Howard Schultz honored for National Hall of Fame induction at Bemidji tri meet

120923.S.BP.BHSWRES Howie Schultz.jpg — Bemidji's Howard Schultz is honored during a triangular ahead of being inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, at the BHS Gymnasium.

By Christian Babcock

December 07, 2023 at 9:17 PM

BEMIDJI 鈥� Howard Schultz鈥檚 long and distinguished career as a wrestling coach is being recognized on a national level.

Schultz, a longtime teacher and coach at Bemidji High 歪歪漫画, will be elected into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla., as part of the Class of 2024. Schultz will go into the National Hall as a member of its Minnesota chapter.

He was previously inducted into the Minnesota Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2012. The BHS wrestling teams honored Schultz between dual matches during a triangular against Perham and Thief River Falls on Thursday.

鈥淚t's been a lot of years,鈥� Schultz said after the ceremony. 鈥淚've had some great wrestlers, great parents, (a) great school. Bemidji is a wonderful place for sports, and it鈥檚 been our home. I鈥檓 fortunate for what I have.鈥�

120923.S.BP.BHSWRES Group.jpg — Howard Schultz is joined by fellow National Wrestling Hall of Famers during a ceremony on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, at the BHS Gymnasium.

Schultz was accompanied by several fellow Hall of Famers at the event, including longtime Roseau coach Jeff 鈥淏ro鈥� Olsen, who will go into the hall along with Schultz as part of the 2024 class.

鈥淭his is not just an individual award, it鈥檚 a Bemidji community award,鈥� said former BHS wrestler Tom Ritchie, a pupil of Schultz鈥檚 who was inducted into the National Hall in 2008. 鈥淚n my opinion, this event for Howie is at least 20 years overdue.鈥�

Ritchie nominated Schultz after the former鈥檚 induction, and after a few attempts, Schultz finally got in this time. Schultz was an assistant coach at BHS for 23 years, working with legendary head coach Ken Schmoker, who made the Hall in 2010.

Schultz also served as BHS interim head coach for a time and was described as the 鈥淕randfather of Bemidji High 歪歪漫画 wrestling鈥� in a 2012 Pioneer article.

120923.S.BP.BHSWRES Rance Bahr.jpg — Bemidji girls wrestling head coach Rance Bahr speaks during a program to honor Howard Schultz at a triangular on Thursday, Dec. 7, 2023, at the BHS Gymnasium.

鈥淥ur program was just amazing,鈥� Ritchie said. 鈥淗owie was the kind of guy that if you made a mistake, he'd reprimand you, forgive you and just forget about it and keep going. (You鈥檇) be on your way and learn from it. He's a tremendous person in that regard.鈥�

The state of Bemidji wrestling has changed a lot since Schultz and Schmoker were in charge. What used to be a sport in search of space to compete is now a front-and-center event with two separate teams and three mats stretched across the BHS Gymnasium.

鈥淚 can remember when I got started, it was on the stage of the high school,鈥� Schultz remembered. 鈥淎nd now, look at the gym. The people, the girls (team). Unbelievable.鈥�

Schultz graduated in the spring of 1959 from Chisholm High 歪歪漫画, then matriculated at Bemidji State that fall. While with the Beavers, he lettered in wrestling and football. Schultz joined the BHS faculty in 1963 after graduating from BSU with degrees in English, speech and drama.

鈥淗e and Ken kind of played good cop, bad cop with us,鈥� Ritchie said. 鈥淔or kids, it was like being in a learning lab for life. (It was) trial and error, fix things and just get better. The benefit of being in that program for people, it wasn't just the academics. It was about the lasting relationships. I had friends (back then) that will be friends forever. As a coach myself, (I recognize) that's what they were doing.鈥�

鈥淭he men we had turned out to be wonderful people,鈥� Schultz added. 鈥淭eachers, coaches 鈥� you couldn鈥檛 ask for nicer kids. And I was blessed to be there. I was at the right place at the right time.鈥�

Bemidji鈥檚 current and former wrestlers paid tribute on Thursday, showcasing the program鈥檚 commitment to honoring its storied history.

鈥淟ooking back on it, it was about the development of the whole kid, not just as the wrestler,鈥� recalled Ritchie. 鈥淵ou can talk about, 鈥榃ell, they were great student-athletes.鈥� Their goal was to make you a good citizen. That was more important than winning state championships.

鈥淭heir whole philosophy was if you happen to be a state champion or if we win state, we would hope that as coaches, that's not the best thing you ever did in your life. That kind of a deal. They were just after wanting kids to be happy and successful people as adults.鈥�

Ritchie was thrilled that Schultz lived to witness Thursday鈥檚 ceremony, and Schultz was just as elated.

鈥淚t's a wonderful feeling,鈥� Schultz said. 鈥淎ll I can say is tonight, I鈥檝e been blessed. I've been blessed for a long time. But this is special, and I鈥檓 glad to see all the wrestlers here.鈥�

By Christian Babcock

Christian Babcock is a sports reporter at the Bemidji Pioneer. He trekked to Bemidji from his hometown of Campbell, Calif., after graduating from the Cronkite 歪歪漫画 at Arizona State University in 2021. Follow him on Twitter at @CB_Journalist for updates on the Lumberjacks and Beavers or to suggest your favorite local restaurant.