Edward C. Gallagher was the Oklahoma A&M wrestling coach from 1916-1940. With his knowledge of physical principles like leverage and stress along with anatomy he all but invented the modern style of wrestling. He remains one of the most successful coaches in NCAA athletics history. Overall in his wrestling coaching career at Oklahoma A&M his teams went 138-5-4, including 19 undefeated seasons and 11 NCAA titles. Gallagher-Iba Arena on campus at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, OK is named after him. Oklahoma A&M was later renamed Oklahoma State University. While a student at Oklahoma A&M, Gallagher excelled in football and track. He won the 100-yard dash in a Southwest Conference meet in 9.8 seconds. In 1908, he ran for a 99 yard TD against Kansas State University, which still stands as a school record for longest run from scrimmage. Gallagher earned a degree in electrical engineering from Oklahoma A&M. Using his engineering knowledge, he developed over 400 wrestling holds. In 1976, Edward C. Gallagher was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Coaching record
The following table shows Gallagher's wins as coach at Oklahoma A&M:
| Year | Record (Wins-Loses-Ties) | Team Points | Individual Champions | All-Americans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | 0-1-0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1917 | 2-0-1 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1918 | no team | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1919 | no team | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1920 | 3-0-0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1921 | 3-2-0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1922 | 5-0-0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1923 | 5-0-0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1924 | 4-0-0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1925 | 5-0-0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1926 | 6-0-0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1927 | 9-0-0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1928 | 6-0-0 | N/A | 4 | 5 |
| 1929 | 6-0-0 | 26.00 | 4 | 6 |
| 1930 | 8-0-0 | 27.00 | 3 | 6 |
| 1931 | 7-0-0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1932 | 7-1-0 | 11.00 | 0 | 3 |
| 1933 | 8-0-0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 1934 | 8-0-0 | 29.00 | 3 | 5 |
| 1935 | 8-0-0 | 36.00 | 3 | 5 |
| 1936 | 7-0-1 | 10.00 | 1 | 4 |
| 1937 | 6-1-1 | 31.00 | 4 | 7 |
| 1938 | 9-0-0 | 19.00 | 3 | 4 |
| 1939 | 6-0-0 | 33.00 | 3 | 7 |
| 1940 | 10-0-0 | 24.00 | 2 | 6 |
