Marty Willigan, Hofstra’s first two-time All-American in wrestling, earned this distinction in 1968 and 1969. As a two-time NCAA qualifier and conference champion, he achieved remarkable success. In 1968, Marty became the inaugural recipient of the MAC Tournament Outstanding Wrestler Award. That year, he placed fourth at the NCAA Championships, and in 1969, he improved to second place, narrowly losing to Dan Gable in the finals.
In 1968, Marty made history as Hofstra’s first All-American, finishing fourth in the 137-pound weight class. He also won the Metropolitan Intercollegiate Championship and was named the Metro Championship Most Outstanding Wrestler.
In 1969, Marty captured another conference title and reached the finals of the NCAA Championships at 137 pounds, where he was defeated by Gable. This loss marked his only defeat that season, after achieving an impressive 44-1 record. After graduating from Hofstra in 1969, Marty competed as a member of the USA Wrestling Team in the World Games for the Deaf, earning gold medals in 1969 in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, and in 1973 in Malmo, Sweden.
Following his competitive career, Marty turned to coaching and became part of the coaching staff for the U.S. wrestling teams at the World Games for the Deaf in 1977, 1981, 1985, and 1993. During the 1989 Games, he served as coach for the Canadian wrestling team.
Marty began his career at Gallaudet University in 1969 and took on the role of head coach for their wrestling team in 1970. He also served as the head coach of the Model Secondary School for the Deaf from 1980 to 1985. After 34 years at Gallaudet, Marty was inducted into the NCAA Division III Hall of Fame in 2000 in recognition of his coaching accomplishments. He is also a member of the USA Deaf Sports Federation Hall of Fame.
(Credit to Hofstra University Athletics: www.gohofstra.com)