Episode 64 — Two-Time Olympic Wrestler Kerry McCoy '97

The 2024 Paris Olympics are well underway and on today's episode of The People of Penn State we talked with two-time Olympian and Olympic coach, Kerry McCoy '97! Kerry competed at the Olympic Games of Atalanta 1996 and Sydney 2000. A three-time All-American and two-time NCAA Champion, Kerry is one of the greatest wrestlers in Penn State's illustrious history, collecting the Hodge Trophy as the nation's best wrestler his senior season in Happy Valley. After stints as the head coach at Stanford and Maryland, Kerry is now the Executive Director and Head Coach of the Lehigh Valley Wrestling Club. A Penn State Distinguished Alumni recipient in 2018, he currently serves as the first Vice President of USA Wrestling’s Board of Directors, Vice President of the Black Wrestling Association's Board of Directors and President of the HBCU Wrestling Initiative's Board of Directors. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Timestamps for our conversation with Kerry:0:00 — Intro2:05 — Becoming a Penn Stater3:25 — Learning curve to start the career8:33 — Being a leader on campus13:10 — Representing the United States at the Olympics24:33 — Styles of Wrestling28:00 — Coaching experiences41:15 — The importance of faith for Kerry43:35 — Lightning Round Q&A49:20 — OutroFor more alumni stories, visit pennstatermag.com