Oshkosh chooses Ayala

Efrain Ayala has been elevated to the head coach position at UW-Oshkosh as of this week. He previously had been the assistant at Oshkosh under the departed Chris Stratton who resigned in May. See below for more.

Ayala Selected Head Wrestling Coach

After two years as an assistant, Efrain Ayala was named UW-Oshkosh’s head wrestling coach on Monday (Aug. 12). Ayala replaces Chris Stratton, who resigned in May.

Ayala helped the Titans finish 17th at the NCAA Division III Championship last season and 14th in 2012. Nazar Kulchytskyy won an individual national title each year. UW-Oshkosh also had Sam Engelland, Zachary Mueller and Dan Schiferl qualify for the national tournament.

“It feels good to be in the driver’s seat of a program that has a lot of potential,” Ayala said. “The team is already strong, and I have high expectations for our incoming recruiting class. This season is going to be exciting.”

Before coming to UW-Oshkosh, Ayala spent two years as an assistant wrestling coach and special education paraprofessional in the Kettle Moraine School District.

Ayala has also taught special education at Kennedy Elementary (2009) and was an assistant coach (2008-09) at Saint Peter High School in Minnesota.

“Efrain has been a key part of our program’s success the last two years,” Athletics Director Darryl Sims said. “I’m confident that his leadership will help our student-athletes reach their full potential.”

Ayala was a Nebraska state champion in high school before wrestling at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln during 2003. He then transferred to Minn. State University-Mankato and qualified for the 2005 NCAA Division II Tournament.

Ayala received his elementary education degree from MSU-Mankato during 2008.