Two time NCAA Division III Coach of the Year and four time WIAC Coach of the Year Tim Fader has been selected as the next head wrestling coach at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Fader returns to the head coaching ranks after a season as an assistant at Wheaton. Fader has previously coached at WIAC schools La Crosse and Whitewater, and in his most recent season as a head coach led Whitewater to an NCAA runner-up finish. Read this post from July about the circumstances and aftermath of his departure from Whitewater after the 2014 season.

Blugolds Hire Four-Time WIAC Coach of the Year

Sep 03, 2015
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – Tim Fader, a four-time WIAC Coach of the Year, will take the helm as head coach of the University Wisconsin-Eau Claire wrestling team, announced by athletic director Dan Schumacher today.

Fader was most recently the assistant wresting coach at Wheaton College, but he is no stranger to the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC). Fader spent 10 years as the head coach at UW-Whitewater from 2004-14 and was the head coach for six years at UW-La Crosse (1998-2004).

“We are excited to add Coach Fader to our staff,” said Schumacher. “He has established himself as one of the top coaches in the country and we are fortunate to bring someone like him to campus. I look forward to working with Coach Fader to build a championship wrestling program.”

In his time in the WIAC, Fader was named WIAC Coach of the Year four times (1999, 2001, 2002, 2014) and National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Coach of the Year twice (2001, 2012).

“Tim Fader represents the gold standard of excellence in coaching,” said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. “He has demonstrated a history of an education-based philosophy and his number one priority is helping his student-athletes reach their potential on and off the mat.”

The 2014 Division III Coach of the Year has coached 42 All-Americans and 49 Scholastic All-Americans. Fader led the UW-La Crosse to six Top 10 finishes including a National Dual Meet Championship in 2000. With UW-Whitewater, he tallied four top 12 finishes including a third place finish in 2013 and runner-up in 2014.

“Fader is very thorough and leaves no stone unturned,” said former assistant coach and 1972 Olympic Gold Medalist Ben Peterson. “He wants a winning team and will build young men; from recruiting to fundraising to training, he will make UW-Eau Claire wrestling known. I don’t know anyone that works harder than Tim Fader.”

Fader wrestled collegiately at Augustana College (Ill.), where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with an undergraduate degree in Accounting and Finance-Business Administration. He earned his master’s degree in Sports Administration from UW-La Crosse in 1997. At Augustana, Fader was a two-time NCAA Division III All-American and was twice named Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

“I am really impressed with UW-Eau Claire,” said Fader. “The supportive community, beautiful campus and just the energy you feel from this inviting, vibrant area is amazing. I’ve spoken with alums and past and present coaches and they all loved their experience which makes me excited to be a Blugold.

“I want to thank Dan Schumacher and Chancellor James Schmidt for this opportunity. Dan has a sincere excitement for this department and university and I’m excited to be a part of his vision.”

Fader will begin his coaching duties September 15 as he will be working with USA Wrestling at the Wrestling World Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada beginning September 5.