For all his success as a wrestling coach at the University of Oklahoma, Stan Abel did not subscribe to a one-size-fits-all approach.

Abel was hard-nosed and demanding but encouraged his athletes to wrestle their own way and “not conform to any one style,” says Roger Frizzell, a former 150-pound, four-time All-American who wrestled for Abel from 1980 to 1983.

“Stan was a rare coach who could manage big personalities and different approaches to wrestling on his team,” Frizzell says.

“In fact, he thrived in that environment, and it was part of his secret to success. It was never ‘my way or the highway’ with Stan.”

Abel, a National Wrestling Hall of Fame member, passed away in June 2024 at the age of 87.

A native of Oklahoma City, Abel coached the Sooners from 1973 to 1993, guiding them to a national championship in 1974 and runner-up finishes in 1975, 1981, 1985 and 1986.

During that time, he coached 15 individual champions and 74 All-Americans. He led OU to three Big Eight Conference titles and was Conference Coach of the Year three times.

Abel was honored as National Coach of the Year in 1985 and Amateur Wrestling's Man of the Year in 1974.

Abel had also achieved his own success as a wrestler at OU, where he was a three-time All-American and won 130-pound national titles in 1959 and 1960.

“He could pull out of you what you thought you didn’t have because he believed in you,” says T.J. Sewell, who wrestled for Abel from 1986 to 1990 and was a three-time All-American at 134 pounds.

“He believed in you so much that you didn’t want to let him down. You wanted to do your best for him,” Sewell says. “You knew that he had your best interests at heart.”

Frizzell says that Abel often tested the will of his wrestlers. “He helped us push ourselves beyond our human limits, running miles at a time, wrestling for hours, running endless stadium steps and lifting weights.”

His method produced outstanding results. Abel is the OU wrestling program’s all-time leader in wins with 279 dual victories and a .690 winning percentage. His teams finished their seasons outside the top 10 only once in 21 years. 

Roger Kish has been OU’s head wrestling coach since 2023. He grew up in Minnesota following the sport and learned about Abel by reading magazine stories and newspaper articles. 

“It was (International Sports Hall of Fame wrestler) Dan Gable and Stan Abel,” Kish, 41, recalls. “Those guys were part of history when I was young and just getting into the sport. They were the leaders and had a ton of success.”

Kish met Abel for the first time at an alumni wrestling event after taking over as OU’s coach. They spoke several times during the next year.

“I wanted to understand his model, the history of the individual team members and to restore some of that history and tradition to Oklahoma wrestling,” Kish says.

Rod Thornton is a Norman businessman who wrestled for the Sooners from 1987 to 1991. Greg Henning, his high school coach at Tuttle, Okla., also had wrestled for Abel at OU and “was a student of Stan.”

Henning influenced his decision to commit to OU. “I lettered, but I was not an accomplished wrestler,” says Thornton, who continues to contribute financially to OU’s wrestling program in appreciation of everything that Abel did for him and other wrestlers. 

“Stan was big on getting your degree, finishing school,” Thornton says. “But he was tough. He expected a lot.”

It wasn’t uncommon for Abel to “really tear into you,” he adds. “But then he’d put his arm around you and say, ‘But I love you.’ ”

Etched in Thornton’s memory is the way Abel stood up for his wrestlers, fighting hard for their success on and off the mat.

“Boy, if there was even a close, questionable call by the ref, as a wrestler you never had to say a thing,” he says. “Because before you could even take a breath, he was out there, fighting for you.”

Abel’s defense of players was met with loud fan response during meets at rival Oklahoma State University, where the Cowboy faithful would chant, ‘Sit down, Abel!’ Thornton remembers.

His advocacy began the moment Abel set his sights on a wrestler.

“Stan was the greatest recruiter that I have ever seen,” Frizzell says. “He absolutely loved OU, and he was a true believer. He won over my dad from the very start. Nobody was better in the living room with families.”

Like so many team members, Sewell came to consider Abel a father figure.    

“We spent a lot of time together,” he says, “and in the end, what really jumped out at me was the bond that Stan had with his wrestlers.” 

Tim Willert is a freelance writer and OU adjunct instructor who lives in Norman. 

To comment on this story, click here.