Legends Jason Bryant, Mat Talk Podcast Network

Retired United States Army Infantry Colonel Steve Banach began wrestling in the eighth grade and competed alongside his younger twin brothers Ed and Lou Banach for Port Jervis High School in Port Jervis, New York.

He continued his career at Clemson University, where he was elected captain of the wrestling team as a freshman and was an Atlantic Coast Conference finalist. Banach then decided to transfer to the University of Iowa, where his twin brothers were wrestling for Dan Gable. Steve ended his wrestling career at the 1984 Final Olympic Trials as a member of the US Army Wrestling Team.

He served with distinction in the United States Army from 1983 to 2010.

This period of service included deployments to six combat zones.

Steve demonstrated impeccable leadership during his service in the U.S. Army.

He is a Distinguished Member of the 75th Ranger Regiment and served in that special operations organization for nine years, culminating with command of the 3rd Ranger Battalion from 2001-2003.

He led U.S. Army Rangers during a historic night combat parachute assault into Afghanistan on October 19, 2001, as the “spearhead” for the Global War on Terror for the United States of America.

He subsequently led U.S. Army Rangers in a second combat parachute assault into Al Anbar Province in western Iraq in 2003.

Banach served as the 11th Director of the prestigious School of Advanced Military Studies (SAMS) and led the development of the U.S. Army’s Design Methodology doctrine.

As a Stryker Brigade Commander, he led the development of the Company Intelligence Support Team tactics, techniques, and procedures, for the U.S. Army.

He served as the lead Design Officer for the Department of the Army Cyber Information Warfare Design Planning Team. He also served as the Director of the Army Management Staff College and was responsible for the design and implementation of the US Army’s Civilian Education System.

He earned the Distinguished Service Medal, Bronze Star Medal with Valor Device, Bronze Star Medal for Service, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge with two awards, and the Master Parachutist Badge with two Bronze Combat Jump Stars.

Banach also holds a certificate in Leadership in Crisis: Preparation and Performance, from the JFK School of Government at Harvard University.

After leaving the U.S. Army, Banach served as the CEO of the Operational Art & Strategic Initiatives Studies Group (OASIS-G) and is now the Vice-President for Strategic Planning at SOFTwarfare, LLC.

Bio via the National Wrestling Hall of Fame

The 2023 Induction Ceremony and speeches from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Honors Weekend in June 2023 in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
 
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame has announced that the Class of 2023 is Distinguished Members Rich Bender, Jimmy Jackson, Patricia Miranda and Joe Williams, Meritorious Official honoree Ed Kelly, Order of Merit recipient Frank Popolizio, Medal of Courage recipient Richard Perry, and Outstanding American honoree Bob Bowlsby.

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And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content — scratch that — if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.

Recorded June 2023.

The Tribute Breakfast for the National Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2023 took place at the McKnight Center on the campus of Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Speaking for the Class of 2023 honorees were: John Kelly and Joel Weber for Meritorious Official Ed Kelly, Pat Popolizio and Bryan Hazard for Order of Merit recipient Frank Popolizio, Brandon Slay and Jordan Burroughs for Medal of Courage recipient Richard Perry, John Bowlsby and Tim Johnson speaking for Outstanding American Bob Bowlsby.
 
Speaking for the Distinguished Members were: Michelle Bender and Jeff Levitetz for Rich Bender; Jay Jackson, Tela O’Donnell Bacher and Katie Kunimoto for Patricia Miranda; Jim Shields and Darryl Monasmith for the late Jimmy Jackson; Mark Ironside and Hardell Moore for Joe Williams.
 
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ContributeAnd if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content — scratch that — if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.
 
Recorded June 2023.

