A man wearing a cowboy hat, a dark jacket, and blue jeans is walking in a field carrying a blue bucket. Behind the person, there is a herd of cattle following. The field has dry grass and trees in the background. — Since retiring in 2024, former Cowboy wrestling coach John Smith has spent more time on his ranch in Stillwater.

True Grit: The wrestler becomes the wrangler

Tuesday, February 4, 2020

Media Contact: Mack Burke | Associate Director of Media Relations | 405-744-5540 | editor@okstate.edu

The wrestler eyes up his opponent.

More than 30 years since John Smith won his second Olympic gold medal, he is still looking for a challenger.

Nowadays, you won’t find him basking in the cheering Olympic crowds of Seoul or Spain. You won’t find him matside in Gallagher-Iba Arena, where he coached the Cowboy wrestling team to five titles and trained 153 All-Americans.

You might not realize he was a wrestler at all unless you looked beneath that dusty brown cowboy hat to see those trademark cauliflower ears. Behind that grizzled white beard is that same wry smile and the glint of his hazel brown eyes.

Smith wrestled collegiately at around 134 pounds, but today, his opponent is a heavyweight, coming in at around 1,000 pounds. It’s his cattle and it happens to be lunchtime.

Since retiring from OSU in 2024, Smith has spent more time on his ranch. His herd has increased, coming with new responsibilities and difficulties he’s had to learn to overcome.

“In wrestling, you have to be hard; you have to be tough, and you have to be able to bounce back,” Smith said. “Some of those days [of working on the ranch] and breaking ice five, six, seven times a day were tough, but I liked it. I liked having a different kind of challenge.”

Another favorite pastime of Smith’s that he has been able to devote more time to is fly fishing. He recently traveled to Argentina with several friends in search of a rare fish called a Golden Dorado, a fish known for its aggressive nature, acrobatic leaps and fighting strength.

“There was no possible way to ever go before, so I promised myself that the first year I retired, that would be one of the first trips I would make,” Smith said. “It was everything I thought it would be, plus more.”

A man wearing an orange wrestling singlet, black knee pads, and black Nike shoes is in a wrestling stance on an orange mat. — Left: John Smith traded in the wrestling singlet for the jeans and cowboy hat (right).

A man wearing a beige hat, black jacket, and blue jeans is standing next to a brown horse in an open field. The man has one hand on the horse's neck and is holding a blue object in the other hand. The background shows a blurred landscape with trees and fencing. — Left: John Smith traded in the wrestling singlet for the jeans and cowboy hat (right).

Smith’s time at Oklahoma State University was nothing short of legendary.

Since finding a home in Stillwater at 17, Smith built a legacy of victories on and off the mat.

“Coach Smith truly dedicated his life’s work to Oklahoma State University, Cowboy wrestling and generations of student-athletes. His accomplishments that include gold medals, world titles and national championships as a wrestler and a coach are only matched by his character and the kind of person he is,” said Chad Weiberg, director of athletics. “His constant pursuit of excellence for Cowboy wrestling permeated throughout our entire athletic department. He was so supportive of all our coaches and their programs and continues to be. John Smith is the definition of loyal and true.”

Now, only one year after announcing his retirement, Smith said he still isn’t to a point where he is looking back at his time with the university.

“For me, watching OSU wrestling this year, I just never really looked at it as evaluating my career and what I thought about it. It’s just been nice being a fan of Oklahoma State Athletics,” Smith said.

The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum recently announced a partnership with Iron Monk Brewery to launch an American light lager, “The Low Single Leg,” inspired by Smith’s famous move. This partnership is more than just a celebration of Smith’s legacy, Iron Monk will be donating a portion of all sales from the lager to the NWHOF.

“By picking up a case, you’re helping the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, and its primary purpose is to preserve the sport and recognize the great athletes and great coaches that have come and gone,” Smith said.

From winning Olympic gold medals to his World Championship titles in France, Switzerland, Japan and Bulgaria, Smith has traveled around the world representing his country and his alma mater.

“I’ve gotten the chance to travel to a whole lot of places,” Smith said. “And I always look forward to coming home.”

Photos by: Ellie Piper

Story by: Libby Ray | STATE Magazine