𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐥 𝐏𝐨𝐟𝐟 | 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫 | 𝐖𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧’𝐬 𝐖𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫
Coach Carl Poff, had a Hall of Fame career as Lock Haven University’s men’s wrestling coach and also was influential in starting a women’s wrestling program in the 1990’s at LHU.  This interview and write-up explore what many will find fascinating and may discover hidden gems in women’s wrestling history.

Below is what may have been left out of the above interview and does shed more light on Coach Poff’s outstanding career: 

National Wrestling Hall of Fame | Carl Poff
In 1990, Carl was selected as the head wrestling coach at Lock Haven University. He returned Lock Haven University to a powerhouse team and became the winningest wrestling coach in LHU history at 167-62-3. His 2000-01 team went 21-2 and his 1996-97 team finished fifth at the NCAA Division I tournament, the highest finish in school history, with five All-Americans.

Carl’s teams won four PSAC titles and the Eastern Wrestling League championship in 1997. He coached 80 national qualifiers, 14 All-Americans, two national champions, 20 EWL Champions, and 30 PSAC champions. He was PSAC Coach of the Year six times and EWL coach of the Year twice. He is a member of the LHU Athletics Hall of Fame. 

Possibly Carl’s strongest trait was his ability to build relationships with his wrestlers. He not only served as a coach, but more importantly as a mentor and role model. 

Sara McMann | Olympic Silver Medalist | 3X World Medalist
I first met Coach Poff my junior year in high school. I was the only female of roughly 800 kids attending the Team Camp at LHU in the summer of 1997. I was treated so well by all of the coaches and clinicians at the camp. 

This type of attitude comes from the top down. 

Carl was happy to have me attending the camp and found a great Team for me to connect with and compete for during the camp. When I chose to transfer colleges after my freshman year, I reached out to LHU to see if I was able to train with their men’s team. 

Carl welcomed me with open arms and helped myself and all of the women who later attended the university. 

I felt comfortable dropping into his office any time I had questions or needed help. 

He also used his influence to promote women in every area he could. 

It made a huge difference in my career and my ability to reach my goals. He is deserving of gratitude and respect for his guidance and acceptance.

Jenny Wong | World Bronze Medalist | Sport Medicine Physician
When I started college there were only three collegiate women’s wrestling teams at the time. I had already set my sights on a couple schools, neither of which were one of the schools which had a women’s team. 

In my first college, as the only female, I was not an accepted member of the team—I did not have the support of the administration, and therefore I did not have the support of the coaches, and so of course, clearly I did not have the support of the team. 

During those tough days, I would call and vent to Sara McMann. Her experience with being a female on a collegiate wrestling team Lock Haven was clearly the opposite, it honestly sounded too good to be true, and so she encouraged me to transfer schools. 

What I found when I arrived was that Sara was in no way exaggerating about how wonderful LHU was. 

At Lock Haven, I found a town that loved wrestling, an open-minded administration, and the support of an amazing head wrestling coach. 

I learned that culture and acceptance starts from the leadership, and Coach Poff built a team culture that valued hard work, intensity, technical skill and a love of the sport—and unlike my first college, acceptance did not hinge on being the “correct” gender. 

Under Coach Poff and the rest of the coaching staff, I worked harder than I’d ever worked, grew more in wrestling than I ever could have hoped, and found the very first team that I genuinely felt a part of. 

I will be forever grateful to him for that.

Emma Randall | NYRTC HC | Past Asst. Coach USAW National Teams
I wasn’t coached by Poff however he was my academic advisor for undergrad. 

When I arrived to LHU, Coach Poff was immediately an advocate and mentor. 

When my summer internship fell apart the spring of my senior year, he calmed my nerves and immediately switched my mindset from pity to action. 

He is the reason I reached out to Terry Steiner to ask for guidance and a potential internship that changed the trajectory of my life. 

I still serve as a clinician at his summer camps out of respect for the mentorship and friendship he provided. 

Each year his camps are filled with alumni he’s coached and worked with over the years. Every coach there has a similar story about how Poff positively impacted their lives and connected them to one another. 

My first day of class he taught me relationships would be the most important factor in my success and it’s clear he lives by it. 

Thanks coach!