University of Minnesota Athletics
Alan Rice - M Club Hall of Fame
Alan Rice
Wrestling, 1947-50
HOF Class of 1999
Some call Alan Rice the “Greco Roman Godfather.” The St. Paul-raised wrestling legend became a two-time state champion at University High School. At the University of Minnesota, he captured Big Ten titles in 1948 and 1949, becoming an All-American at the NCAA tournament.
After graduating, Rice worked in the investment business in New York City, while he continued competing for more than a decade in national and international wrestling.
He participated in the 1954 Pan American Games in Mexico City, the 1955 World Championships in Tokyo, and the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne, where he placed fifth in Greco-Roman wrestling, then the highest-ever American finish. He also claimed AAU championships in both Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling.
Rice returned to Minnesota in 1959 and formed the Minnesota Amateur Wrestling Club, now the Gopher Wrestling Club, which won 16 national championships in the 25 years he coached it. He also head-coached the U.S. Greco-Roman team in the Munich Olympic Games.
Rice has made many donations to the University, and helped raise nearly $1 million to endow the Minnesota club. He is a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the Helms National Hall of Fame, and the Minnesota Wrestling Hall of Fame.