(KYWCA Photo)
Former Christian County High wrestling coach Robert Burnham was inducted into the Kentucky Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame over the weekend.
Burnham retired in 2020 after 16 seasons as head coach and still helps with the Colonel wrestling program.
He was voted the 2020 Kentucky Wrestling Coaches Association Coach of the Year after leading the Colonels to a runner-up finish at the state tournament — Christian County’s best finish since their 1988 state championship season.
The Colonels finished as runner-up in the region for seven seasons from 2014-20. Burnham coached two individual state champions — Jakerion Merritt in 2019 and Niko Bussell in 2020. Over a dozen Colonels went on to continue their wrestling careers in college while Burnham was the coach.
Others inducted into the KYWCA Hall of Fame were coaches Darren Gamble (Johnson Central), Wes Watts (Dunbar/Madison Central), Jerry Whelen (Oldham County, Lawrence County, Ashland Blazer), and wrestling historian/official Alex Green.
