Brian Hage, a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and the first Georgia wrestling coach to win state championships at three schools, has died, according to a Facebook Post by Harrison Wrestling. Hage was 79.
Hage led state-winning teams at Avondale (1983), Redan (1984) and Harrison (2000), coached more than 20 individual state champions and won 341 team dual meets.
His sons Scott Hage at Parkview (1988-91) and Sean Hage at Harrison (1992-95) were rare four-time state champions. A third son, Steven Hage, also was a state-placer.
Brian Hage was an All-American wrestler at Minnesota State-Mankato in 1970 and 1971 and came to Georgia in 1972. He won back-to-back state titles at DeKalb County schools Avondale and Redan in the 1980s.
Hage became Harrison’s wrestling coach in 1991, when the Cobb County school opened, and led the program for 11 seasons.
“Hopefully, at the end, we got it right,’’ Hage said in a 2005 interview before his induction into the Georgia Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame. “We always tried to do things the right way. We tried to do things by the code. Be accountable and be responsible. Do what you say you’re going to do. Live by the code. If we were able to teach them a little wrestling along the way, that’s great.’’
Funeral arrangements have not been announced. Hage was living in Tennessee in retirement.
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