Hall of Fame
Wagner was an incredible student-athlete for the Colorado State Aggies, competing year-round in a trio of sports. As a football player, he earned all-conference distinctions in three of his four years of competition. He was named the football team captain during his playing career and ultimately led the Aggies to the conference title and its first nine-win season in program history. Additionally, he stepped onto the Colorado State campus as a premier wrestler and competed for the Aggies from 1923-1926, winning four conference titles during that time. Further, as a track and field competitor, he held the conference shot put record for three consecutive seasons and also set a league record in the discus.
While he was a standout competitor for Colorado State, he gained even more success following his collegiate career as a coach for the Aggies. Upon graduating, he was named the Aggies’ wrestling coach in 1928 and served in that role for 27 seasons. Along the way, he led his squad to 26 conference titles and coached Gene Grenard to a national title during the 1940 campaign. He was an instrumental figure on the wrestling National Rules Committee and was a driving force in bringing the national championships to the Aggies’ campus on two occasions.
While leading the Colorado State wrestling program as a coach, he also served as an assistant coach for the Aggies, where he oversaw the linemen, in addition to his role as an assistant coach for the track and field program. He was promoted to the head coach of the Aggies’ football program in 1942 and served in that role through the 1946 season.
Wagner was named to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2013, in honor of the incredible success he had as a coach and competitor. He is also a charter member of the CSU Hall of Fame, honored in the Helms Amateur Hall of Fame for wrestling.