For his 48 years of involvement with the Northwestern wrestling program, the new wrestling facilities are named in honor of Ken Kraft. Kraft was a four-year member of the Wildcat wrestling squad and NU's head coach for 22 years. In 2004, Kraft retired after spending 51 years at NU as an athlete, coach and administrator.
The Ken Kraft Wrestling Complex is part of the new Anderson Hall renovations. It contains three 42'x42' mats, almost doubling the former wrestling room size. It houses coaching offices and locker rooms. The facility opened in the summer of 2005.
"The new facility has a nearby locker room, modern amenities and is among the best in college wrestling," Kraft said.
As a student-athlete at NU, Kraft competed in the 167-pound weight class, winning the 1957 Big Ten Title. After graduation, Kraft took over the head coaching duties, compiling a 128-106-5 record in his 22 years at the helm. During that time, he coached 14 All-Americans, two of which were national champions.
One of Kraft's greatest contributions to the wrestling program was the founding of The Midlands Championships, now in its 55th year. The Midlands brings the very best in amateur wrestling to Welsh-Ryan Arena every December between Christmas and New Year's.
Kraft also spent time in front of the cameras as a commentator for ABC's Wide World of Sports during the 1972 and 1976 Olympics. In addition, he has served on the U.S. Wrestling Federation Governing Council and Executive Committee, and was president of the association from 1972-76. In 1998, he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
