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The Daily OrangeWrestling | Longtime Syracuse coach Carlin to be inducted in Hall of Fame
By Jason Tarr
Posted: 9/13/07, 2:17 AM EST Section: Sports
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But a human error set him on a different course.
The academic adviser Carlin was working with had mistakenly left out a core course from his schedule during his time at Syracuse and the course was only offered in the fall. Carlin had to stay for another semester at SU, where he became a graduate assistant for the wrestling team. After several local coaching jobs and a stint with the military, Carlin became the SU head wrestling coach in 1964.
Without the adviser's mistake, Carlin admitted, he might never have become a coach at Syracuse nor had the success that followed.
Fifty years later, Carlin is now being recognized with a "Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award" by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. The public induction ceremony is scheduled for Sunday at the R.I.T. Inn and Conference Center in Rochester, N.Y. A reception will begin at 1:30 p.m. followed by dinner and the induction ceremony at 4 p.m.
"It had meant a lot for me to be picked a letter winner of distinction at Syracuse University, and I didn't expect anything beyond that," Carlin said. "But then the (Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association) inducted me, and now the NCAA. So I must have done better than I thought."
In 36 seasons as the SU head coach, he amassed a record of 275-184-7 and coached 22 All-Americans, 42 EIWA champions and seven national champions. In his last 15 years of coaching, he coached the Orange to a national top-three finish 11 times and racked up five team championships.
"The leadership he showed, the citizenship and what he taught the young people through the sport of wrestling is probably second to none," said Michael Clair, national state chapter director. "He is an individual that the National Hall of Fame is very happy and proud to present the award to."
One of the young people on whom he had a great affect is Lelan Rogers, who competed for Carlin for two seasons in the late 1980s and is now an assistant coach for the Syracuse men's lacrosse team. Rogers remembers how Carlin would be early for every practice, how he would stay late to work on drills with his players and his hands-on approach in those drills. Carlin would always ask for a partner in drills when instructing his team, and the entire team would tremble just a little bit. Carlin would then choose someone and put his move on them.
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