FARGO, N.D. - North Dakota State head wrestling coach Bucky Maughan announced his retirement today after 47 seasons at the helm of the program.

“The NDSU wrestling program is synonymous with the Maughan name,” said Director of Athletics Gene Taylor.  “Bucky has built a standard of excellence for our program over his 47 years that we will be eternally grateful for.  He will be missed in the wrestling room but we look forward to his continued involvement as an ambassador for wrestling and our wrestling alumni.”

A National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee, Maughan led the Bison to four NCAA Division II national championships in 1988, 1998, 2000 and 2001 as well as six national runner-up finishes.  During the Division II era, he coached 21 wrestlers to 30 NCAA Division II national championships and had 19 wrestlers compete in the Division I Championships, including six placewinners.

Maughan also led NDSU to 17 North Central Conference titles, including a span of nine straight from 1982-1990, and coached 88 NCC individual champions.  He was inducted into the Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1997.

He also successfully guided the Bison into the Division I era.  Since making the move to Division I in 2006, he has coached five Western Wrestling Conference champions and sent five wrestlers to the NCAA Divison I Championships.

Maughan, the winningest coach in NDSU history, finished his career with a record of 467-157-13.  He led the Bison to three undefeated seasons in 1984-85, 1991-92 and 2003-04.

A native of Canonsburg, Pa., Maughan was a Pennsylvania state champion during his high school career.  He was a two-time NAIA national champion at Minnesota State Moorhead in 1962 and 1963 and also claimed the 1963 NCAA Division I 115 pound championship.

Bucky and his wife Leota have two sons, Jack and Bret, who were both two-time All-American wrestlers at North Dakota State.

HALL OF FAME BIOGRAPHIES
Arthur 'Bucky' Maughan
Distinguished Member
Class Of 2003 
 
A man of legendary tenacity, Arthur "Bucky" Maughan, is one of the all time great contributors to the sport of wrestling. As a competitor, coach, and tournament host, his Pennsylvania work ethic has impacted the past, the present, and the future of the sport. During his prep career in wrestling rich Pennsylvania, he compiled a string of 70 dual victories culminating in a state championship. Continuing his career at Moorhead State University, he won three national collegiate championships in two years-two NAIA crowns (1961 and 1963) as well as the 1963 NCAA title. In 1964, his passion for the sport led him to become the head coach of North Dakota State University. Teaching fundamentals to the "fledgling" team, he took the program from virtual obscurity to an NCAA Division II powerhouse. With a dual meet winning percentage of 77%, his teams have amassed thirty-five winning seasons including four National team championships -- 3 of them in the last four years. A tireless promoter of the sport, Maughan is a key leader in the success of the USA Wrestling Junior and the Cadet National Championships hosted annually in Fargo, North Dakota. These events infuse the sport of wrestling with life and shape the future as more than 3,600 athletes participate each summer. Maughan is a past president of the NCAA Division II Wrestling Coaches Association and a past member of the executive committee of the National Coaches Association. A member of both the NAIA and the NCAA Division-II Hall of Fames, he has recently been named one of the TOP 10 All-Time College Wrestling Coaches by Wrestling USA magazine. In recognition of his achievements both on and off the mat, Arthur "Bucky" Maughan is honored as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.