Emmanuel College, a school of around 1,800 full-time undergraduates in Boston, Massachusetts, is adding men’s and women’s wrestling. The school was initially founded as a women’s college in 1919 before becoming officially coed in 2001. The men’s program is set to compete next season with the women joining in 2026-2027. Emmanuel competes in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference. Other schools with men’s wrestling in the conference include Johnson & Wales, New England College, and Norwich.
Note that Emmanuel University, in Franklin Springs, Georgia, is a Division II school that also has a wrestling program.
McMurry University, a school of around 1,000 in Abilene, Texas, has announced plans to begin men’s and women’s wrestling for the 2025-2026 season. McMurry will become the second Division III wrestling team in Texas after Schreiner, and the school hopes to join the SLIAC as an affiliate member. SLIAC wrestling currently includes the University of the Ozarks, Schreiner, Westminster, Lyon, Eureka, and Fontbonne, though Fontbonne is set to close at the conclusion of the 2024-2025 school year. McMurray and Schreiner join NAIA schools Texas Wesleyan, Wayland Baptist, and Jarvis Christian as four-year colleges with wrestling in Texas.
Nebraska Wesleyan has named Colton McCrystal as the second head coach since the program’s return in 2016. He replaces Brandon Bradley who recently became Director of Operations at the University of Nebraska. McCrystal is a Nebraska alum with coaching stops at Morningside and his alma mater. He was a two-time NCAA Division I qualifier and wrestled in the 2018 U23 World Championships.
“Coach McCrystal’s extensive wrestling experiences will shape the future of our wrestling program at Nebraska Wesleyan. His blend of competitive wrestling experience and coaching expertise will make an immediate difference by improving growth and excellence for our student-athletes.” – Dwight Merilatt, Director of Athletics
Dalton Rohrbaugh has been named the next head coach at Penn College. He succeeds Pankil Chander, who took a position at Wilkes this summer. Rohrbaugh spent last season on staff at Shenandoah University. In 2023, he was the NCAA runner-up at 133 lbs. for York College. He had previously competed at Lock Haven as well.
“We are very excited to welcome Coach Rohrbaugh to Penn College. He comes to us from Shenandoah where he helped develop its program and played an instrumental role in recruitment and talent development. Coach Rohrbaugh will play an important role in continuing to elevate our wrestling program within the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference and the national level.”
Job Summary Assists the Head Coach in all aspects of running an NCAA Division III Wrestling program by teaching and coaching student athletes, recruiting highly selective high school senior athletes, developing and implementing game strategies, and leading physical training and practice organization.
Responsibilities
Under the direction of the head coach, assists with teaching, coaching, and mentoring student-athletes, recruiting qualified prospects, logistical planning of practice and competition, developing and implementing strategies, and complying with University, NCAA, and UAA expectations, standards, and regulations.
Teaching relevant skills to student-athletes during training and competition.
Evaluating the performance of the team and individuals to instruct and advise on technical, strategic, and mental development.
Counseling student-athletes on athletic, academic, and personal needs, consulting with the head coach and appropriate University personnel as necessary.
Adhering to the University and state law requirements regarding mandatory reporters, responsible employees, and campus security authorities.
Extensive domestic travel required.
Other duties as assigned by the head coach.
Secondary departmental responsibilities will be assigned by the athletic director.
Has a moderate/high level of authority to participate in staff meetings, individual planning meetings, and parent student staffing.
Helps staff to plan and execute events.
Performs other related work as needed.
Minimum Qualifications
Education: Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
Work Experience: Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.
Kean University in Union, New Jersey, is set to add men’s and women’s wrestling. The school has two postings on the NCAA jobs site for men’s and women’s wrestling coaches. Presumably, the official announcement is coming soon. The school is one of the largest in Division III with over 8,000 full-time undergraduates. The school’s other sports compete in the NJAC. The other schools in that conference with wrestling include NJCU and TCNJ. According to Jason Bryant’s Dropped College Wrestling Program database, Kean previously had wrestling before dropping the sport in 1996.
Adam Richards has been elevated to interim head coach for the men’s and women’s wrestling teams at Illinois Wesleyan after spending last season as an assistant coach with both programs. He steps in for Brett Robbins who resigned in July. Richards had previously spent 24 seasons at the high school level before joining the Titans for their first season since 1983.
“We are thrilled to have Adam step up and fill our men’s and women’s wrestling program in this interim role. Even though this is currently an interim role, I know that he will attack this position with great enthusiasm and energy to continue the growth of the program that he helped reinstitute. Not only does he have local ties in the Bloomington-Normal community but also has great connections across the state and country to add quality student-athletes in terms of their academic profile, athletic prowess, and strong core values.” — Mike Wagner, Athletic Director
Case Western Reserve University is seeking applicants for the position of Instructor of Physical Education and Assistant Wrestling Coach.
