Photo by: Larry Slater
Darryl Burley '83 Inducted Into National Wrestling Hall of Fame
6/9/2025 3:18:00 PM | Men's Wrestling
STILLWATER, Okla. – Former Lehigh standout and Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame member Darryl Burley '83 was formally inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame this past weekend as the Hall of Fame inducted its Class of 2025 during the 48th honors weekend.
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Burley was one of four Distinguished Members inducted, alongside Matt Lindland, Terry Steiner and Greg Wojciechowski. More than 30 former Lehigh wrestlers, coaches and friends of Burley were on hand for the event, including current head coach Pat Santoro and Burley's head coach Thad Turner. Classmate Pete Schuyler '83 and Solomon Fleckman '92, who Burley coaches with at the Cannon School in Concord, N.C., spoke on Burley's behalf at the induction ceremony.
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One of the most accomplished wrestlers to wear the Brown and White, Burley is a two-time NCAA Champion, a four-time finalist and one of just two four-time All-Americans for the Lehigh wrestling program. Burley amassed a 94-5-1 record for Lehigh from 1978 through 1983 and is one of five wrestlers to win four or more individual EIWA Championships for the Brown and White.
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Burley is the sixth Distinguished Member from Lehigh University. He won a national championship as a true first-year in 1979 at 134, with a 23-2 season and was the national runner-up in 1980 and 1981 at 134 and moved up to 142 for his senior season in 1983, going 26-0 to capture his second NCAA title.
In addition to his success at the EIWA and NCAA levels, Burley was a two-time champion and six-time finalist the prestigious Midlands Championships. In freestyle, Burley finished second at the 1983 World Team Trials and third at the 1984 Olympic Trials, with a bronze medal at the prestigious Tblisi Tournament in 1985 to his credit. He was a U.S. Open champion in 1985 after earning a runner-up finish the year prior.
A native of Pemberton, N.J., where he was Outstanding Wrestler at the state wrestling tournament in 1979, Burley graduated from Lehigh in 1983 with a bachelor's degree in history and added a master's in history in 1985. He graduated with his juris doctorate from the Hofstra University School of Law in 1988.
Distinguished Members can be a wrestler who has achieved extraordinary success in national and/or international competition; a coach who has demonstrated great leadership in the profession and who has compiled an outstanding record; or a contributor whose long-term activities have substantially enhanced the development and advancement of the sport.
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Others inducted over the weekend include Meritorious Official honoree Ken Mara, Order of Merit Recipient Van Stokes, Medal of Courage recipient Mark Coleman and Outstanding American honoree Terry Davis.
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Follow Lehigh Wrestling on X/Twitter and Instagram and like on Facebook for exclusive updates throughout the season.
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Burley was one of four Distinguished Members inducted, alongside Matt Lindland, Terry Steiner and Greg Wojciechowski. More than 30 former Lehigh wrestlers, coaches and friends of Burley were on hand for the event, including current head coach Pat Santoro and Burley's head coach Thad Turner. Classmate Pete Schuyler '83 and Solomon Fleckman '92, who Burley coaches with at the Cannon School in Concord, N.C., spoke on Burley's behalf at the induction ceremony.
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One of the most accomplished wrestlers to wear the Brown and White, Burley is a two-time NCAA Champion, a four-time finalist and one of just two four-time All-Americans for the Lehigh wrestling program. Burley amassed a 94-5-1 record for Lehigh from 1978 through 1983 and is one of five wrestlers to win four or more individual EIWA Championships for the Brown and White.
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Burley is the sixth Distinguished Member from Lehigh University. He won a national championship as a true first-year in 1979 at 134, with a 23-2 season and was the national runner-up in 1980 and 1981 at 134 and moved up to 142 for his senior season in 1983, going 26-0 to capture his second NCAA title.
In addition to his success at the EIWA and NCAA levels, Burley was a two-time champion and six-time finalist the prestigious Midlands Championships. In freestyle, Burley finished second at the 1983 World Team Trials and third at the 1984 Olympic Trials, with a bronze medal at the prestigious Tblisi Tournament in 1985 to his credit. He was a U.S. Open champion in 1985 after earning a runner-up finish the year prior.
A native of Pemberton, N.J., where he was Outstanding Wrestler at the state wrestling tournament in 1979, Burley graduated from Lehigh in 1983 with a bachelor's degree in history and added a master's in history in 1985. He graduated with his juris doctorate from the Hofstra University School of Law in 1988.
Distinguished Members can be a wrestler who has achieved extraordinary success in national and/or international competition; a coach who has demonstrated great leadership in the profession and who has compiled an outstanding record; or a contributor whose long-term activities have substantially enhanced the development and advancement of the sport.
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Others inducted over the weekend include Meritorious Official honoree Ken Mara, Order of Merit Recipient Van Stokes, Medal of Courage recipient Mark Coleman and Outstanding American honoree Terry Davis.
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Follow Lehigh Wrestling on X/Twitter and Instagram and like on Facebook for exclusive updates throughout the season.
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