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Jim "Coach" Kinyon

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Central State University Colorado State University University of Central Oklahoma

Jim Kinyon Obituary

"Coach" Jim Kinyon

Jimmy Floyd Kinyon was born in Lovington, New Mexico on 1 December 1936. He spent his entire childhood in Stillwater, Oklahoma. He graduated from OSU and while he was there he was a star athlete winning honors in football, wrestling, and track. He then received an M.S. degree in in psychology and special education from Central State University in Edmond, OK. Jim served in the U.S. Navy as a Sports Specialist.

Jim began his teaching career as Head Wrestling coach & classroom teacher in Oberlin, Kansas where his teams won two consecutive state championships before he moved to Sapulpa, OK as Head Wrestling coach & teacher, where his teams also won two consecutive state championships. Later he was the wrestling coach, classroom teacher & counselor at Midwest City H.S., OK where his teams again won two consecutive state championships. He was named Rookie Coach of the Year & Wresting Coach of the Year while in OK.

He felt honored to be named the Head Wrestling coach and Instructor of Physical Education at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Co. While at CSU, Jim's wrestlers won the first WAC championships in CSU's 72-year wrestling history. He was named the NCAA Rookie Coach of the Year in his first year at CSU.

Because of Title 9, wrestling and other sports were discontinued. Jim then became a Dean of Students & Head Wrestling coach at Smokey Hill H.S. in the Cherry Creek S. D.

Jim was past President of Mountain Intercollegiate Wrestling Association and past President of the Western Athlete Conference Coaches Association. He was also a certified NCAA and H.S. wrestling official as well as serving on the National High School Wrestling Rules Committee.

Jim will be remembered for his wit and humor. In addition to wrestling, he was a true football connoisseur of the first degree. He was a talented wood carver as well as an accomplished cook. Jim was a true gentleman, generous, upbeat and happy. An accurate description of Jim would include, "A good coach can change a game; a great coach can change lives."

Survivors include son, Jay and daughter, Jennifer. He has two granddaughters and a great-granddaughter.

A memorial service will be held in Fort Collins, CO at 1:00 p.m. at the Drake Road Christian Church; 608 E. Drake Road on Wednesday, 24 February 2016. A Celebration of Life will be at the Hilton Hotel, located at 425 W. Prospect Road from 2:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Contributions in Jim Kinyon's memory may be made to:

National Wresting Hall of Fame and Museum at 405 Hall of Fame Ave, Stillwater, OK 74075 or National Wrestling Hall of Fame Dan Gable Museum at 303 Jefferson St, Waterloo, IA 50701

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by Coloradoan from Feb. 20 to Feb. 24, 2016.

Memories and Condolences
for Jim Kinyon

14 Entries

Doug Joseph

February 24, 2025

Dear Coach Kinyon, I write this on February 24, 2025, to say once again, Thank You! I know God blesses you Eternally in Heaven. You contributed so much to me and to many other people’s lives. You were one of The Best Human Beings, and now Heaven’s Community is Forever pleased. Thank you, Coach!

Gordon Nelson

March 22, 2016

Sid Sanders and I had a memorial patch embroidered on our official's shirts for the 2016 Oklahoma State Wrestling Championships back in February. Also the 45th anniversary of Midwest City's first ever State Championship.

Jim Kinyon Memorial Patch

Gordon Nelson

March 22, 2016

daddy would have had a great time !

Jennifer Kinyon

March 16, 2016

Gordon Nelson

March 10, 2016

I first met Coach when I was s 15 year old sophomore in high school at Mideest City. His impact on me was immediate. I learned how to be a wrestler, but I learned even more about myself. The values that he instilled in me have continued to serve me throughout my life. That he was a great coach is extremely well documented by his accomplishments. That he was an even greater man is without question. We'll miss you, Coach.

Sam Allen

February 25, 2016

In the spring of 1968 I sat in my car & cried after learning Coach Kinyon had been hired by Midwest City. It was a tough loss but, the truth is he continued to coach me & was a great mentor throughout high school & for years later.Life often turns on luck or a whim that individuals cannot control. I have often considered how lucky I, and many,many others were, that coach was hired by Sapulpa back in 1964. A great man & obviously a great loss for untold numbers of students & friends.

