Kansas Wrestling Forums General Discussion High School How does Joe Renfro do it

I am 100% amazed at how Joe Renfro is able to pull off what he does at Labette Community College. How has he compiled 2 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, multiple top 3 finishes, has been the National Coach of the Year who knows how many times and built one of the premier Junior College programs in the Nation with wrestling facilities that were not acceptable in the 70's much less 2012.

This team practices in a basketball gym with a large curtain that separates them from basketball practice. It is not a wrestling room, it's just a corner of a gym where they have been allowed to throw down wrestling mats. Not too mention, I believe the weight room is a community weight room for the whole town to use and is not specific to Labette Community College. No wrestling room, facilities suck, and Joe Renfroe is a winner!

At what point will the powers that be at Labette Community College recognize that this man brings in numbers and championships and should be rewarded for it. At what point will the community realize that without this National Championship Coach there is 30-40 less kids attending class at LCC, spending money in the community, renting houses, etc.

At what point do the powers that be of LCC look at Joe Renfro and say, "Okay Joe, you have built it and now we are going to reward you with you own wrestling room so you can train without the sound of basketballs bouncing etc".

I think it's time that we all start voicing our opinions to the President of LCC. At some point Joe is going to look at his facilities, salary and lack of administrative suppport and say... It's just not worth it!

I think we should contact these people at Labette:

President George C. Knox
(620) 421-6700 Ext. 1223

Excellent post Church!

Very well said.

Was he the head coach when they won it the first time? He looks pretty young now from looking at the labette.edu site. Also I think he should be mad that after all of these great seasons, people in Kansas can't even spell his last name right!

I think it can be attributed to his time at UNK. Plus the fact that he works his tail off. All of his success is well deserved.

Yes, he won the first National Championship. LOL on the spelling comment... Gotta take those lashings when you mess up the spelling of one of your good friends last names! I hope he does not hold it against me!! haha!

I have sent 6 kids to labette as part of my HS Coaching Career. Tim Elliot, Chase Nelson, Mike Ashpole, and now Conner Neal, Barry Newton and Uylesses Deshazer. I can tell you from the first three's experience, they loved the heck out of Joey and those young men would do anything for him. That's how he is successful!

I am just tired of seeing wrestling being thrown to the side especially in a place where it's the #1 success in the school.

For the record: In ten years at the helm Coach Renfro teams have finished with...TWO National titles, Runner-Up(twice), 3rd (twice), 5th (twice), 6th once, and a 7th place finish his first year. That's bringing home hardware for 9 straight years now! He's coached 55 individuals to All-American honors! Impressive to say the least.

Coach Renfro has a competitive fire that is hard to match. He wins for many reasons but foremost in my mind he wins because he is 100% dedicated to his teams and 100% dedicated to winning a national championship every year! He'll stick his neck out for his guys and they know that...they do the same in return. You can't buy that at the 7-11 in Kearney or anywhere else!

A room is long, long, long, overdue! A 35 year old program started on a shoestring budget by a young and eager Coach Jody Thompson has grown into a giant killer and it's time we had the proper environment for success. As Alumni we need to step up and make this happen.

Thanks for bringing it to the surface Church! TCOB!

Ike,
you are so right. A room is long over due. We have been given the green light by the college President to see what kind of financial support is out there from alumni and other friends of LCC wrestling. We have professional drawings and plans ready to go. Finally, as the LCC assistant coach and "older then dirt" according to Coach Thompson, what makes Joe Renfro so good is his unbelievable passion for what he does. It is his LCC family and he takes pride in what it represents. I know I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

It is amazing how coach Renfro has the biggest wrestling camp and one of the biggest All Star Duals in the state of Kansas. Labette Community College should be embarrassed of the facilities that the student athletes have to endure. Two National Championships in 7 years and the wrestling room is a curtain with two mats behind it. LCC has invested approx 2 million dollars in a facility not even in Labette County. LCC has invested nearly .5 million dollars in the repaving of a parking lot. They are in the process of building a new Health and Science Building, which is definitely a step in the right direction. The question I have is if the Health and Science Department had the BEST program IN THE NATION, and the BEST instructor in the NATION, this effort would be more understood. The nursing program has 25 students enrolled a year and the wrestling program brings in a minimum 35 students a year. The wrestling team wins NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS; the nursing program is one of a handful of programs in the state that to my records have not produced anything on a national level. Dr. Knox has given the “go ahead” to start raising funds. This is a great start, but is the college willing to put any funds towards this facility? Why has an endowment not been started? Where does the money that is raised to be placed? In an account that the “college administration” can access? Dr. Knox does a great job of acknowledging the wrestling program at community events, but where is the support when it matters? Anybody and everybody can ride a coat tail and walk around with a national championship ring, but it’s time for the administration at LCC to put up or shut up. In closing, coach Renfro is fighting a battle that eventually will be not be worth fighting. His athletes have few options for housing,(no dorms or meal plans) the facilities are poor at best, (Check out IC wrestling room http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IkpnxP_MA8U) and Kansas Jayhawk rules and regulations put us two steps behind Iowa Central and NEO before the game starts. Hall of fame coach Jody Thompson and Joe Renfro have produced many men that without Labette Wrestling would not be where or what they are today. I am not sold on this opportunity for former alumni to be responsible for 100% of the fundraising effort. Please contact Aaron Keal aaronk@labette.edu or George Knox georgek@labette.edu and express your concerns if you have any. It’s been 37 years of very little support from LCC, let’s not make it 38.
Sincerely,
Andy Albright