Takedown Report

West Liberty Hires National Coach of the Year

WHEELING, W.Va. – West Liberty University announced Monday that NCAA Division II Coach of the Year Danny Irwin has been hired as the Hilltoppers’ new head wrestling coach. The announcement came during a morning press conference at the university’s downtown center.
    “We are tremendously excited to bring in such an impressive young man who has demonstrated success at the highest levels athletically and academically,” WLU President Dr. Stephen Greiner said. “Coach Irwin’s incredible work ethic combined with his proven ability to recruit and develop high-achieving student-athletes on and off the mat make him a perfect ambassador for his sport and a great fit for our university.”
    Irwin replaces former head coach Mitch Smith, who recently stepped down to accept a position in the private sector that would permit him to spend more time with his growing family.
    “I want to thank Coach Smith for his hard work and dedication over the past four years,” athletic director Lynn Ullom said. “Mitch played an integral role as we upgraded our facilities to the point where we now have some of the best in the region, putting us in position to take the next step.
    “I’m always looking for the best possible candidate but being able to hand the reins of our storied wrestling program over to the reigning National Coach of the Year is the definition of a home run hire. Coach Irwin’s accomplishments speak for themselves, but I was even more impressed by the obvious passion he has for the sport and his student-athletes along with the vision he has for the program. We are thrilled to welcome him to the West Liberty family.”
    Irwin comes to WLU a few weeks after leading Wheeling Jesuit University to a runner-up finish at the 2018-19 NCAA Division II Nationals in Cleveland. All six of Irwin’s national qualifiers earned NCAA Division II All-America status with two of them winning national championships. Irwin was honored as the 2018-19 NCAA Division II Coach of the Year in just his second season as a collegiate head man.
    Just as impressively, a program-record seven members of Irwin’s national runner-up squad at WJU were named to the 2018-19 National Wrestling Coaches Association’s All-Academic Team. Rest of the story and details at https://hilltoppersports.com/news/2019/4/8/wrestling-west-liberty-hires-national-coach-of-the-year.aspx?mc_cid=c971c5fbec&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

April 14, 2019 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized