Tempe, Arizona - Arizona State alum, long-time Sun Devil Wrestling scorekeeper, and fixture not just within the state of Arizona wrestling community but the sports community as a whole, John Carlson passed away Saturday night at the age of 70.
Outside of ASU, Carlson and his wife had a long history in the Chandler Unified School District where he served in roles from teacher to coach to athletic director. His wife, Carol, also served as a long-time teacher, summer school program coordinator, among other roles. For their service, the district opened its 30th elementary school – the John and Carol Carlson Elementary School.
At the regional and national level, Carlson was inducted into the Arizona Coaches Hall of Fame, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, and was a gold level coach through USA Wrestling. He gave back to his alma mater, serving as official scorer at nearly every home match for over 45 years.