The wrestling community was hit by a massive shock when a celebrated and leading wrestling coach met his untimely demise. Wrestling coach PJ Smith, who had touched and impacted the lives of thousands of young wrestlers, breathed his last on 6 November 2023.

PJ Smith was a 76-year-old wrestling head coach at UNC. The longtime coach led the wrestling program for the University of North Carolina at Pembroke for over 25 years. However, his impact wasn’t limited to just North Carolina, as he found several connections throughout the country who hold him in high regard.

PJ Smith and the crater he leaves behind him

Paul ‘PJ’ Smith started his coaching days at Jacksonville High School before moving on to collegiate-level coaching in 1978. A true legend, he played multiple roles in the wrestling world. PJ Smith was an esteemed board member of NCUSA Wrestling and also filled the shoes of the State Chairperson of North Carolina. In his 25 seasons as the head coach, PJ Smith played a big role in the success of UNC.

He also held the reins of the Pembroke wrestling program when several collegiate programs in the East were failing. A visionary, he was also a strong supporter of beach wrestling and had a huge hand in bringing the sport to the East Coast. The celebrated coach leaves a huge crater behind him as the wrestling world mourns for the legendary coach and wrestling ambassador. Unfortunately, this is the second tragic demise of a wrestling coach within just one month.

The passing of another great wrestling coach in a short span of time

Apart from PJ Smith, another great wrestling coach, who channeled loads of confidence and enthusiasm in his students, passed away in October. Mike Krause, who went by the name Coach Krause among his students, sadly left this world. The legendary wrestling coach had taught and mentored thousands of students who left endearing messages for him.

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Mike Krause was survived by his family, for whom a GoFundMe page was also set up by his students. Coaches like Krause and PJ Smith majorly contributed to American wrestling, both at the grassroots level and at the helm. While these coaches may no longer be around, the lessons they taught and the values they carried will always remain alive.

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