Lanham leads wrestling camp at Harrah
Duke coach returns to eastern Oklahoma County
By Ryan Horton
Choctaw Times
Local middle and high school wrestlers recently had the opportunity to learn from Duke University’s head wrestling coach.
Harrah and McLoud wrestlers in grades seventh through 12th were invited out to a wrestling camp at Harrah High School, June 7-8.
Dozens of male and female wrestlers came out for the special camp featuring Duke’s head wrestling coach Glen Lanham.
Lanham is a two-time All-American and current Division I head coach.
In addition to working with some of the most prestigious college wrestling programs in the country, he spent seven years as a Midwest City Bomber.
Lanham took the helm of Duke wrestling in 2012.
Duke University head wrestling coach Glen Lanham works with Harrah and McLoud wrestlers at a summer camp at Harrah High School, June 7-8. (PHOTO BY RYAN HORTON)
He has made major strides in each season mentoring Blue Devils on and off the mat.
Prior to taking over the head coaching position, Lanham served as an assistant coach with the Blue Devils for two seasons. Before 2010, he had stints as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State University, North Carolina and Purdue.
As a college competitor, he garnered All-American honors at both OSU and the University of Tennessee. He graduated in 1988. Lanham then served as a graduate assistant at Oklahoma State from 1988-91, helping the Cowboys to a pair of NCAA Championships.
Lanham worked at the high school level in Oklahoma from 1991 to 2003.
He was at Midwest City High School for seven years starting in 1997.
While at Midwest City, he mentored several state champions and sent them on to successful college careers and also volunteered his time at Oklahoma University, coaching several All-Americans.
Bombers earning individual state titles during that seven-year span were Felix Valadez, Dewaune James, Michael Mitchell, Aaron McConnell, Keiron Armour, John Brooks, David West, Kyle Shelton took back-to-back titles and Connor Sanders went three in a row at the Big House.
One of his former standouts at Midwest City was Harrah High School head wrestling coach Brian Miller.
“He was my high school coach at Midwest City. He was one of the coaching staff when Midwest City won all those championships. We were ranked No. 5 in the nation when I was there,” said Miller, who was a state qualifier before graduating in 1999. “Everyone In my bracket at state that year went Division I, except for me. I went Division II. Class 5A was the biggest back then, and it was tough. I beat all the 2A, 3A, and 4A champs at my weight and even beat the national champion in my bracket at state.”
Miller says he and many other former Bombers owe much of their success to technique and character learned from Lanham.
Now, thanks to local attorney Randy Goodman, Panther and Redskin wrestlers will benefit from the wealth of knowledge Lanham has to offer.
“He’s a great guy. Hopefully some of his personality will rub off on these kids. This is what I try to surround these kids with,” said Miller. “We’ve never had him down to lead our camp before, and we’re thankful to get him down here.”
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