Stay tuned for the upcoming d3wrestle.com Wrestler of the Year Award, but first, the 2012 d3wrestle.com Coach of the Year. The 2012 Coach of the Year award goes to Jim Miller and Eric Keller, co-head coaches at Wartburg College. Wartburg won the NCAA Championship for the 2nd year in a row and put up the fourth most points in NCAA Division III history. It was the ninth title for both Miller and the Knights.
Wartburg finished with five finalists, four champions, and eight total All-Americans. The performance was particularly noteworthy considering that Wartburg had to replace six starters from last year’s championship team. Those six new starters combined to win three titles and five total All-American Awards. The team was led by three time NCAA Champion Byron Tate, the second three time champ in school history (along with Dustin Hinschberger) and just the 12th in NCAA DIII history.
Miller has been the coach at Wartburg since 1991, and his team is currently riding a 159 match IIAC dual meet winning streak that stretches back to the 1994 season. Keller is in his second stint as at Wartburg and has been the co-head coach for each of the past two seasons. Wartburg has been in the top two of the NCAA Championships 17 of the last 21 years, and they have won four of the last five titles. Though the 2012 team had the fourth most points in NCAA history, the first through third spots are also owned by Wartburg teams. Congratulations to Coach Miller and Coach Keller
Byron Tate isn’t the first 3x champ in school history. Dustin Hinschberger also won 3 titles for Wartburg.
You’re right. I misread an article saying Tate joined Hinschberger as the only 3x champs in school history. Fixing now…
Congratulations
The 2005 Augsburg team put up 162 points with 10 All Americans, the second highest point total in DIII tournament history.
The NCAA.com article where I got the info is wrong, then, because that Augsburg team did as you said.
Yep, that article was posted with incorrect information. It still doesn’t take away from Wartburg’s accomplishment. They wrestled outstanding at the national tournament.
Congratulations, you two!
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