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Paul Fenley, left, and Ron Finley, right.

(Ken Goe/Staff)

Longtime Oregon wrestling coach Ron Finley died Tuesday morning following a years-long battle with cancer.

He was 75.

"I've been around and have seen this thing before. It wasn't a surprise to those that were close to him," Oregon State wrestling associate head coach Kevin Roberts said. "We knew he was battling. If anything, it was a testament to his will for how long he stuck with it."

Finley is survived by his wife, Linda, daughter, Kelly and son, Mike.

The fight Finley showed during his battle with cancer doesn't surprise those who knew Finley during his remarkable life. The Newberg-native was a national finalist as a wrestler at Oregon State, placed fourth at the 1964 Summer Olympics in the 138.75-pounds Greco-Roman Division and went on to coach the University of Oregon wrestling program from 1970 until he stepped down 28 years later in 1998.

He was the coach of the U.S. Greco-Roman team at the 1984 Olympics and was inducted to the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1982.

Roberts, who wrestled for Finley at Oregon, said he was able to exchange some laughs and sentimental moments with his former coach just shortly before his death.

"Before wrestling, you have to acknowledge the first-class human being he was," Roberts said. "He treated everyone with dignity. Just a wonderful, wonderful person. He cared about his athletes and cared about all people."

But after people, Finley's life was about wrestling -- the last portion of which was spent trying to get wrestling reinstated at the University of Oregon. The Ducks dropped the sport in 2007.

Locally, Finley was the head of the Save Oregon Wrestling Foundation. He was also the executive director of the National Wrestling Restoration Foundation, whose goal was to prevent further cuts to collegiate wrestling programs.

"He's going to be missed," said NWRF president Paul Fenley. "The wrestling community has lost a great man. He was one of those figures that everyone looked to as a guiding light. His entire life was wrestling. He didn't go off and do business or get into sales. He dedicated his entire life to the sport. Everything is wrestling with this guy."

Through the NWRF, Finley and Fenley launched the Zero Quit clothing brand, whose proceeds go directly into a fund to create an endowment for an Oregon wrestling program.

Zero Quit was also one of the best ways to describe Finley. Fenley remembers earlier this year, after Finley had started another round of chemotherapy, when the former coach wouldn't allow himself to sit in a wheelchair during a meet at Oregon State.

"If that were me, I would be done," Fenley said. "He was out there shaking hands. This guy was not ready to go. He kept at it."

Fenley said Finley's legacy will live on through Save Oregon Wrestling, which awards three scholarships a year to high school wrestlers.

"He pulled together the right people so that his legacy can continue on," Fenley said. "There are people in place that will continue the fight to restore the U of O program, but most importantly to provide some financial relief to Oregonians who want to pursue a wrestling career in college."

-- Tyson Alger

talger@oregonian.com

@tysonalger