Head Coach Greg Henning (1985-2006)
Few individuals have made a greater impact on Tuttle wrestling than Coach Greg Henning. Through decades of coaching, teaching, and mentorship, Coach Henning helped transform Tuttle High School wrestling from a struggling new program into one of the most respected championship traditions in Oklahoma. His leadership, dedication, and commitment to excellence laid the foundation for the success and culture that continue to define Tuttle Wrestling today.
Coach Henning spent 35 years coaching varsity wrestling and 32 years serving as a high school teacher and head wrestling coach. His remarkable journey at Tuttle High School began in 1985, when he took over a program that had finished its inaugural season with a 0–12 record.
In his first season as head coach, Tuttle improved to 7–6, though the team did not have a state qualifier. It was the only season in which Coach Henning watched the State Tournament from the stands. The following years brought a remarkable transformation. By his third season, Tuttle had become the 1988 State Runner-Up, signaling the arrival of a program on the rise.
In 1989, Tuttle hosted the inaugural Class 3A Dual State Tournament. Despite entering as the fourth seed, the Tigers defeated Perry in the semifinals and Marlow in the championship match to capture the title. That victory marked a defining moment in Tuttle wrestling history and established the championship expectations that would follow for generations.
A Record of Championship Excellence
During Coach Henning’s 21 years at Tuttle, from 1985 to 2006, the Tigers established themselves as a dominant force in Oklahoma wrestling. Under his leadership, Tuttle earned:
6 Dual State Championships and 3 runner-up finishes
5 Team State Championships and 5 runner-up finishes
6 Academic State Championships
43 individual state champions, including 2 four-time champions, 5 three-time champions, and 4 two-time champions
These accomplishments reflect more than wins and trophies. They represent a program built on discipline, perseverance, academic achievement, and the belief that sustained excellence comes from commitment to a shared goal.
A Family Legacy of Champions
Coach Henning’s influence extended beyond the wrestlers he coached to the athletes he raised. His three sons—Jeff, Jared, and Ryan Henning—combined to win 11 individual state championships, establishing a remarkable family record for brothers in Oklahoma wrestling.
Their success represents the unique connection between family and program that has become such an important part of Tuttle’s wrestling identity. Under Greg’s guidance, the Henning name became synonymous with championship performance, dedication, and the pursuit of excellence.
Leadership Beyond Tuttle
Coach Henning’s contributions to wrestling extended far beyond the Tuttle mat. He served for many years as one of four members of the OSSAA Wrestling Advisory Rules Committee and was selected multiple times to serve on the Wrestling All-State Selection Committee.
His leadership within the coaching community included coaching the West All-State Team in 1989, serving as Vice President of the Oklahoma Wrestling Coaches Association from 1995 to 1996, and serving as its President from 1997 to 1998.
Through these roles, Coach Henning helped shape the sport throughout Oklahoma, contributing not only to his own program but also to the development and continued success of wrestling statewide.
A Legacy Honored for Generations
When Coach Henning retired from Tuttle in 2006, his impact was permanently recognized. The Tuttle High School wrestling tournament was renamed the Greg Henning Invitational, and the school’s expanded athletic facility became the Greg Henning Activity Center—lasting tributes to a coach whose influence reached far beyond competition.
His career has earned some of the highest honors in Oklahoma wrestling and coaching:
2004: Inducted into the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame for his lifetime service to wrestling.
2024: Inducted into the Oklahoma Coaches Hall of Fame.
2024: The Henning family received the Leroy and Madalene Smith Family Award from the National Wrestling Hall of Fame’s Oklahoma Chapter.
2026: Inducted into the Bob Stegall Hall of Fame.
These honors recognize a career defined not simply by championships, but by years of service, leadership, and the lasting impact he made on athletes, families, and the sport of wrestling.
A Lasting Legacy in Tuttle
Although Coach Henning’s tenure as head coach concluded in 2006, his presence remains an important part of the Tuttle wrestling community. He continues to attend many of the Tigers’ wrestling duals and returns each year to the tournament that bears his name, staying connected to the program and tradition he helped build.
Coach Greg Henning’s legacy can be seen in the championship banners, the generations of wrestlers who have followed his example, and the culture of excellence that continues to define Tuttle Wrestling. He helped establish the foundation upon which future coaches and athletes would build, creating a tradition that reaches far beyond any single season or championship.
Thank you, Coach Henning, for your decades of service, your unwavering dedication, and everything you helped build and instill in the rich tradition of Tuttle Wrestling. Your legacy lives on in every Tiger who steps onto the mat.
