Former Springfield High School wrestling coach and longtime educator Joe Cochran has been inducted into the Greater Miami Valley Wrestling Association (GMVWA) Hall of Fame, honoring more than 30 years of coaching excellence and service to student-athletes in the Springfield community.
Cochran began his coaching career as an assistant coach in 1988 at Northeastern High School in Clark County before becoming head coach of a junior high wrestling program in the Springfield City School District. In 1998, he was named head wrestling coach at Springfield North High School, where he led the team until the school’s closure in 2008. During that time, his teams earned multiple Springfield City and Clark County Championships and were recognized in 2004 as the GMVWA Division I Most Improved Team.
After 2008, Cochran continued to support the District’s wrestling programs by coaching at the youth and middle school levels. He returned to the head coaching role at SHS in 2015, where he coached until 2020. In 2016, he was named the GWOC Central Division Coach of the Year.
Over his coaching career, Cochran coached 12 state qualifiers, including two state placers, along with numerous district and conference champions. Cochran says a major highlight from his career came in 2018 when his son, a decorated SHS wrestler, placed third at the OHSAA State Tournament and SHS finished 23rd as a team.
Cochran will retire from the District this May after 33 years of teaching and coaching.