MIKE DENNEY
Coach
Inducted in 2004 |
Mike was inducted into the SHSAA Packer Sports Greats in 2004.
Coach Mike Denney has coached in the Omaha metropolitan area since 1969, coaching Wrestling and Football at Omaha South High School and Omaha Bryan. He is currently at the University of Nebraska Omaha where he has been head wrestling coach since 1979. His Championship teams include NCAA Division II, National Championship 1981, 1991 and 2004; North Central Conference Championships three times, while finishing in second place nine times. Since 1980, no NCAA Division II team has had more top ten finishers (17), more top five finishers (14), and top three finishers (11) in National Competition than the UNO Mavericks coached by Mike Denney. Mike has been named National Coach of the Year for Division II both in 1991 and 2004. He has coached more than 97 All-Americans, and 14 individual National Champions. He was inducted into the NCAA Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1999, Metro Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Nebraska Wrestling Hall of Fame as well as the Dakota Wesleyan Hall of Fame. It is an interesting fact that over 60 of Mike’s former wrestlers are head wrestling coaches throughout the United States. It has been said that Mike Denney is one of the best coaches in the State of Nebraska in any sport, primarily because of his great character |