Jessica Raber/Stanford SID
Former Stanford All-American concludes coaching tenure on The Farm.
Stanford, Calif. – Steve Buddie announced his resignation as the head coach of Stanford Wrestling, as he will leave Stanford to pursue a career in the private sector and spend more time with his family.
“I feel very proud of what Stanford Wrestling has accomplished in recent years, “commented Buddie. “I’ve had the chance to work with some of the finest young men in college sports, an incredible coaching staff, and some very special people at Stanford. I am grateful to have had this opportunity and will miss it tremendously, but my wife and I are exhausted. We both work full time, have two small children, and the pace of our current life has caught up to us.”
Buddie, who completed his fourth year at the helm of the Cardinal program this season, guided Stanford to 28 dual meet victories and qualified 12 wrestlers for the NCAA Tournament during his tenure. Buddie became the first Stanford coach to be named Pac-10 Coach of the Year when he was honored in 2004. That season, Stanford won 10 dual meets, placed fifth in the conference, qualified five wrestlers for nationals and finished 19th in the country. The Cardinal also crowned its first National Champion, as Matt Gentry won the title at 157 pounds.
Prior to his assignment as head coach, Buddie served as the top assistant for three seasons. A 1991 Stanford graduate, Buddie was a three-time NCAA qualifier during his collegiate career. As a junior, Buddie earned All-America honors with a fourth-place finish at nationals and as a senior, he won the Pac-10 title at 167 pounds. Buddie was the Stanford record-holder in career wins with 109, until Gentry bested that mark this season.
“Steve Buddie has been a tremendous ambassador of college athletics both as a student-athlete and a coach, “said Director of Athletics Ted Leland. “We will miss him as a colleague and as one of our finest head coaches. We wish Steve and his family all the best and we thank him for his contributions to Stanford Athletics.”
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