Obituary of Brian Keith Hage

The world of wrestling, particularly on the high school level, lost a legendary figure when National Wrestling Hall of Fame lifetime contributor Brian Hage passed away on February 25, 2024, in Murfreesboro, TN. He was 80 years old. Said National Wrestling Hall of Fame legend Randy Bortles, upon learning of Hage's passing, "He is the gold standard for Hall of Fame coaches, and he was an even better human being." Born on February 20, 1944, in Fairmont, Minnesota, Hage, who would go on to be inducted in six Halls of Fame as a high school wrestling coach, was the only child of Howard John Hage and Lois Agusta Hage. As a child growing up in Minnesota, he grew up working and helping on his extended family farm every morning before school and every afternoon after school. Ironically, the man who would make a name for himself, first, as a wrestler in high school, then in college at Mankato State, and later in the United State Air Force, found his niche in life after failing tomake the basketball team in high school. As the story goes, he was asked by NWHOF wrestling coach Dick Black to give it a try, and never looked back. While attending and later graduating from Mankato State, Hage served in the Air Force, which he joined July 18, 1965, and was honorably discharged July 2, 1969. His rank upon discharge was Buck Sergeant. While in the Air Force he met the love of his life, Jeffie, while serving in Wiesbaden, Germany. The couple was married 56 years. Their union produced three sons: Brian (Alissa) Scott Hage, Sean (Maria) Brawley Hage, and Steven (Jami) Brent Hage, each of whom went on to have phenomenal high school wrestling records and careers. It is widely considered among wrestling circles that Steven, was actually the best of the bunch. Hage, who earned a Masters of Science in 1974, found his way to Georgia in 1972 and began his impressive career as an educator and coach in DeKalb County, a suburb of Atlanta. His first stop was at Avondale High School, where he was a physical education teacher and also coached football, wrestling and track. His exemplary coaching and success would later earn Hage athletic Hall of Fame recognition at Avondale, and later at two other high schools in the Atlanta area, first at Redan High School, also in DeKalb, and later at Harrison High School in Cobb County. Brian won state titles at each school and was the only coach to ever win back-to-back titles in 2 different classifications at 2 different schools. Hage would also be inducted into the Georgia Coaches Hall of Fame and Cobb County Hall of Fame. In 2004, Hage was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a lifetime contributor. He is survived by his wife Jeffie Ann Hage, sons Scott (Alissa) Hage, Sean (Maria) Hage and Steven (Jami) Hage, grandchildren Magnus Hage, Rane Hage, Brenna Hage, Briar Hage, Brawley Hage, Caroline Hage, Coleman Hage and Cecelia Hage. Visitation with the family will be 1:00-3:00 pm Sunday, March 3, 2024 at Murfreesboro Funeral Home with a Memorial Service at 3:00pm.