Induction ceremony to be held in Benson April 11

Former Perham head wrestling coach and Frazee high school wrestler Robb Moser will be inducted into the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association (MWCA) David Bartelma Wrestling Hall of Fame Saturday, April 11, in a field of a dozen inductees. The Class of 2026 includes Tom Lamphere, a cousin of former Frazee Wrestling Head Coach Jeff Lamphere (1975-80).

The other inductees are: Joe Block (Coach); Dustin Darveaux (Athlete); Luverne “Tuffy” Hoard (Contributor); Kevin Jensen (Contributor); Josh McLay (Athlete); Rich Pohlmeier (Contributor); Werner Family (Athlete); Tom Youngblom (Coach); Pioneers: Paul Conrad (Kerkhoven); Alan Rasmussen (Minneapolis West).

Moser attended Frazee High School, graduating in 1990. Robb was a state entrant and MWCA All-Academic team member his senior year, competing at 160 lbs. He was also a member of the first two teams in Frazee wrestling history to go to state.

Moser was coached by Hall of Famers Steve Carr and Clay Nagel while at Frazee. In addition to wrestling, Robb was an All-Conference football player for the Hornets. Robb continued his education and wrestling career at Concordia College, Moorhead, where he earned a degree in Social Studies Education. Robb obtained his Masters from Southwest State University in Marshall in 2001.  

Robb taught and coached at Perham High School from 1995-2019. He was the head wrestling coach from 2001-2019. His career coaching record stands at 425-99-1. He coached 126 state entrants, 49 of whom were place winners. He coached 16 finalists, and six were state champions. There were three Division I wrestlers and seven NCAA All-American wrestlers that came out of Perham at that time.  

Robb’s teams were the first Perham teams to win a section wrestling title and compete at state.  The Perham team had great consistency during his years as head coach making 15 section finals appearances, 12 state tournament teams, and nine teams that placed at the state tournament, all in Class AA. 

Two of his teams finished second (losses to St. Michael-Albertville and Simley). His teams were crowned Academic State Champs three times, and he had 14 MWCA All-State Academic team members. He was awarded Section Coach of the Year eight different times, and he was named Minnesota Coach of the Year both in 2007 and 2019.  

Robb’s colleagues acknowledge how Robb was a very hard worker that developed strong relationships with his wrestlers, fellow coaches, and fellow teachers. The “team first” concept was something that Robb and his assistants worked very hard to instill throughout their program.     

When asked what his proudest moments were, Robb replied, “Tough question. I am very proud that our program embraced the sport the right way. Grades were important; high grades are honorable, giving people a second chance was necessary. Having concern for others is essential and being a part of many other activities is really healthy in a small town.  On a personal level, I am very proud and fortunate to say that my very last match that I coached was my son Ty’s state championship match, capping off an undefeated season.”

Robb and his wife, Eryn, have three kids, Reid, Ty, and Drew. He is a retired teacher/coach and now works at KLN Family Brands in Perham. He continues to work in wrestling as the Section 8AA manager and as a radio commentator covering wrestling in lakes country.   

Tom Lamphere
(Contributor)

Tom Lamphere attended Robbinsdale Cooper High School, and later attended Robbinsdale Armstrong, graduating from there in 1971.

Tom was a member of the Cooper 1969 State Championship Team. He placed third in the state as a senior at 112 lbs. Tom continued his wrestling at the University of Minnesota and also at the University of Minnesota-Duluth in pursuit of a degree in History Education. Tom taught for a year in International Falls, but left teaching to join Athletes in Action (AIA), a branch of Campus Crusades for Christ. 

The AIA had some of the best wrestlers in the country on their teams, and they would compete against colleges in the U.S. Halfway through the meet they would take a short intermission and AIA wrestlers would share their testimony. 

Tom competed in the 1980 Greco Nationals and placed fifth. Tom’s last competition was the 1980 Olympic Trials. Tom has continued to stay involved with wrestling through Athletes in Action. He is working with USA wrestling, Tony Dungy, James Brown of CBS Sports and others to bring back wrestling to historically black colleges and universities. He continues to mentor young athletes in all walks of their lives.

Tony Dungy, former NFL Coach wrote: “Thanks to Tom’s spiritual mentorship, I was ready for the responsibilities that came with that job and for what came down the road—becoming the first African-American head coach to win a Super Bowl.” 

Tom and his wife Jeannie have served as the Minnesota Vikings chaplain couple for the past 35 years. They have five kids: Annya, Jon, Drew, Krista, and Makenzie, along with 10 grandchildren. He and Jeannie currently reside in Shakopee.

The 2026 Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association David Bartelma Wrestling Hall of Fame Induction Dinner will be held at McKinney’s on Southside in Benson with a 4 p.m. social, 5 p.m. dinner and 5:30 p.m. induction ceremony.