PISCATAWAY – Rutgers wrestling mourns the loss of alumn and 1955 All-American George Mulligan, who passed away on Monday at the age of 86.
A four-year letterwinner and team captain for the Scarlet Knights from 1951-55, Mulligan earned All-America status as a senior with a fourth-place result at the 1955 NCAA National Championships, competing at 155 pounds. In addition to starring as a grappler "On the Banks," he also competed on the sprint football team as a quarterback. Mulligan graduated in 1955 with a degree in Psychology. George Mulligan
Upon graduation, Mulligan joined the United States Navy as an officer and went on to be a pilot in Pensacola, Florida.
Mulligan was an educator as well as a high school wrestling and football coach during his career. He taught at Bay High School in Panama City from 1959-1961 as a geography teacher and started its first intramural wrestling team. Following that, he taught and coached at Middlesex High School in New Jersey. Mulligan returned to the Sunshine State and earned a master's degree in counseling from Troy State before serving as guidance counselor and test administrator at Tom P. Haney Vocational Center for 22 years.
Mulligan was instrumental in helping high school wrestling in the Bay County area and as assistant coach at Bay High from 1975 to 1982. He was recognized as the "Father of Wrestling in Bay County" in September 2017 with the dedication of a memorial bench at Bay High School.
The family will receive friends at Kent-Forest Lawn Funeral Home in Panama City on Friday from 5-7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks to please send donations to the Bay High School wrestling program.
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