The 2022 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Honors Weekend closed out with its annual induction program featuring all the honorees. The Class of 2022 featured Meritorious Official Tom Clark (posthumously), Order of Merit recipient Mike Moyer, Medal of Courage recipient Melissa Simmons, Outstanding American Mario Lopez and Distinguished Members Clarissa Chun, Sara McMann, Andy Rein and Jake Varner. The program includes highlight speeches and video presentations. Also honored are Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award winner Cory Land of Alabama and Tricia Saunders High School Excellence Award winner Sofia Macaluso of New York.

1:05 - Opening Remarks
8:30 - Cory Land
12:30 - Sofia Macaluso
16:30 - The late Tom Clark
23:55 - Mike Moyer
33:00 - Melissa Simmons
44:00 - Mario Lopez
53:00 - Clarissa Chun
1:11:00 - Sara McMann
1:20:00 - Andy Rein
1:31:00 - Jake Varner
1:45:00 - Closing Remarks


And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content — scratch that — if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.

Recorded June 2022 in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

The 2022 National Wrestling Hall of Fame Honors Weekend was back to a fully attended in-person event after a delay from the 2020 class and the 2021 induction ceremony. The McKnight Center hosted one of the newest additions to the weekend, the Tribute Breakfast.

Speaking at the Tribute Breakfast in 2022 were Rick Tucci and Zach Errett for Meritorious Official inductee Tom Clark, Jim Miller and Greg Hatcher for Order of Merit inductee Mike Moyer, Archie Randall and Dr. Bob Hines for Medal of Courage inductee Melissa Simmons, Greg Blankenship and William Virchis for Outstanding American inductee Mario Lopez. From the Distinguished Members, speaking are Dr. Roberta Kraus and Waylon Hiler for inductee Clarissa Chun, Tim Hutchins and Art Martori for inductee Sara McMann, Jenna Zipf and Duane Kleven for inductee Andy Rein, Andy Varner and family for inductee Jake Varner.


And if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a contributor today.. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of patronage. If you like wrestling content — scratch that — if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a contributor. How much you give is solely up to how much you believe it's worth to you.

Recorded June 2022 in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Bruce Burnett has excelled as a coach on the high school, collegiate and international levels, serving as USA Wrestling’s national freestyle coach and leading some of the most successful teams in American history.

During his tenure, five Americans won Olympic gold medals and 11 U.S. athletes won 13 World Championships including four champions in 1993 and four in 1995.

From 1993-2000, U.S. wrestlers won 22 World medals (11 gold, four silver and seven bronze) and placed in the Top 10 at the World Championships as a team every year. The United States won its first-ever Senior World Freestyle team title in 1993 and again in 1995, and won the medal count at the 1996 Olympic Games with three gold, a silver and a bronze.

He led the United States to seven World Cup team titles and five Pan American Championships, including 2011 when the U.S. had six medalists, including four champions. From the national teams he coached, 14 wrestlers were inducted as Distinguished Members of the Hall of Fame.

Burnett was the wrestling coach at the United States Naval Academy from 2000-13, leading his teams to a 113-57 overall dual meet record and six consecutive 10-win seasons from 2002-07.

He began his coaching career at Meridian High School in Meridian, Idaho, where he led his teams to a 154-13-2 dual meet record with four state team titles, four state runner-up finishes, six district titles and nine conference titles from 1974-87.

On the mat, Burnett was undefeated in dual meets and a two-time Big Sky Conference and Mountain Intercollegiate Wrestling Association champion for Idaho State University in 1971-72. He was a two-time California Junior College state champion for Bakersfield College, compiling a 55-3 career record and being named the state’s outstanding wrestler in 1970. Burnett was a two-time league champion and three-time state place-winner for North Bakersfield (California) High School.

He was inducted into the Idaho State Sports Hall of Fame in 1986, the California Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2004 and the North High School Hall of Fame in 2013. Burnett received the Lifetime Service to Wrestling award from the Idaho Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2015 and was named the Myron Roderick Man of the Year by USA Wrestling in 2016.

For continued excellence as a coach on every level of competitive wrestling, Bruce Burnett is inducted as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Bio by the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.