Gary R. Hackney
Inducted in 2008

Pasco HS 1972-1990
Kennewick HS 1970-1972

Gary Hackney wrestled for Pasco HS and was their first state champion in 1962. Upon graduating from college he became the assistant coach at Kennewick HS for two years, and then returned to Pasco as the head coach for 18 years. When Gary assumed the head coaching role there were 17 wrestlers on the squad. When he resigned the position in 1991, the program had 65 wrestlers and four paid assistant coaches. It took his teams three seasons to get a .500 record, and for the next 15 years they never had season record fewer than 75% wins.

Hackney coached 21 state placers and two state champions. He took an Eastern Washington AAU all-star team to Iran in 1977 where they wrestled against six Iranian all-star teams. Three of those twelve athletes went on to become head coaches in Washington. Hackney was named the Big Nine Coach of the Year in 1982-83.

Coach Hackney helped start the Tri-Cities Mat Rattlers that included over 200 youth wrestlers. He officiated for junior high and high school matches for 22 years. As a high school special education teacher, he often involved many of his students as “special wrestling assistants.” Hackney also spent eleven years as an official at the state cross country meet and ten years at the state track meet. He was an official for the Special Olympics for 22 years.

Over the last ten years, Hackney has been a vice principal and athletic director at both Goldendale HS and Kent Meridian HS. Gary and his wife Barbara have five children, ten grandchildren and one great-grandchild. Since his retirement, he has move back to the Pasco area where he continues to support wrestling in the community.

Nominated by Bill Conrad, Hall of Fame Member