Rich Fleming coached the wrestling team at Baldwin-Wallace College
(now Baldwin Wallace University) for 23 seasons. He is the second
winningest Yellow Jacket wrestling coach all-time with 153 career
wins with his last season coming in 2010-2011. Only B-W, Greater
Cleveland and Ohio wrestling coaching legend John Summa has more
wins at BW.
Coach Fleming was committed to having a strong wrestling team at BW and keeping the Yellow Jacket program a power in the Ohio Athletic Conference and at the NCAA Division III level. During his 23-year Yellow Jacket coaching career, Coach Fleming produced a 153-259-6 career mark, including a 45-91-2 slate in the rugged OAC, but that was just a part of the story. More importantly, he was well-known for wrestling against the best competition that Division III could offer his team, including at the Division III National Duals and at the Budd Whitehall Div. III Duals (at Lycoming, Pa. College).
| Fleming Coaching Record | |||
| Year |
Overall Record |
OAC Record |
OAC
Tournament Finish |
| 1988-89 | 4-8-1 | 2-3-1 | 4th of 8 teams |
| 1989-90 | 5-12 | 1-5 | 6th of 7 teams |
| 1990-91 | 8-5-2 | 2-3-1 | 5th of 7 teams |
| 1991-92 | 5-12-1 | 2-4 | 5th of 7 teams |
| 1992-93 | 8-5 | 3-3 | 4th of 7 teams |
| 1993-94 | 9-10 | 2-4 | 5th of 7 teams |
| 1994-95 | 6-8 | 2-4 | 4th of 7 teams |
| 1995-96 | 9-7 | 2-4 | 4th of 7 teams |
| 1996-97 | 9-11 | 3-3 | 4th of 7 teams |
| 1997-98 | 5-13 | 2-4 | 2nd of 7 teams |
| 1998-99 | 5-15 | 0-6 | 7th of 7 teams |
| 1999-2000 | 8-11-1 | 2-4 | Tied 4th of 7 teams |
| 2000-01 | 1-16 | 1-5 | 7th of 7 teams |
| 2001-02 | 5-13 | 0-6 | 7th of 7 teams |
| 2002-03 | 8-6 | 2-4 | 2nd of 7 teams |
| 2003-04 | 6-7 | 3-3 | 3rd of 7 teams |
| 2004-05 | 8-16 | 3-3 | 4th of 7 teams |
| 2005-06 | 8-14 | 2-4 | 2nd of 7 teams |
| 2006-07 | 12-10 | 4-2 | 2nd of 7 teams |
| 2007-08 | 7-18-1 | 2-4 | 4th of 7 teams |
| 2008-09 | 2-20 | 0-6 | 5th of 7 teams |
| 2009-10 | 5-13 | 1-5 | 6th of 7 teams |
| 2010-11 | 10-9 | 4-2 | 4th of 7 teams |
| Career | 153-259-6 | 45-91-2 | |
Coach Fleming tutored 34 wrestlers to the Division III National Tournament, including 1989 NCAA Division III 177-pound national champion Kevin Higgins and two national runners-up, including former assistant coach Bryan Kmetz.
During the final 10 seasons of his career, Coach Fleming’s team placed second at the OAC Championship Tournament three times, was nationally ranked during six seasons and produced six Division III All-Americans. In 2006-2007, his team peaked at the right time and placed second at the 21st Annual John Summa Memorial Tournament, second at the OAC Tournament with three individual champions and was the top Ohio team at the Division III National Tournament.
Coach Fleming was a winner his entire life.
As a wrestler, Coach Fleming learned that it takes hard work to become a champion. His 123-pound Mid-American Conference title while at Miami of Ohio is evidence of that work ethic. That same work ethic governed his BW teams.
Coach Fleming is a 1963 graduate of Miami University (Ohio) and earned his master’s degree from Cleveland State University in 1985. Prior to coming to B-W, he spent 18 years building a powerful program at nearby Parma Senior High School. When Coach Fleming retired as a teacher, he decided to dedicate his time to building the Yellow Jacket program into one of the best in Division III.
Coach Fleming and his wife Linda still reside in Sagamore Hills and have two grown daughters.