Richard “Doc” Leffler

He was honored for his lifetime of service to wrestling and his years of commitment as a positive role model to wrestling. He is to be permanently recognized at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum in Stillwater, Okla.

Mr. Leffler was named head wrestling coach at Toledo Central Catholic High School earlier this year. He has a long history of coaching wrestling in the Toledo area, including 15 years at Toledo St. Francis de Sales High School.

He holds Ohio’s longest dual meet victory streak when his teams went 120-0 from 1961 to 1972. He was the head technique coach for Central Catholic’s wrestling team from 2007 until July 2010, when he was named head coach of the program.

While at Central Catholic, he helped the Irish to their highest team finishes in the state of Ohio in 30 years. The Fighting Irish finished fourth in Division II in 2009 and 2010. During Mr. Leffler’s tenure, the Irish have had 13 state qualifiers, eight state placers and three state finalists.

Mr. Leffler is a graduate of DeVilbiss High School in Toledo where he was the wrestling team captain. He also wrestled at the University of Toledo and was the Mid American Conference champion in 1952 and 1953. He earned a degree in physical therapy from the Ohio State University and was president of Paramedical Associates Inc. in Toledo.

From 2002 to 2006, Mr. Leffler coached Otsego High School’s varsity wrestling team. He is the president and founder of Toledo’s Foxfire Wrestling Club, which offers year-round opportunities for wrestlers in folkstyle, freestyle and Greco Roman wrestling. The National USA Governing Board has designated the facility as a USA wrestling regional training facility.

Mr. Leffler earned the first Ohio High School Coach of the Year recognition in 1971 and was inducted into the Ohio Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1978. He is a member of the University of Toledo Athletic Hall of Fame and the Greater Toledo Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame.