2023 d3wrestle.com Coach of the Year

The 2023 d3wrestle.com Coach of the Year is Tony Valek of Augsburg. Valek led the Auggies to their 14th NCAA Championship last month in Roanoke, Virginia. Augsburg came into the postseason ranked third in the final NWCA poll but managed to outdistance second place Wartburg by 34.5 points to take the title. Eight Augsburg wrestlers qualified for the tournament, seven became All-Americans, and Sam Stuhl won the 141 lbs. championship.

Two weeks earlier, Augsburg won the regional tournament for the 20th consecutive season. Tyler Kim and Charlie Stuhl won their respective weight classes while three other Auggies finished second and three finished third to give the team eight qualifiers.

Augsburg finished 9-1 in dual meets and won the MSOE, North Central, and Citrus Invitationals, and they also captured the National Duals title with a win over Johnson & Wales in the finals.

Valek has been on staff at Augsburg since 2012. He served as a graduate assistant from 2012-2014, assistant from 2014-2015, Associate Head Coach from 2015-2019, Co-Head Coach from 2019-2022, and Head Coach from 2022 until present. He graduated from Augsburg in 2012 after a career that saw him become a 3x All-American, 2x NCAA finalist, and NCAA Elite 89 winner. This is his first time earning d3wrestle.com Coach of the Year.