Gary Wayne Harding - Recruiting Coordinator - Cowboy Wrestling Coaches

Gary Wayne Harding

Title:
Recruiting Coordinator
Email:
gary.harding@okstate.edu
Phone:
(405) 744-4541

Gary Wayne Harding recently completed his first season as the recruiting coordinator at Oklahoma State, quickly making his way up the Cowboy coaching staff after spending the 2023 season as a volunteer assistant coach.

Harding’s first recruiting class signed in November of 2023, which included four highly touted prospects such as consensus top-10 recruit Cody Merrill and Japan World Team member Rin Sakamoto. Harding’s efforts also inked top-75 recruit JJ McComas out of Stillwater and Kolter Burton, a three-time Idaho state champion.

Since the implementation of the recruiting coordinator position, the Cowboys have consistently signed top-five ranked classes, including the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation in both 2020 and 2023. Oklahoma State’s 2023 class was highlighted by No. 1 pound-for-pound wrestler Christian Carroll, as well as the top 182-pounder Brayden Thompson.

In his lone year as a volunteer for the Cowboys, Harding helped Daton Fix become the program’s 15th four-time All-American as he finished fourth at the NCAA Championships. Dustin Plott also captured his second of back-to-back Big 12 individual titles and placed sixth at NCAAs for the second consecutive year.

Prior to his return to Stillwater, Harding served as an assistant coach at North Carolina for three seasons, working alongside current Cowboy coach Coleman Scott. While at UNC, Harding helped the program to its best NCAA Championship finish in 26 years with a 16th-place outing in 2021. He also coached five All-Americans, four ACC champions and 2021 NCAA champion Austin O’Connor.

Harding wrestled at Oklahoma State from 2015-18, compiling a record of 57-33 with over two dozen bonus point victories. He qualified for the NCAA Championships as a freshman and sophomore, picking up a pair of wins at the tournament in 2015.

He was also a part of four Big 12 championship teams, one for every season of his OSU career. As a freshman, Harding placed third at the conference meet after picking up a 4-0 decision over West Virginia’s Cory Stainbrook in the third-place bout.

Following his four seasons at Oklahoma State, Harding transferred to North Carolina and appeared at the NCAA Championships for the third time in five years.

A graduate of Collinsville High School, Harding strung together a 166-14 career record and was a four-time 5A Oklahoma state champion. He was named the Tulsa World All-Metro Wrestler of the Year for 2014 and was a member of the 2014 Junior Dual team for Oklahoma.

Big 12 Team Championships
2015 – 133 pounds
2016 – 133 pounds
2017 – 133 pounds
2018 – 125/133 pounds

NCAA Individual Championships Coached
2021 – Austin O’Connor, 149 pounds (UNC)

Big 12 Individual Champions Coached
2023 – Daton Fix, 133 pounds; Dustin Plott, 174 pounds
2024 – Daton Fix, 133 pounds