Garland Inducted Into Virginia Chapter National Wrestling Hall Of Fame
GLEN ALLEN, Va. – Virginia head wrestling coach Steve Garland was inducted into the Virginia Chapter National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Saturday (April 12) in recognition of his dedication to the sport.
The Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award, which Garland received, is given in recognition of 20 years or more of dedication to the development of leadership and citizenship in youth through the sport of wrestling.
Garland began his wrestling connection with Virginia as a student-athlete, advancing to the finals of the ACC Championships three times and claiming the 1997 title at 125 pounds. In his final season as a student-athlete, Garland advanced to the finals at the NCAA Championships to become the second finalist in program history and first since Henry Jordan in 1957.
Following his career as a student-athlete, Garland entered the coaching ranks as an assistant at Cornell before being named the head coach of the Virginia program on April 20, 2006.
Over the course of the last 19 seasons at the helm of the Virginia program, Garland has continued to pursue excellence on the mat while developing upstanding young people in the community.
Four years after taking the position, Garland was named ACC Coach of the Year in 2010 after leading the Hoos to an ACC Championship – the first since 1977. He followed it up with another ACC Championship in 2015.
Garland is the winningest coach in program history with 194 victories and has coached wrestlers to 14 All-America honors, 22 individual ACC Champions and 110 wrestlers to NCAA Championship berths. He has coached two NCAA finalists in George DiCamillo (2017) and Jack Mueller (2019). Garland also coached three wrestlers to ACC Freshman of the Year honors, the 2017 ACC Wrestler of the Year in DiCamillo, two wrestlers who were named Most Outstanding Wrestler at the ACC Championships in Brent Jones (2009) and Nick Hamilton (2024).
VIRGINIA ATHLETICS DIRECTOR CARLA WILLIAMS ON GARLAND’S INDUCTION
“Steve Garland has been a tremendous ambassador for the sport of wrestling and the University of Virginia over the years, both as a student-athlete and a head coach. His passion for the sport and University is always on display and he has devoted himself to the mission of developing outstanding wrestlers and quality young men. His selection for induction into the Virginia Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame reflects that dedication to the sport and mentorship to those in the wrestling community.”STEVE GARLAND ON INDUCTION INTO THE VIRGINIA CHAPTER NATIONAL WRESTLING HALL OF FAME
“I think the most important thing for me with this award is the label that comes with it; it has to do with impacts and not outcomes. Richie McKay once told me that needs to be the focus for my calling as a coach. I took it to heart and what is so meaningful about this recognition is it’s not about success. Let’s face it, a lot of coaches have had more success than me, but this is about impact and that is what this entire coaching things should be about.“When I got the job here, I believe God gave me a vision for how I was supposed to do this. The pillars of the program are a big part of that vision – focused, disciplined consistency. I can honestly say that when our guys have bought into those pillars and I have poured into them the right way, the fruit has been evident. Some of the guys coming for this recognition are living proof of that and I’m thankful I get a reminder of that and a reminder of my way through this path.”