"My love for Wrestling is only out gunned by my love for Aztec Wrestling which I've been part of for 55 years. With the help of our community and past wrestlers we have built a 50X100 new wrestling facility that is open to all lovers of wrestling. What Wrestling can do for kids is so much more important now than it has ever been. Our kids need us to push them and make them understand life is not free, you only get what you're willing to put into it. The name COACH means so much to me, it is a word that I work hard to be deserving of, much as a doctor or officer, it has to stand for something and it is earned not demanded".


  • Coach Herb Stinson

Bio: Herb Stinson

  • Date of birth/age: March 30, 1952/Age: 69

  • Born:Farmington, New Mexico

  • High School: Aztec High School

  • College: Dixie College St. George 1970-71 - Southern Utah University Cedar City 1971-1975

Wrestling Competition Years

  • Aztec High School 1967-70

  • 3X NM State Qualifier

  • 2X NM State Placer

  • Nevada AAU: 1971 Nevada AAU State Champion

  • Freestyle and Greco: La Vegas YMCA

  • 1971: 5th at AAU Greco Nationals

  • 1971-1974: Southern Utah University

  • 2X Rocky Mountain NAIA Conference Placer

  • 2X National qualifier (never went due to SUU rule)

Coaching Years

  • 1970-71: Dixie High School, St. George, Utah

  • SUU: Assistant

  • 1975-76: Bloomfield High School, Bloomfield, NM

  • 1976-2000: Aztec High School, Aztec, New Mexico

  • 2000-2012: Bayfield High School, Colorado

  • Head Coach 1978-2012 (34 years +)

  • 2012-2021: Aztec High School Head Varsity Assistant

  • 2021- Present: Aztec Head Girls and Boys Coach

  • Head Coach 1978-2012 (34 years +)

Team Accomplishments

  • State Championships: 1982, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 (12 total)

  • Head Varsity Assistant State Championships: 2018-2019-2020-2021

  • State Runner-up: 1980-1981-1983

  • Third at State: 1986-1988-1989-(HVA-2017)

  • District Championships: 21 (20 New Mexico) - 1 Colorado (21) total

  • Individual State Champions: 61 New Mexico - Colorado 4 (65 total)

  • As Head Varsity Assistant: 18

  • Individual State Place winners: 190 NM-Colorado 18 (208 total)

  • Individual District Champions: 142 NM/Regional Champs Colorado: 18

  • High School All Americans: 18 NM/Colorado: 1 (19) total

  • New Mexico Dream Team Members: 16 NM/Colorado (10 All Stars)

  • Academic All Americans: 10 NM/Colorado 2 (12) total

  • Wrestling USA Academic Dream Team All American: 1


Individual Coaching Accomplishments:

  • Current record: 535-92-5 +

  • New Mexico AAA-A Coach of the Year: 86-90-91-93-95-2000

  • New Mexico Wrestling Coach of the Year: 89-95-2000

  • Teacher of the Year City of Aztec / Bayfield Co. 1991/2012

  • New Mexico Coaches Association Hall of Honor: 1998

  • Southern Utah University Coaching Factory Hall of Fame: 1998

  • New Mexico Wrestling Hall of Fame: 2004

  • National Coach of the Year Wrestling USA Mag.: 1991

  • National Coach of the Year NFICA: 1995

  • National Coach of the Year NHSCA: 2000

  • Navajo Nations Coach of the Year: 2000

  • Wrestling USA Dream Team Coach vs Iowa: 1998

  • Colorado All Star Team Coach (South): 2005/2009/2012

  • IML Coach of the year (Colorado): 2007

  • Inducted in to NHSACA Hall of Fame: 2016

  • Zia New Mexico All Star Coach of North: 2017

  • New Mexico Assistant Wrestling Coach of the Year: 2017

  • New Mexico Wrestling All Time best NM Coach: 2021

  • Coached Football 39 years D coordinator 33 years with 57 shutouts and 30 years of playoff seasons /also coached Baseball 10 years.

  • Has coached in 24 State final events in 3 sports combined winning 16 titles

  • 2021 New Mexico Wrestling G.O.A.T. Voted On By The New Mexico Wrestling Community


National record categories:

  • Most Tournament wins: 122 NM/17 CO (139) total (4th All Time Best)

  • Largest Margin of Win: 63.14 points (2ND)

  • Most State Champions 65 (5TH)

Family:

  • Terry, wife is a retired second grade teacher

  • Tonya, daughter is a BYU graduate, who is the Executive Director of Farmington’s Visitor and Convention Bureau.

  • Jerry, son is a Western New Mexico University graduate and Head of Oncology at Rolla Missouri Cancer Center

  • Travis son is a Texas A&M graduate and Engineer with TechnipFMC Technical Authority, Workover Systems in Houston Texas

  • All three of his kids were top student-athletes at Aztec High School, winning state titles and All-State awards.