Tadaaki Hatta

2022 Distinguished Alumni

Bachelor of Fine Art '66

After graduating from OSU in 1966 with a bachelor’s degree in fine art, Tadaaki Hatta attended Northwestern University where he earned a master’s degree in art.  

 

Over the course of his career, Tadaaki has taught high school and college while also coaching wrestling from the grade school to Olympic level. In fact, he coached in eight Olympic games from 1968 to 2008, serving on the Japanese, Mexican and American men’s teams and the American women’s team. In 2008, Tadaaki received USA Wrestling’s Coach of the Year award, having just served as head coach for the USA women’s wrestling team at the Beijing Olympics. In 2019, he received OSU’s prestigious Ed Gallagher Award. And in 1982, he published “The Wrestling Techniques Handbook.” 

 

Tadaaki is now retired from teaching, but coaches rugby at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland. They just won the national title in May and state championships in June. In addition to coaching rugby, Hatta restores statues at Cleveland churches pro bono and continues producing artwork. You can find four of his pieces at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame here in Stillwater: a painting of Dan Gable vs. Bobby Douglas, a painting of Zeke Jones at the 1992 Olympics, a sculpture of Chris Taylor being thrown at the 1972 Olympics, and a poster of Gilgamesh. One of his ink drawings was recently made part of the OSU Museum of Art’s permanent collection. 

 

Tadaaki is married to Susan Speakman Hatta and has three grown children: Mariah, Robert and Benjamin.