Coach Joe Hunter was Mr. Wrestling at Peoria High School in the early days of this sport in high school. The program began with Joe in 1962 and the Joe Hunter Invitational Wrestling Tournament thrives to this day. Coach Hunter was in the thick of the fiercest fighting in WWII as he was in the landing force at Normandy on D-Day and he also fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Joe was decorated with a Bronze Star and Purple Hearts for his heroic efforts. Coach Hunter is not only a Coaches Hall of Fame member, he has also been honored by the Arizona Wrestling Coaches, the National High School Athletic Coaches Hall of Fame (2005), and the National Wrestling Coaches. Joe Hunter's name has been added to the Ring of Honor at Peoria High School. Coach Hunter passed away in 2007.