Air Force Athletics to Rename Boxing Gym After Eddie Weichers
2/9/2026 2:00:00 PM | Boxing
USAF ACADEMY, Colo. — Air Force Athletics announced today that the boxing gym will be named after longtime and historic former head coach Eddie Weichers. A dedication celebration for Air Force boxing alumni will be held on Friday, Feb. 27, at 3:30 p.m., prior to the Wing Open Championships, where Coach Weichers will be recognized.
Weichers, Air Force's boxing head coach from 1976-2014, played an integral role in the development and long-time success of the Falcon boxing program. His numerous accomplishments include leading Air Force to 19 national championships while coaching 325 National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA) All-Americans and 113 national champions. As the first coach of the Academy's collegiate boxing team, Weichers organized, coordinated, and directed the Wing Open from 1977-2014 and was inducted into the Air Force Boxing Ring of Honor in 2025.
"Eddie Weichers is an Air Force Academy and collegiate boxing legend and it is fitting for our boxing gym to now honor him in perpetuity," Director of Athletics Nathan Pine said. "Coach Weichers built an incredible foundation and lasting legacy, and we are thankful for his leadership. Our philanthropic partnership with the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation and the endowment created in Coach Weichers' honor will undoubtedly inspire those who have been impacted by his mentorship to pay it forward by investing in the future success of our cadet-athletes and boxing program."
"Coach Eddie Weichers played a pivotal role in the development and success of thousands of Academy cadets," current Air Force boxing head coach Dr. Mark Clifford, a 1997 Academy graduate, said. "His influence extended far beyond the ring. Through his instruction and mentorship, he instilled toughness, a disciplined work ethic, and the resilience to overcome adversity. Those qualities are essential to excellence as a cadet and an Air Force officer. I have truly been blessed to have been coached by Coach Weichers and later serve alongside him as his assistant coach. I speak for many of our boxing alumni when I say that the lessons he taught will continue to guide me, and I am committed to honoring his legacy every day in the Eddie Weichers Boxing Gym by upholding the high standard of excellence he established."
The Weichers Endowment for Boxing Excellence, established through the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation, will honor Coach Weichers' extraordinary legacy at the Academy. It will provide last annual support for top needs of Air Force boxing, including training, competition, coaching resources and athlete development associated with top programmatic needs identified by the athletic director, in collaboration with the head boxing coach. Donors who care about Air Force boxing and its role in developing leaders of character can support the Weichers Endowment's continued growth and impact through gifts of any kind.
"Coach Eddie Weichers' impact on the Academy extends far beyond wins and championships," said Mark Hille, a 1997 Academy graduate and president and CEO of the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation. "The Weichers Endowment for Boxing Excellence ensures his legacy lives on by further strengthening a program that plays a vital role in developing the disciplined, resilient leaders or character our Air Force and Space Force require. The Association & Foundation is honored to work with Air Force Athletics and donors to make this endowment possible."
New branding and naming recognition will be installed and introduced within the Eddie Weichers Boxing Gym at the alumni event on Friday, Feb. 27.
To learn more and RSVP to the Boxing alumni event on Friday, Feb. 27, please visit HERE.
To purchase tickets to the Wing Open, visit www.aftickets.com
To learn more and make a gift to support the Weichers Endowment for Boxing Excellence, visit HERE.
Weichers, Air Force's boxing head coach from 1976-2014, played an integral role in the development and long-time success of the Falcon boxing program. His numerous accomplishments include leading Air Force to 19 national championships while coaching 325 National Collegiate Boxing Association (NCBA) All-Americans and 113 national champions. As the first coach of the Academy's collegiate boxing team, Weichers organized, coordinated, and directed the Wing Open from 1977-2014 and was inducted into the Air Force Boxing Ring of Honor in 2025.
"Eddie Weichers is an Air Force Academy and collegiate boxing legend and it is fitting for our boxing gym to now honor him in perpetuity," Director of Athletics Nathan Pine said. "Coach Weichers built an incredible foundation and lasting legacy, and we are thankful for his leadership. Our philanthropic partnership with the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation and the endowment created in Coach Weichers' honor will undoubtedly inspire those who have been impacted by his mentorship to pay it forward by investing in the future success of our cadet-athletes and boxing program."
"Coach Eddie Weichers played a pivotal role in the development and success of thousands of Academy cadets," current Air Force boxing head coach Dr. Mark Clifford, a 1997 Academy graduate, said. "His influence extended far beyond the ring. Through his instruction and mentorship, he instilled toughness, a disciplined work ethic, and the resilience to overcome adversity. Those qualities are essential to excellence as a cadet and an Air Force officer. I have truly been blessed to have been coached by Coach Weichers and later serve alongside him as his assistant coach. I speak for many of our boxing alumni when I say that the lessons he taught will continue to guide me, and I am committed to honoring his legacy every day in the Eddie Weichers Boxing Gym by upholding the high standard of excellence he established."
The Weichers Endowment for Boxing Excellence, established through the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation, will honor Coach Weichers' extraordinary legacy at the Academy. It will provide last annual support for top needs of Air Force boxing, including training, competition, coaching resources and athlete development associated with top programmatic needs identified by the athletic director, in collaboration with the head boxing coach. Donors who care about Air Force boxing and its role in developing leaders of character can support the Weichers Endowment's continued growth and impact through gifts of any kind.
"Coach Eddie Weichers' impact on the Academy extends far beyond wins and championships," said Mark Hille, a 1997 Academy graduate and president and CEO of the U.S. Air Force Academy Association & Foundation. "The Weichers Endowment for Boxing Excellence ensures his legacy lives on by further strengthening a program that plays a vital role in developing the disciplined, resilient leaders or character our Air Force and Space Force require. The Association & Foundation is honored to work with Air Force Athletics and donors to make this endowment possible."
New branding and naming recognition will be installed and introduced within the Eddie Weichers Boxing Gym at the alumni event on Friday, Feb. 27.
To learn more and RSVP to the Boxing alumni event on Friday, Feb. 27, please visit HERE.
To purchase tickets to the Wing Open, visit www.aftickets.com
To learn more and make a gift to support the Weichers Endowment for Boxing Excellence, visit HERE.
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