Position Overview
We are seeking a highly motivated and knowledgeable individual to join our team as an Instructor of Physical Education and Assistant Wrestling Coach. As an Instructor of Physical Education, you will contribute to the growth and achievement of many CWRU students through PE curriculum and instruction. As an Assistant Coach, you will play a pivotal role in assisting the Head Coach in all aspects of team management, player development, game preparation, and program success.
This is a full-time, 10-month faculty position with a competitive salary and excellent fringe benefits.
The Associate Head Women’s Wrestling Coaching Instructor collaborates with the Head Men and Women’s Wrestling Coaching Instructor in providing support for the organization of the program and implementation of meet and practice plans. This includes, but is not limited to communication with athletes, preparation of facilities, distribution and care of equipment, scouting opponents, and film breakdown. The Associate Head Women’s Wrestling Coaching Instructor will provide support for the players’ academic success and track academic progress as needed. The Associate Head Women’s Wrestling Coaching Instructor facilitates communication with several constituents, which include faculty, academic advisors, assistant deans, and parents. Internally, the Associate Head Women’s Wrestling Coaching Instructor works with the Equipment and Facilities staff, Athletic Trainers, and Assistant ADs when necessary.
The Associate Head Women’s Wrestling Coaching Instructor supports the Head Men and Women’s Wrestling Coaching Instructor to provide coaching instruction and administrative support to other coaches and administrative staff while ensuring compliance with all related governing bodies including the NCAA, OAC Conference and institutional regulations. The Associate Head Women’s Wrestling Coaching Instructor will also have direct responsibilities for the coordination of recruitment of prospective student athletes and supervise graduate assistants and part time coaches as assigned.
Ithaca College has posted their head women’s coach position and is seeking applicants. Apply Here.
Job Summary:
The head coach will lead and direct all aspects of the competitive intercollegiate sport to include coaching and teaching effective strategy, technique and training, recruitment of qualified student-athletes, and teaching of courses in PALS and/or carrying out assigned administrative responsibilities within the Intercollegiate Athletics department. The head coach is responsible for ensuring compliance with NCAA, Conference, and Ithaca College rules and regulations, establishing appropriate competitive and developmental goals and objectives for each season. The head coach will be involved with some aspects of alumni relations within their sport and will support fundraising efforts for special initiatives in their program or the department of athletics.
Brandon Bradley has stepped down as head coach at Nebraska Wesleyan to become the Director of Operations at the University of Nebraska. Bradley started the program at Nebraska Wesleyan and has been the head coach at the school for the past nine seasons. He had previously coached at Ferrum and UW-Whitewater. At Nebraska Wesleyan, he coached one All-American and four NWCA Scholar All-Americans.
Matt Gentry has been elevated from assistant coach to head coach at the University of Chicago. Gentry replaces Leo Kocher who retired this spring after 45 years at the university. Gentry had been a full-time assistant with the program since 2022 and had served in a part-time role the previous season. Gentry was an NCAA champion for Stanford in 2004 and competed in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics for Canada. He also spent five seasons on staff at Stanford during his competitive career. He will take over a team that finished 5th in the Upper Midwest Region with seven regional placewinners.
CHICAGO – University of Chicago Director of Athletics and Recreation Angie Torain announced today the hiring of Matt Gentry as the Maroons new head wrestling coach. Gentry is no stranger to the program, having served as a part-time assistant coach before being elevated to a full-time assistant coach with the program in July of 2022.
“I am thrilled to have Matt join us as the head men’s wrestling coach” stated Torain. “Matt is an accomplished wrestler and brings a wealth of knowledge and a focus on the student-athlete experience. He is taking over a program that has great tradition and success. We are excited to watch the program excel under his leadership.”
McDaniel College is searching for a full-time assistant head women’s wrestling coach. The Green Terror are set to begin competition in women’s wrestling this fall. See the link below for the job description and to apply.
Pankil Chander has stepped down as head coach at Penn College after two seasons to take another coaching position. He coached the team to its first ever winning dual meet record as an NCAA institution and first ever NCAA qualifier. He had previously coached at Springfield College and Gettysburg College before taking his first head coaching job at Penn College for the 2022-2023 season. The Wildcats joined the AMCC as an associate member in 2023 and finished as the conference runner-up. Penn College has begun a search for his replacement.
WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Pankil Chander is stepping down as Penn College’s Head Wrestling Coach to accept another full-time coaching opportunity.
Penn College has begun a national search for Chander’s replacement.
“I’m grateful for the lessons, relationships, and opportunities that came with being at the helm of Penn College Wrestling,” Chander said. “I cherished the process of hard work it took with our student-athletes, coaches, and community to grow this program in every category – it could not have happened without the buy-in they displayed in my vision and system.”
The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford has appointed Zach Altman as its new head wrestling coach, marking the third head coach in the program’s history. Altman, previously an assistant coach at Alma College, was also an NCAA qualifier at Adrian. He replaces Terry Schwab, who served as interim head coach following the departure of Blake Heim to Frostburg State University.
BRADFORD, PA. – The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford has named Zach Altman as the university’s head wrestling coach, the third head coach in the program’s history.
