CHICAGO – It's an end of an era for University of Chicago wrestling as head coach Leo Kocher has announced his upcoming retirement after 44 years at the helm for the Maroons.

"I cannot imagine a more rewarding professional and personal adventure than the one that has been provided to me by my years at the University of Chicago," said Kocher. "The opportunity to work with the amazing student athletes who, while handling the most psychologically and physically grueling of intercollegiate sports, at the same time earn a degree from a college which is unsurpassed in its ability to deliver a demanding and extraordinary education."

Kocher will leave UChicago as the most tenured of all head coaches in the department's history. He has coached one NCAA D-III champion, one NCAA D-III outstanding wrestler, 32 All-Americans, 144 individual University Athletic Association (UAA) champions, and has led the Maroons to 18 UAA team titles with the last coming in 2023.

Kocher continued by saying, "I am also very grateful for the support and warm friendships shared with so many of my colleagues in Chicago athletics, as well as our college students and university professionals who impacted the lives of my wife Joy and me in our seven years as resident heads in the college housing system. Speaking of Joy, she earns enormous credit and my undying love for her dauntless management of the challenges the spouse of an intercollegiate athletic coach must face. This includes instances of unassisted minding of our three children, competition's many late evenings and road trips. For the past four decades Joy has dealt with it all with grace and enviable competence."

Kocher received the school's John T. Wilson and Norman Maclean awards during his time at the university to go along with several inductions into wrestling hall of fames, numerous Man of the Year and lifetime service awards, and other various recognitions from associations and publications over the years.

"On behalf of the Athletics Department and the University of Chicago, I would like to congratulate Coach Leo Kocher on his retirement and thank him for his many years of service to the department," said Angie Torain, Director of Athletics and Recreation. "We are grateful for the opportunity and experience you provided to our wrestling student-athletes, both present and past. Thank you for coaching a first-class wrestling program and being all-in for 44 years and we sincerely hope you enjoy retirement."

Kocher will finish out the rest of the 2023-24 wrestling season which will continue with the UAA Championships on Saturday, February 17th and the NCAA Regionals on March 1st and 2nd.