Coach Mike Duroe 1955-2018

Long-time Cornell College head wrestling coach, Michael Duroe, died July 6, 2018 at his home in Marion, Iowa.

Coach Duroe was a member of the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Hall of Fame, the winningest coach in Cornell’s storied wrestling history, and owner of the program’s top six dual win seasons. In January 2018, Duroe was presented the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Iowa Chapter for his 38 years of commitment to the sport.

Duroe was an accomplished and respected coaching figure at the collegiate, national, and world levels. He acted as assistant to the U.S. Men’s Freestyle coaching staff in six Olympic games and served as head coach of Guam’s freestyle wrestling team in 2008. He was also a member of the U.S. coaching staff for the Pan American Games for two years and was named Volunteer Coach of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) in 2006 and 2007.

“We lost a Giant in the sport of wrestling today,” said Cornell Athletics Director Keith Hackett. “Mike Duroe was without question one of the finest and most dedicated men in the sport at any level. He developed love of the sport in hundreds, if not thousands, of young athletes and taught them as much about leading a good and successful life as he did about the sport of wrestling. We will all miss him very much.”

Coach Duroe dedicated the past 13 years to helping Cornell student-athletes become their best selves on and off the mats and will be deeply missed by our campus community.  A public and Cornell celebration of his life will be scheduled for later this fall.

He is survived by his partner Lisa Ikola and children Benson and Adyson.