Gary Canter, a member of the Kentucky Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame, became the Bellarmine University wrestling team’s first-ever assistant coach in June of 2016.
After the program's inception in 2016, Bellarmine spent four seasons in Division II before transitioning to Division I and the Southern Conference in 2020-21. After four total duals wins the first two years, Bellarmine amassed 15 the last two seasons. In the third year, Gage Branson (149) and Brandon Lucas (125) earned berths in the NCAA Championships.
In three Great Lakes Valley Conference seasons, Bellarmine collected seven All-GLVC accolades and eight GLVC Wrestler of the Week acknowledgements along with two team James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Awards. The Knights amassed 11 NWCA Scholar All-American honors during that time.
In 2019-20, Bellarmine's final season in DII, the Knights earned a top-25 ranking and Branson, Eric Beck and Zach Larue all finished in the top 15 nationally in falls. In a GLVC loaded with nationally ranked squads, Bellarmine tied for third.
The 2018-19 campaign was a historic one for the Knights. Brandon Lucas (125) and Gage Branson (149) became the first wrestlers in program history to earn berths to the DII NCAA Championships.The Knights tripled their amount of team duals wins from the previous season, defeating three nationally ranked opponents from DII and the NAIA along the way. The team improved its individual win total by 132 from the year prior. Bellarmine garnered four All-GLVC awards.
In 2017-18, Canter helped guide Bellarmine to its first-ever GLVC duals victories when the Knights swept Truman State and Drury in Knights Hall by finals of 33-15 and 28-14. Andrew Sams became the program's first All-GLVC performer, and Sams also was the first to be named GLVC Wrestler of the Week, doing so on two occasions.
Canter arrived at Bellarmine after also assisting Knights Head Coach Spencer Adams for two years at St. Catharine College, which closed after the 2015-16 school year. With the help of Canter’s guidance, the Patriots finished 39th (2015) and 31st (2016) at the NAIA National Championship. The squad also was honored with the NAIA’s prestigious “Champions of Character” team award in 2015-16, which is presented at the end of the season for each of the NAIA’s 23 championship sports to recognize teams that demonstrate in every-day decisions integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership.
Canter is no stranger to building wrestling programs. In addition to St. Catharine and now Bellarmine, Canter started the LaRue County (Ky.) High School program in 1991 and honed the Hawks into a powerhouse. Over an illustrious 23-year career guiding LaRue County, Canter won five KYWCA State Duals championships (’99, ’01, ’06, ’07 and ’11) and finished in the top eight on 13 occasions. In addition, they captured three KYWCA Class “A” State Tournament championships (’01, ’02 and ’05) and also finished as Class “A” runner-up nine times.
Canter’s teams finished in the top 10 at the KHSAA State Tournament 16 times, earning runner-up honors in 2001 and 2005, and they captured 13 regional championships. In total at LaRue County, Canter coached two high school All-Americans, 10 state champions, 12 state runner-ups and 62 state placers. He posted a remarkable 476-93 record in dual matches.
In 2000, Canter was named as the National High School “Coach of the Year” runner-up and declared Kentucky’s “State Coach of the Year” by Wrestling USA magazine. He received NFHS Mid East Section “Coach of the Year” accolades in 2013. Canter was inducted into Kentucky’s 5th Region Athletic Directors Hall of Fame in 2009 and the KYWCA Hall of Fame in 2016.
Canter is a state representative of the National Wrestling Coaches Association and on the state board for USA Wrestling.
Canter wrestled and received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Edinboro (Penn.) University. He attained a master’s degree in secondary science education from Western Kentucky University.
Canter has a wife, D.J., and two children, daughter Hannah and son Caleb.