Jean White

February 24, 2016

Very fond memories of Coach Kinyon when coaching in Sapulpa, Ok. A good man and great coach! Class of 66, Go Chiefs!

Jack Garrison

February 23, 2016

Great coach, and friend.Enjoyed wrestling for him. He was the king of one liners

Larry McClure

February 23, 2016

What a great man and great coach. When he was at Sapulpa High School he restored pride in the wrestling program and changed a lot of young men. It was honor to know him and he will be greatly missed. SHS class of 1968

Randy Ross

February 22, 2016

On occasion young people are given the opportunity to have someone influence their lives in a positive way. Coach Jim Kinyon was such a person, not only as a teacher in the class room but as a wrestling coach at Midwest City High School.
When Coach Kinyon came to Midwest City, the athletic programs were good with good athletes and lots of Bomber Magic. However the school had not won a state championship in 12 years in any sport and never in wrestling.
He took the talent in the wrestling room and quickly molded those guys into one of the elite teams in the state and nation. In four years his teams finished in the top five at the State Tournament the first two years and won two state championships the following years.
But that is not the real story.
The real story is the life changing lessons and bonds that he forged with his students and especially his wrestlers. He knew how to work them harder than they believed they could, instilled a mental toughness that served them all as they pursued careers in the future, discipline, how to deal with adversity and the never quit attitude needed to overcome adversities in life.
"His faith in his wrestlers was unshakable and he imparted that faith to every member of every one of his teams. He taught us how to be successful, not only on a wrestling mat but for the rest of our lives," Ross recalled.
"His wrestlers became lifelong friends and bonded as brothers then and still remains intact even today 40 plus years later. These are the bonds that he forged.
"We brought him back to Midwest City for a reunion two years ago and he stayed with me and my wife. I was talking with him and thanked him for the life lessons and the impact on my life he had."
In his humble manner, he just said it was easy when he had good kids to work with and it was not to his credit. He was rarely wrong but this is one time he was.
"I keep in touch with my teammates from those two state championship teams and we often remark about that he was a huge influence on our lives. Each of us has a story or stories how his influence impacted the direction our lives took.
"I had the privilege of not only wrestling for him my entire career at Midwest City but working for him in the summers painting houses and also babysitting his kids, working for him in college as a counselor at his wrestling camps after he took the head coaching job at Colorado State University and spending time with him.
"Upon learning of his death my wife sent me a quote to help console me.
It said A good coach can win a game, a great coach can change a life."
Jim Kinyon was a great coach and even greater man!
Randy Ross

Darl DeVault

February 20, 2016

Jim Kinyon was my first hour Psychology teacher my 1972 senior year at Midwest City High School in Oklahoma. I studied Psychology in college because he described his graduate work in the science with such excitement. Became a writer. Wrote about Jim, when I could.

In 1995, for a feature story about his back-to-back state champion wrestlers inviting him back to Midwest City for a reunion, I finally asked him a question that had nagged at me since 1972. Never before and never since have I seen such a calm coach watching their athletes wrestle.

Kinyon said he felt the other coaches tried to coach too much during the match because they felt helpless themselves about the outcome.

"It is out of your control (once the match begins) if you haven't done a good job of teaching... then your athletes are in trouble," Kinyon said in 1995. "Where you win your dual is on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday... on Thursday you lighten up a little bit, then you make weight and you are ready for the match. The coaching is done. You can give them some pointers from across the mat, but the real coaching is done in the practice room."

That was Jim Kinyon..he sought to build the most confident athletes on the planet and make sure they were ready to peak at the most critical times in their careers. He was a rare individual by many measures. My highest tribute is that I learned from him.

Tom Kinnick

February 20, 2016

Always loved to see Jim when I came to Colorado.

Ron and Beverley Hanes

February 20, 2016

Ron and I hated to lose our long time friend Jim. We loved him dearly. He will be deeply missed. Beverley and Ron Hanes

February 20, 2016

"... he exemplified and effectively communicated those unique virtues of the sport of wrestling... perseverance, courage, sacrifice and joy." I was blessed to have Jim as a Coach at CSU for 3 years. I wrote the above in support of his admission to the Wrestling Hall of Fame. Steve Jentzen

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