Head Coach Matt Surber (2007-2020)
Few coaches have left a more lasting mark on Tuttle Wrestling than Coach Matt Surber. Through championship leadership, an unwavering commitment to excellence, and a dedication to developing student-athletes, Surber helped elevate Tuttle High School into a nationally recognized wrestling powerhouse. His 14-year coaching career at Tuttle produced historic achievements and established a championship dynasty that continues to shape the program’s identity today.
Coach Surber joined Tuttle High School in 2006 as an assistant coach under Hall of Fame coach Greg Henning. The following year, in 2007, he took over as head coach and began a remarkable chapter in Tuttle wrestling history.
After finishing fifth at the state tournament in 2007 and third in 2008, the Tigers reached a new level of dominance. Under Surber’s leadership, Tuttle captured 12 consecutive State Championships, 11 straight Dual State Championships, and 10 consecutive Academic State Championships.
His teams were nationally ranked for eight consecutive years and compiled an outstanding dual record of 192 wins and just 15 losses. These accomplishments reflected a program built on discipline, preparation, teamwork, academic achievement, and a relentless pursuit of excellence.
A Record of Individual and Team Excellence
Coach Surber’s success was not limited to team championships. Throughout his tenure, he helped develop generations of elite wrestlers who achieved success on the state’s biggest stage.
Under his guidance, Tuttle produced:
138 individual state placers
106 state finalists
65 individual state champions
12 consecutive team state championships
11 consecutive Dual State championships
10 consecutive Academic State championships
These numbers tell the story of a program that consistently developed championship-caliber athletes while maintaining high expectations for performance both on and off the mat.
Defining Moments in Tuttle Wrestling History
Two accomplishments stand out as extraordinary examples of the dominance achieved during Coach Surber’s tenure.
In 2019, Tuttle captured the Dual State Championship without surrendering a single individual match, outscoring its opponents by a staggering 209–0. The performance demonstrated the depth, preparation, and competitive determination that had become hallmarks of Surber’s teams.
The 2020 state championship season brought another historic achievement. Tuttle crowned nine individual state champions, setting a state record for individual champions on a single team at the state tournament. It was a fitting reflection of the talent, consistency, and championship culture cultivated throughout his years as head coach.
These performances stand among the defining moments of Tuttle Wrestling and illustrate the extraordinary standard established during the Surber era.
Recognition at the State and National Levels
Coach Surber’s accomplishments earned recognition throughout Oklahoma and across the national wrestling community. He was named Oklahoma Coach of the Year multiple times and was selected as an Oklahoma Wrestling Coaches Association All-State Coach in 2021.
His impact also reached the national stage, where he was a finalist for the National Federation of State High School Associations Coach of the Year in 2016 and a finalist for USA Wrestling’s Developmental Coach of the Year in both 2015 and 2016.
In 2024, Surber was inducted into the Oklahoma Coaches Hall of Fame. In 2026, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in recognition of his lifetime service to wrestling.
These honors recognize not only his historic results at Tuttle, but also his broader contributions to coaching, athlete development, and the growth of wrestling.
A Leader Beyond the Wrestling Room
Coach Surber’s dedication to wrestling extends well beyond his years on the sidelines at Tuttle. He has remained deeply involved in promoting and developing the sport throughout Oklahoma and at the national level.
His service includes:
President and Executive Director of the Oklahoma Wrestling Coaches Association (OWCA)
Member of the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association advisory board
Board member of Oklahoma USA Wrestling (OKUSA) and member of its national team coaching staff
Director and head coach of the Tiger Wrestling Club
Member of the NFHS Wrestling Rules Committee
Board member of the Cowboy Regional Training Center
Through these leadership roles, Surber has continued to influence the sport by supporting wrestlers, coaches, and programs across the state and beyond. His commitment reflects a belief that wrestling’s success depends not only on what happens in competition, but also on the people who dedicate themselves to strengthening the sport for future generations.
A Lasting Legacy in Tuttle
After concluding his 14-year coaching career at Tuttle in 2020, Coach Surber took on a new responsibility as the head principal of Tuttle High School. Although his role changed, his commitment to the school and its students continued.
His legacy as a wrestling coach is permanently woven into Tuttle’s history. The championship streaks, nationally ranked teams, record-setting performances, and generations of state champions he helped develop established a standard that continues to inspire the Tigers who follow.
Today, Surber’s influence reaches beyond the wrestling mat and into the broader school community. As principal, he continues to serve the students, staff, families, and town that supported the program throughout his coaching career.
Thank you, Coach Surber, for your extraordinary 14-year coaching career at Tuttle, your championship leadership, and your lasting contributions to Oklahoma wrestling. You helped build Tuttle into one of the most dominant wrestling dynasties in the nation, and your dedication continues to benefit the entire community. Tuttle is fortunate to have you leading its students and helping shape its future. Your legacy will live on in every championship banner, every wrestler who follows your example, and every Tiger who carries the tradition forward.
