It was while growing up in Thunder Bay that this successful coach first developed his passion for wrestling, and learned the skills needed to become one of Canada's top coaches at the university and national level. Taking to the mats with the Northwestern Ontario Wrestling Club and the Hammarskjold High School wrestling team, he won a number of titles including the 42-kilo crown at the 1984 Canadian juvenile wrestling championships.

At the high school level, he dominated local and regional matches, and claimed three consecutive OFSAA titles, bringing home gold in 1985, '86 and '87. His exceptional talents earned him a spot on the University of Manitoba squad where he starred for the Bisons. Claiming multiple tournament titles, 2 Canadian Inter-university wrestling crowns and 5 CIS All-Canadian honours, he was named the CIS Canada West Most Outstanding Wrestler in 1989.

Following graduation he spent some time back home coaching with his former club, and at Lakehead University, before returning to the U of M as an assistant coach. In1996, he was offered the head coaching position with the University of Saskatchewan, and over the course of the next seventeen years he rebuilt the Huskie's men's program and started a successful women's program. His success at the university level saw him named Canada West Coach of the Year at four points throughout his career, and earn the 2007 CIS Coach of the Year award.

Successfully pursuing his NCCP Master Coach certification, he helped coach the Saskatoon Wrestling Club and took on a variety of positions with Wrestling Canada. Serving as a coach of the women's national team for over a decade, he helped develop some of Canada's top wrestlers who earned success at competitions around the world. Having always dreamed of attending an Olympic Games, he got his chance in 2004 by serving as an assistant coach of the Canadian Women's Olympic Wrestling team in Athens, being part of a historic event with Tonya Verbeek winning a silver medal, the first ever by a Canadian woman.

The impact that this incredible coach had on the wrestling community of Canada was evident by the outpouring of respect and sympathy that was felt with his untimely passing in 2015. In honour of his extraordinary contributions, the University of Saskatchewan established the Todd Hinds Memorial Awards in wrestling and the Saskatoon Wrestling Club renamed their annual fundraiser the Todd Hinds Memorial Golf Tournament, fitting tributes for this coach who made his hometown proud with the incredible impact he had on the world of wrestling.

Inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame on September 24, 2016