestle and he has a tremendous passion and love for the sport.
Scot has always promoted the whole program working together like a
family to get everyone involved, “parents, fans, and boosters, the
whole nine yards,” as he would say.
Building the success of the Owatonna Wrestling Program is a vocation
that Scot loves and works at 365 days a year, however the real
testimony to Scot’s nomination is that wrestling is his third priority;
Scot’s first two loves are his faith and family. He is as devoted a
Christian and family man as I’ve run across over the years. Scot or
Mary always give the invocation at the Minnesota National Wrestling
Hall of Fame banquet and I’m betting over the years they’ve had a few
team prayers before the big meets.
Scot and his lovely wife Mary have been married for 30 years and are
quite proud of their family. Their oldest daughter, Alyssa, is a
graduate of Wheaton College, IL and is currently finishing a Master of
Public Health degree at Emory University, GA. Their son, Colin, is
majoring in Business Administration at Winona State University, MN.
Their youngest daughter, Ashley, is a senior at Owatonna High School,
team captain and pitcher for the OHS softball team, and was selected
“Snow Queen” this past winter for “Snow Week ”at OHS.
Submitted by Minnesota State Editor
Wrestling USA Magazine
Spencer Yohe