HERSHEY, Pa. – Former Slippery Rock wrestler and longtime high school and club coach Robert Waller Jr. will be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Pennsylvania Chapter in 2027.
 
Waller, who won a PSAC title wrestling at 142 pounds for Slippery Rock in 1973, will be one of 10 men to be recognized at an induction ceremony Sunday, May 2, 2027 at the Hershey Lodge in Hershey, Pennsylvania. Tickets and event info available HERE.
 
This will mark the latest Hall of Fame induction in a storied coaching career for Waller, who was also enshrined in the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame, the Western Pennsylvania Hall of Fame, the NJCAA Hall of Fame and the SUNY Delhi Hall of Fame.
 
He coached at three different Pennsylvania high schools over a career that spanned more than 25 years, compiling an overall record of 319-100-7 with 33 team championships, 47 PIAA state qualifiers, 25 place winners, 10 finalists and three PIAA champions.
 
After retiring from high school coaching, Waller founded the All-American Wrestling Club, where he has continued to coach youth wrestlers at high level for more than two decades.
 
As an athlete, Waller began his career at SUNY Delhi, where he became the first national champion in Delhi history when he won the NJCAA 142-pound title in 1970. He was a two-sport athlete at Delhi, where he also ran cross country.
 
Waller transferred to Slippery Rock after finishing his two-year program at Delhi and became a PSAC champion and national qualifier at 142 pounds in 1973. He was a two-time finalist at the U.S. Olympic Trials and compiled an overall record of 203-23-3 as a wrestler over the entirety of his career.
 
The 32nd induction ceremony for the Pennsylvania Chapter of the NWHOF will also honor Cody Becker, Tom Best, Mike Bianco, Earl Bright, Dave Brown, Dave Gable, Scott Martin, Jon Mitchell and Dick Wood at the event May 2, 2027.
 
 


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