Matt Lowers, who most recently was the head coach at NAIA University of the Cumberlands, has been named the next head wrestling coach at Knox College. Lowers replaced Joe Norton, who left to take the reigns at his alma mater North Central. Lowers spent four seasons at the University of the Cumberlands and has coaching stops at St. Cloud State University, Concordia College, and was an administrative assistant with the University of Minnesota wrestling team. Read on for more.

New Head Wrestling Coach Announced

GALESBURG, Illinois – A coach with experience at all NCAA division levels and the NAIA is taking the reins of the Knox College wrestling program.

Knox athletic director Chad Eisele announced that Matt Lowers has been named the head wrestling coach. He replaces Joe Norton, who spent one season with the Prairie Fire.3917
Matt Lowers

Lowers most recently was the head wrestling coach for four years at the University of the Cumberlands, an NAIA affiliated school located in Williamsburg, Kentucky.

“We are excited to have Matt lead our wrestling program,” Eisele said. “Matt has coached and competed at the NCAA Division III level, and that experience – as well as the values he instills in his student-athletes – make him a good fit at Knox.”

Lowers coached 25 national qualifiers and five All-Americans at the University of the Cumberlands, and his teams achieved a grade point average over 3.0 all four years.

“It was very evident during my interview that everybody on campus has a passion for Knox College and for helping students,” Lowers said. “I’m excited about the opportunity to continue building the wrestling program and working with such motivated people.”

Lowers also spent nearly three years as the head assistant coach at NCAA Division II St. Cloud State University in Minnesota, where he had 22 NCAA qualifiers, 10 All-Americans, three top 12 finishers, and the team was recognized for high academic performance.

Lowers coached at the NCAA Division I level as an assistant at the University of Minnesota during the 2006 and 2007 seasons. The Gophers were the 2006 NWCA National Duals champions, the Big Ten champions, and the NCAA national team runner-up. Minnesota won another Big Ten title in 2007 and captured both the NWCA National Duals and NCAA national team championships with Lowers on the coaching staff.

In addition, Lowers previously worked as the director of wrestling operations for the J. Robinson Camps in Minneapolis and served as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota.

Lowers is a native of Wadena, Minnesota, where he was an all-state high school athlete in wrestling, football, and track and field. At the next level he was a wrestling team captain at Concordia College. He earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise science at Concordia in 2006, and a master’s degree in sport management at St. Cloud State in 2008.

Lowers said he’s eager to get started at Knox. “I can’t wait to get on campus and meet the team and start making preparations for our season.”

Lowers begins his new duties this week.

The Prairie Fire wrestling team opens the 2014-15 season by hosting the Chuck Porter Invitational on November 8 in T. Fleming Fieldhouse.