Scott Whirley

Scott Whirley
Augsburg College Assistant Coach
1982-84, 1986-2005, 2006-07

A three-time All-American wrestler for the Auggies, Scott Whirley served his alma mater for 22 seasons (1982-84, 1986-2005, 2006-07) as an assistant coach under head coach Jeff Swenson, helping to build the Augsburg wrestling program into a small-college national power.

During Whirley’s tenure as a member of the coaching staff, Augsburg won 10 NCAA Division III wrestling national titles in a 17-year span. The Auggies had 145 All-Americans and 39 individual national champions (one NAIA, 38 NCAA-III) in Whirley’s coaching career. Augsburg has had at least one All-American in national wrestling competition (NAIA and NCAA) every season since 1977 and at least five All-Americans every year since 1989.

Augsburg has also been a success in the classroom. During Whirley’s tenure, Augsburg produced 94 NWCA Scholar All-Americans. Augsburg has had at least two Scholar All-Americans every year since 1993. Augsburg has also had eight ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans in wrestling, as awarded by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), during Whirley’s tenure. Over the 10 seasons the NWCA has awarded Division III academic team national championships while Whirley was an assistant coach, Augsburg finished second three times and first once (1998-99).

With Whirley as an assistant coach, Augsburg won Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference tournament titles 18 times and MIAC Team Duals titles 14 times, along with winning the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional title four times.

In 2002, Whirley was inducted into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame. Whirley, who won 113 matches at Augsburg, claimed the national championship at 126 pounds in 1979 and earned All-American honors three times, finishing first, second and fourth nationally. He won MIAC titles in 1978 (126), 1981 (134) and 1982 (134) and earned the MIAC tourney MVP award in his senior year.

Whirley joined Jeff Swenson on the Auggie coaching staff in 1982. In 1984, he left to serve as head coach for two seasons at Farmington (Minn.) High School before returning to Augsburg. The native of Robbinsdale, Minn., was an honor student and a two-time state placewinner as a high school wrestler.

Whirley is currently a physical education teacher in the Robbinsdale School District, and lives in Maple Grove, Minn., with his wife, Kelley, and children Adam, Megan and Michael.

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