Dave Kinen Inducted into the Missouri Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame

Atlantic High School in Atlantic, Iowa.

Following graduation he attended Dana College in Blair, Nebraska, where he was a member of the wrestling team for two years, until knee and leg injuries sidelined him. He finished his education degree at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Missouri, and then began his teaching career at Holt County R-II in Mound City. He served his second year as a teacher at Meadville R-IV and then began his twelve-year teaching/coaching career in the Chillicothe

R-II School District.

Coach Kinen’s impact both in the classroom and in many coaching capacities has been profound. He has always been dedicated to the individuals and teams he has coached, striving to instill sportsmanship and to help develop the best skills possible in his athletes. His love of wrestling has always been evident in the passion he instilled in many young men as he taught them to be champions and to be gracious when they were not. He developed character as well as athletic skill and competition strategy. Perhaps his wrestling coaching accolades best illustrate his expertise and dedication to high school wrestling. Throughout his coaching tenure he has led two teams to Top 15 State finishes. Additionally, he has had 37 individual State Qualifiers, 12 State Medalists, and 1 State Champion. Dave coached long after his initial ALS diagnosis, until the disease made it impossible for him to get into the wrestling room. Coach K still travels to every match, home and away. He speaks to every wrestler before and after his matches.

Coach Kinen has been an inspiration to our school and our community. He has inspired the “Never Quit” movement for our students, which has raised thousands of dollars for ALS research, and his impact on this community is more evident now than ever. Even today, Coach Kinen greets former students and their parents as he moves throughout our town in a motorized wheelchair. He is a heart-warming presence in our community—an example of all he taught in his teaching and coaching years and in the years since his diagnosis. He knows every kid’s name and has created a personal bond with each of them. He inspires hope, courage, and love in everyone he meets. He is well-known, well-respected, and well-liked by everyone in the wrestling community. He is a tremendous ambassador for our community and for the sport of wrestling.