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Mike Raybon stood outside the Ragsdale gymnasium door waiting for kids cut from the basketball team. He talked many into going down the hall to the wrestling room.

The year was 1965.

“And of course they didn’t know what I was talking about,” he said. “Very few of them had even heard of wrestling.”

Nearly a half century and 10 state championships later, Ragsdale will honor Raybon by naming that same gym after him Friday night. The dedication of the Mike Raybon Gymnasium will take place on the Ragsdale football field at 7:15 p.m., immediately preceding the Tigers' game against Western Guilford. A reception will follow directly after in the school's media center.

“He’s a guy who’s dedicated his entire life to helping student athletes be successful,” Ragsdale athletics director Glen Locklear said. “It’s just a small token of appreciation because a guy who’s done that much for so many young people, you can’t really honor that sufficiently, you know?”

Raybon, 69, served Guilford County Schools from 1965-2008, including stints as assistant principal at Southwest Guilford and Ragsdale and athletics director at Ragsdale. He led the Tigers wrestling team to a 216-45-2 record, 14 conference championships and three state titles. Seven of his wrestlers won individual state championships.

“So many of them did more than they thought they could do…” Raybon said.

Raybon has been inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame and the Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame.

“It’s the biggest thing that ever happened to me,” Raybon said. “Three hall of fames, but this is the biggest thing that ever happened to me.”