Hall of Fame
After 12 years of coaching at Cornell College, Barron Bremner came to Coe in 1971 as director of athletics, wrestling coach, assistant football coach, and full professor and chairman of physical education. His first order of business was to rebuild the Athletics Department, which he accomplished by hiring such quality coaches as Wayne Phillips and Marcus Jackson. In the 10 years preceding Barron's arrival, Coe had won only one championship and shared a football title in 1964. But he led Coe's athletic program to national prominence in several sports. From his arrival at Coe until his return to Cornell in 1978, 19 Midwest Conference championships were won in seven sports, including five in wrestling. He and his coaches developed 15 All- Americans in five sports, including five in wrestling. Among those is two-time All-American Nick Hobbs, who finished second at the 1976 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships held at Coe. Because of Barron's national prominence, Coe was the first Iowa school to host the tournament. If that weren't enough, Barron launched the women's athletic program at Coe and supervised the remodeling of Eby Fieldhouse, serving as a contractor and skilled laborer for some portions of the renovation. Among other improvements, the wrestling facility that was created remains among the nation's best. Upon his retirement from coaching in 1982, his wrestling teams had compiled a 153-8-1 dual meet record against Midwest Conference opponents and a 196-39-3 overall record. In 23 seasons (16 at Cornell and seven at Coe), Barron coached 14 All-American wrestlers and his teams claimed 18 Midwest Conference championships (13 at Cornell and five at Coe). Barron returned to Coe as director of athletics and assistant to the president in 1993, the same year he was inducted into the NCAA Division III Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame. He presided over still more championship teams and built the framework for Coe's continuing athletic prominence, taking Coe to the Iowa Conference after 80 years in the Midwest Conference and fueling a rise in Coe student participation in athletics. Barron retired in June after a distinguished, 42-year career as a Division III coach and administrator. As the creator of the Coe Athletic Hall of Fame in 1973, his induction is most appropriate. For his unrivaled contributions to Coe College athletics, we are privileged to welcome Barron Bremner to the Athletic Hall of Fame.
