Photo on the right: former head coach/current assistant Bret Corner, Edwin Allen (CUW's first wrestling All-American in 1997) and Mike Fischer
Photo on the right: former head coach/current assistant Bret Corner, Edwin Allen (CUW's first wrestling All-American in 1997) and Mike Fischer

CUW mourns the passing of former Wrestling assistant coach Mike Fischer

MEQUON, Wis. -- After a miraculous four-year battle with brain cancer, longtime Concordia Wisconsin Wrestling assistant coach Mike Fischer passed away on Wednesday in Grafton, Wisconsin. He was 55.

Fischer was the CUW Wrestling head assistant coach from 1992-2012, and was a significant part of the success the program had during those years. He was influential in the Falcons winning eight conference titles, as well as producing 50 individual conference champions, three All-Americans and 18 national qualifiers.

Fischer helped develop all the wrestlers during those years, but former head coach Bret Corner noted that he was especially instrumental in the development of 2009 NCAA III National Qualifier Joe Massman, who is currently No. 3 on the career wins list at CUW.

"Massman came to Concordia a strong farm boy from western Wisconsin that had raw talent," said Corner. "He needed technique work, especially on the feet. Coach Fischer worked tirelessly with Massman after practice, day-in and day-out. It paid off to the point that Massman is now considered one of the best wrestlers to ever put on a singlet at Concordia."

"Coach Fischer was a tough coach, but was very well liked by all the student-athletes. He was a big, colorful personality that was contagious. As I look back on those 20 years, at times I may have been to easy with the guys in practice, but then I could always count on Coach Fish to crack the whip," Corner expressed.