Idaho wrestling icon, hall of fame member dies at 77. ‘We lost a legend.’
The 18th annual Rollie Lane Invitational wrapped up two weeks ago. But Idaho’s largest wrestling tournament will have to go on without its namesake next year after Rollie Lane died Jan. 11 at 77 years old.
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame member molded several generations of wrestlers as the sport took off in Idaho. His 28-year coaching career included stops at Nampa, Skyview, Caldwell and Melba high schools, including founding the programs at Skyview and Melba.
“We lost a legend,” said ex-Nampa wrestling coach Wally Lester, a former assistant under Lane. “That’s just because of the man he was. Everybody respected him and the things he brought to the table because it was what was right. There was no B.S. with him.”
Caldwell’s Dakan Funeral Chapel will host viewing hours from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday with a celebration of life following at 6 p.m. at Caldwell’s Elks Lodge. The funeral is at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Caldwell High’s auditorium.
Instead of flowers, his family has asked for donations to Lane’s tournament. Well wishers can send them to Columbia wrestling coach Todd Cady, the tournament’s manager, at Columbia High, according to an online obituary posted by Dakan Funeral Chapel.
Born July 9, 1941, in Denver, Lane came to Nampa after coaching stints in Colorado and New Mexico. Wrestling remained a secondary sport in Idaho to boxing in the 1970s, Lester said. But Lane quickly established a wrestling powerhouse at Nampa and turnout skyrocketed.
In 16 seasons over two stints, he led the Bulldogs to a 187-13 dual record, nine district titles and three state championships (1979, 1980, 1988). Nampa inducted him into its hall of fame in 2009.
Ex-Skyview coach Stuart Vickers, another former Lane assistant, established the Rollie Lane Invitational in 2002 with 30 teams. It has since grown into the state’s largest and most prestigious tournament with 68 teams and 769 wrestlers from five states competing at the Ford Idaho Center this season. The tournament also hosted its first separate girls division two weeks ago.
Lane briefly came out of retirement to lead Caldwell in 2005, allowing him to coach a team in his own tournament. At 63 years old, he took over the Cougars when Joe Lammers, a former Nampa wrestler and student under Lane, was deployed to Iraq.
Vickers said Lane’s coaching tree, from former wrestlers to ex-assistants, shows his long-lasting effect on Idaho.
“He inspired a lot of kids to stay in the sport,” Vickers said. “He brought a lot of kids in as well. … He took in a lot of kids who needed a father figure, a male figure to hold them accountable and to push them. A lot of kids who never had a chance otherwise were very successful because of him.”
Lane wrote about his love for wrestling for the Rollie Lane tournament’s website.
“Wrestling is tough and demanding, but the end product is what I like the very best about the sport,” Lane wrote. “When I see the tears from a young wrestler who has done his best but still lost, I know that when he recovers, he’s becoming a better person.
“In my mind, those who complete the journey, regardless of their final record, are winners, each and every one of them. Wrestling teaches character and perseverance, which carries over into life, and these qualities equal success.”
Known as a hard-nosed, old-school coach, Lester said Lane ran his programs like a drill sergeant. But he always had his athlete’s backs.
“He was very tough, very demanding and very regimented,” Lester said. “But he’d also show you tough love. When you fall down, he’s going to show you you can do it, and he’s going to be there with you.”
This story was originally published January 16, 2019 at 5:03 PM.