University of Missouri Athletics

Roper was a longtime figure in Tiger wrestling history who made lasting contributions as both an athlete and as a coach. On the mat, he closed his career in 1982 holding the MU career record for wins, with an overall record of 131-37, and he capped his career with an All-America fourth-place finish at 150 pounds at the 1982 NCAA Championships – the highest individual finish for a Tiger wrestler until he coached Shaon Fry to a second-place finish in 1993. He led the Tiger team to a 12th-place national team finish in 1982, which was the highest in school history at the time. He led Mizzou in victories three straight seasons, winning 34 matches in 1980, 40 in 1981 and 35 in 1982. He served as MU’s head coach for 13 seasons (1986-98) during which time he developed nine Tigers who won 11 all-America honors. His Tiger teams turned in seven top-25 finishes at the NCAA Championships, including bests of 16th (1992), 18th (1994) and 19th (1988 and 1993). A native of Kansas City, Missouri, he worked as a financial consultant after leaving the coaching ranks.