James Ravannack

Inducted: April 12th, 2025

Competed for East Jefferson High School 1974-1978.

Was a Division I state champion in 1978 and runner-up in 1978.

His 1977-78 East Jefferson was the first of only three public schools to win a Division I state championship.  (It was coached by fellow Hall of Famer George Trygg.)

Attended Louisiana State University.

Coaching Career:

Riverdale High School: 1984-86.

East Jefferson High School: 1987-89.

Grace King High School: 1990-96.

Jim started a lifetime of service to wrestling in 1990 when he became the State Chair for Wrestling for the LHSAA.  That lasted until 2016.  He serve as the LHSAA Associate Commissioner for Wrestling from 1995-2022.

He broke into the national, and then international ranks when he led the 2004 Olympic team to Athens.  After that he led five other United States teams into international competition.  From 1999 to 2023 he was a member of the National Governing body for wrestling and was the president of USA Wrestling from 2006-2016, which is longer than anyone else has held the post to date.

In 1993 Jim started the Scorpion Wrestling Club, the first kids club in the New Orleans area.

Jim implemented the weight management system in Louisiana, and made Louisiana the third state to comply with the new regulations.

Honors and Awards

Induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2005 as an Outstanding American.

Named the USA Wrestling Man of the Year in 2001.

Awarded the Jimmy Collins Special Award in 2016 by the Greater New OrleansSports Hall of Fame.