Head Coach Bobby Williams (2021-Present)
Some coaches build successful programs, while others carry a championship tradition forward and elevate it to new heights. Coach Bobby Williams has done both. A former three-time individual state champion for Tuttle, Williams returned to his alma mater to help guide the next generation of Tigers before taking over as head coach in 2021. Since then, he has continued the extraordinary tradition established by those before him, keeping Tuttle Wrestling at the forefront of Oklahoma high school athletics and among the most dominant programs in the nation.
From Tuttle Champion to Head Coach
Coach Williams knows firsthand what it means to wear the Tuttle singlet and compete for a championship. As a wrestler, he captured three individual state titles for the Tigers, becoming part of the winning tradition that would later become his responsibility to lead.
In 2016, Williams returned to Tuttle as an assistant coach under legendary head coach Matt Surber. He spent the next several years helping develop wrestlers and maintain the championship culture that had made Tuttle a powerhouse. Ahead of the 2021 season, Williams was named head coach, succeeding Surber and accepting the challenge of continuing one of the most remarkable dynasties in high school wrestling.
The transition proved seamless. With a deep understanding of the program’s history, expectations, and values, Williams carried the Tigers forward while establishing his own legacy as a championship coach.
Continuing a Historic Dynasty
Under Coach Williams’ leadership, Tuttle Wrestling has sustained its historic streak of consecutive team state championships, reaching 18 straight State Championships and 17 consecutive Dual State Championships as a program.
One of the most remarkable measures of Williams’ consistency is that he has never completed a season as either an assistant or head coach without winning a State Championship. His coaching career at Tuttle has been defined by the same standard of excellence that shaped his own wrestling days: prepare to compete, pursue championships, and uphold the tradition of the Tiger program.
In February 2026, Tuttle reached another historic milestone under Williams’ leadership, capturing the program’s 23rd Dual State Championship. Along the way, the Tigers tied and then broke Oklahoma’s all-time record for the most Dual State titles in state history, further strengthening Tuttle’s place among the state’s premier wrestling programs.
These accomplishments reflect not only the talent of the athletes on the mat, but also the preparation, leadership, and commitment required to sustain success year after year.
Developing Champions and Academic Excellence
Although team championships have become a defining feature of Tuttle Wrestling, Coach Williams has also continued the program’s tradition of developing outstanding individual wrestlers.
During his head coaching tenure, excluding his years as an assistant, Williams has coached:
23 individual state champions
13 All-State wrestlers
5 high school Fargo All-Americans
2 Academic Team State Championships
His teams have also compiled an impressive 71–15 dual record during his head coaching tenure.
These accomplishments demonstrate the depth of the program Williams leads. From state champions to nationally recognized Fargo All-Americans, his wrestlers continue to excel at the highest levels of high school competition. At the same time, Tuttle’s academic team championships reinforce the importance of success beyond the wrestling room.
In 2023, Williams was named Oklahoma Coach of the Year, recognizing his leadership and the continued success of the Tigers under his direction.
A Legacy Still Being Written
In just six seasons as head coach, Coach Williams has established himself among the most accomplished coaches in Oklahoma wrestling. His success is especially meaningful because he is not simply building a new tradition—he is preserving and extending one that began long before he took the helm.
From his own days as a three-time state champion to his years as an assistant and now as head coach, Williams represents a full-circle story of dedication to Tuttle Wrestling. He understands the expectations because he once competed under them himself, and he now passes those expectations on to the athletes who represent the Tigers.
His achievements already place him among the significant figures in Tuttle’s championship history. With his coaching career continuing, the opportunity remains to add more championships, develop more elite wrestlers, and earn further recognition for his contributions to the sport.
A Lasting Legacy in Tuttle
Coach Bobby Williams has helped ensure that Tuttle Wrestling’s championship tradition remains as strong as ever. By continuing the program’s remarkable streak of team and Dual State titles, breaking Oklahoma’s all-time record for Dual State championships, and developing generations of individual champions, he has reinforced the standard of excellence that defines the Tigers.
His story is one of a champion returning home—not merely to coach, but to help lead the next chapter of a dynasty. The legacy he is building honors the coaches who came before him while creating new milestones for the athletes who will follow.
Thank you, Coach Williams, for your dedication to Tuttle Wrestling, your commitment to championship excellence, and your leadership in carrying this historic program forward. Your journey from three-time state champion to head coach embodies the Tiger tradition, and the legacy you are building is already an important part of Oklahoma wrestling history. With more seasons ahead, your story—and Tuttle’s championship tradition—continues to grow.