“I am pleased to announce the hiring of Zach Altman as our new wrestling coach,” said Athletic Director Bret Butler. “He is a motivated coach, with a background of success that will be instrumental in helping our program continue to grow.”
Brett Robbins has resigned as head men’s and women’s wrestling coach at Illinois Wesleyan, the Bloomington, Illinois, school announced Thursday. Robbins restarted the team after a 40 year hiatus and coached the Titans through their first season back on the mat in 2023-2024. Illinois Wesleyan had most recently competed in 183. The head coach position is currently posted on the IWU website.
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – After helping to rebuild the Illinois Wesleyan University wrestling program, Brett Robbins announced he will be stepping down as the men’s and women’s head wrestling coach, Thursday, July 18.
“This has been an incredibly tough decision, but it is one that is in the best interest of my wife and kids,” Robbins shared. “Having the opportunity to come back home to Bloomington and be a part of Titan wrestling has been incredible. From working with exceptional student-athletes, a great support staff, and the most supportive administration I have been around in my career I have learned how special Illinois Wesleyan is. My family has become big Titan fans over the past year and will continue to cheer on all the IWU sports teams from afar.”
Eight wrestlers were named to the 2023-2024 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America Division At-Large team. These wrestlers initially made the All-District team announced last month. Gage Linahon of Central College, Patrick McGraw of John Carroll, and Charlie Stuhl of Augsburg were First Team honorees. Stuhl was also on the First Team last year, while Linahon and McGraw were on the Second Team. Tyler Kim of Augsburg was the sole wrestler on the Second Team, while Mike Glynn of RIT, Elijah Hunt of Concordia-Moorhead, Gavin Layman of Ohio Northern, and Zane Mulder of Wartburg made the Third Team.
First Team honorees Linahon (197), McGraw (157), and Stuhl (149) all qualified for the 2024 NCAA Championships. Second teamer Kim was the 285 lbs. national champion. On the Third Team, Glynn was 8th at 157, Mulder was 2nd at 174, and Layman qualified at 184, while Hunt was 8th at the Upper Midwest region at 165.
North Central is searching for a full-time Assistant Men’s and Women’s Wrestling Coach. Apply Here.
The primary purpose of the Assistant Men’s and Women’s Wrestling Coach is to help establish, recruit for, organize, and run highly competitive men’s and women’s wrestling programs, recognized nationally both athletically and academically, consistent with the student-athlete philosophy of Division III, which generates College and community enthusiasm and support.
Description of Key Responsibilities Note that all functions described below must be performed, and it is normally the responsibility of the individual in this position to perform them and/or see that they are performed. Functions are categorized as essential and marginal so that consideration can be given to accommodating a person with a disability by reassigning one or more marginal functions if it is practical for said function(s) to be performed by other employees(s).
Assist the head coaches develop, recruit, and administer highly competitive men’s and women’s wrestling programs, consistent with the student-athlete philosophy of Division III, which generates College and community enthusiasm and support. Assist with administrative and coaching activities within the program.
Assist with the coordination of the recruiting efforts of the men’s and women’s wrestling programs with those of the admission office; maintain a competitive program (initially club and eventually varsity) through recruiting efforts and strategies. Develop a successful team recruiting strategy; visit high schools to meet with recruits; call, e-mail, text, and write prospects and coaches; record recruiting action. Maintain active communication with the admission staff through phone, in-person and electronic means.
Supervise the graduate assistant coaches for the men’s and women’s wrestling programs. Assign the recruiting duties and territories for each GA with appropriate follow-up meetings on a regular basis. Set recruiting target numbers for each GA in collaboration with the head men’s and women’s wrestling coaches.
Assist with the development and retention program for the men’s and women’s wrestling programs in conjunction with the dean of admission and financial aid, the dean of students and director of student success. Help develop individual and team academic and community strengths.
Actively encourage leadership and scholarship among student-athletes. Help monitor the academic progress of all the athletes on the teams, in connection with the director of student success, assistant athletic director, and the senior director of athletics. Adhere to all compliance and eligibility rules and regulations. Participate in the department’s leadership and scholarship programs when available.
Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky, is set to add men’s and women’s wrestling teams. The school of around 550 full-time undergraduates has not yet announced the addition of wrestling, but they are advertising the head coaching positions on their employment website and the NCAA Job Market. Spalding currently offers 17 sports, and their baseball team qualified for the last two NCAA tournaments. They compete in the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Other SLIAC schools with wrestling include Blackburn, Eureka, Fontbonne (until 2025), Lyon (starting in 2025), and Westminster.
Former Oswego Laker wrestler and coach Troy Seymour has moved west along Lake Ontario to take over as head coach at Brockport. He replaces Sam Recco who coached the team during the 2023 and 2024 seasons. Seymour graduated from Oswego in 2019 and moved directly into a coaching role. He has spent the past five seasons on the bench as an assistant to Mike Howard. As a competitor, Seymour was an NCAA qualifier in 2018, placed four times in the Mideast Regional, and won exactly 100 matches at Oswego after transferring in from NC State.
