Penn State Wrestling: Best Nittany Lions to never win an NCAA title

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STATE COLLEGE, PA – JANUARY 25: Jake Short of the Minnesota Golden Gophers and Zack Beitz of the Penn State Nittany Lions during their match on January 25, 2015 at Recreation Hall on the campus of Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania. Minnesota won 17-16. (Photo by Hunter Martin/Getty Images) /

No. 6

Clyde Frantz

Years: 1969-1971
Record: 50-7-2
Conf. Titles: 3
NCAA Finishes:
3rd (1969)

Now if you simply look at Clyde Frantz’s stats, it’s hard to understand why I have him above the likes of Jerry White, Bob Truby, and Ken Chertow. But you have to understand something, college wrestling was a completely different animal back in the 60’s and early 70’s.

For starters, college athletes didn’t complete as freshman. Meaning Frantz had a whole season less to accomplish things on the mat, unlike Chertow and Truby. Secondly, just competing in the NCAA Wrestling Championships wasn’t a given for the top grapplers in each weight class.

And if you got the ability to compete in the highest collegiate wrestling tournament in the land, just placing was infinitely harder.

In the case of Frantz, he participated in three NCAA Championships, but due to their quirky rules back then, he only placed once. Clyde wrestled his tail off and was able to take home a podium finish his sophomore year in the 1969 NCAA Championships.

Along with his top three finish in the 1969 NCAA’s, Frantz was a three-time EIWA champion (all three conference tournaments he competed in), was twice awarded Outstanding Wrestler, and was a team captain. Penn State legend Rich Lorenzo called Frantz “one of the top three wrestlers I ever coached.”.

Talk about high praise.

If Clyde Frantz wrestled in the late 80’s or the 90’s, I’m almost certain he would have won a national title. But unfortunately this wasn’t the case for him.

Make no mistake about it though, Clyde Frantz is still an all-time Nittany Lion great.

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