Lee Allen

After competing in college at the University of Oregon, Lee Allen wrestled at the 1956 Olympics in freestyle and then in Greco-Roman in 1960. A five-time national champion, in 1961 he was on the first US team to compete at the World Championships, placing fifth in freestyle at 62 kg. Allen later became a coach at Skyline College in San Bruno, California, where he coached the men for 32 years and started a women’s program as well. He later moved to Menlo College, where he coached the women’s team. Allen helped start the BAWA (Bay Area Wrestling Association), and led and coached the Peninsula Grapplers club for both men and women.

Allen was head coach of four US Greco-Roman World Teams – 1973 and 1977-79, and was the coach of the 1980 US Olympic Greco-Roman team. He and his wife had two daughters who were successful wrestlers in age-group and senior levels, and made several US national teams.