Randy Steward passed away on the evening of March 3, 2025, at the age of 66, after suffering a major stroke over the weekend.
The coveted wrestling coach is survived by his wife, Lori Steward, and two kids, Jake and his fiancee Hailee Peardon, and Helen Steward.
His son, Jake Steward, got engaged to Hailee on December 19, 2021. The couple welcomed their daughter, Hattie, on November 16, 2022.
Loras College Athletics took to their social media to share the tragic news of his passing. The post reads:
The Loras College Athletics community is saddened to hear about the passing of former Duhawk Wrestling Coach, Randy Steward.
Randy Steward Had a Successful Wrestling Coaching Career Spanning Over Four Decades!
Randy Steward was born on September 24, 1959, in DeWitt, IA, and graduated from Central DeWitt High School in 1978.
He went on to earn a B.S. in Physical Education from Cornell College in 1982, where he was a 4X NCAA national qualifier and a 2X Midwest Conference champion.
The wrestling coach furthered his education with an M.S. in Physical Education from Northwest Missouri State University in 1986, where he served as a graduate assistant coach and activities instructor.
Randy Steward’s successful career spanned 41 years, including 23 years as a head coach and assistant professor of Physical Education at Loras College.
He took over the Loras wrestling program in 1993. Recognized as a pillar in the history of Loras wrestling, Steward was inducted into the Loras College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2024.
During his time at Loras College, Steward developed the DuHawks into one of the premier NCAA Division III wrestling programs, coaching three individual D3 national champions and 36 D3 All-Americans.
He proudly led the Loras wrestling program from 1993 until 2016, accumulating a record of 228-199-2.
Over his 23 years with the Duhawks, Steward coached 56 All-Americans, six National Champions, and 15 Academic All-Americans.
Steward earned four IIAC Coach of the Year honors and was named Central Region Coach of the Year during the 2013-14 season.
Likewise, he was also the Athletic Director and head wrestling coach at Ellsworth Community College. He served in various coaching roles at high schools and colleges across GA, FL, CO, IA, and MO.
At the time of his passing, he was in his eighth season as the head wrestling coach at Sonoraville High School in Calhoun, Georgia, and he was even working at Trion Wrestling.
Under his leadership, the team achieved remarkable success, securing three GHSA AAA traditional state title.
Randy Steward bagged multiple awards, all thanks to his noteworthy contributions to the sport.
He was inducted into the Central DeWitt HS Hall of Fame and the Loras College Athletic Hall of Fame.
