Takedown Report

College Coaching Awards

Brands named InterMat Coach of the Year
Iowa head wrestling coach Tom Brands has been named 2020 InterMat Coach of the Year, the amateur wrestling website announced Friday. This award, presented each year since 2006 to the best college wrestling coach in all divisions for his/her college wrestling coaching performance during the 2019-2020 season, is based exclusively on the balloting of writers at InterMat. Each staff member is asked to select five coaches and rank them from first to fifth. Point values are assigned to each placement, ranging from one point to a wrestling coach listed fifth on a voter’s ballot, up to nine points for a first-place vote. Iowa’s Tom Brands received a total of 84 points — including eight out of ten first-place votes from the InterMat staff — to propel him to the top of the balloting for the 2019-20 season. The only other college wrestling coach to get any first-place votes was Chris Ayres, head coach of the Princeton University mat program. Two InterMat writers voted Ayres as their choice for the nation’s top collegiate coach, for a total of 39 points, placing him second in the rankings for this season. …. story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/23466?mc_cid=5dfdb1c828&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

St. Cloud State’s Steve Costanzo named NWCA Div. II Coach of the Year
The National Wrestling Coaches Association has selected St. Cloud State University’s Steve Costanzo as the NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year Award winner for 2019-20. Presented annually, this honor goes to a coach who has demonstrated outstanding effort in developing and elevating their program on campus and in the community. The coach of the year awards program is presented by Defense Soap, the official Hygiene partner of the NWCA. This award was scheduled to be presented at the NWCA 2020 Jim Koch Division II Hall of Fame Banquet on the eve of the NCAA Division II Wrestling Championships at the Denny Sanford Premier Center. Unfortunately, the event was canceled along with the Division II Championships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Costanzo is in his fourteenth year as head coach and his 2020 squad captured its fourth consecutive NWCA Division II National Duals championship and his teams have won four of the past five NCAA Division II National Titles. The Huskies finished the season with a 16-0, 8-0 NSIC record and claimed its ninth consecutive NSIC championship in 2019-20. SCSU won the NCAA Division II Super Region 5 title in 2019-20 and saw seven Huskies win individual region titles and nine individuals qualify for the 2020 NCAA DII championships – the most of any team in the nation. SCSU broke its own NCAA record this season and currently has won 64 consecutive dual matches dating back to 2017. The Huskies finished the season as the nation’s number one ranked team in the Division II poll and nine SCSU wrestlers were individually ranked in the final NCAA DII poll. …. story at https://intermatwrestle.com/articles/23497?fbclid=IwAR0DJOTzmTbbc8cyY-soCVmP7xVFzAFWH9G3-XHsH00WmcHfSZ90fwJzC9k

NWCA ANNOUNCES NCAA WOMEN’S NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR WINNER
Manheim, PA – The National Wrestling Coaches Association has announced the 2020 NCAA Women’s Wrestling Coach of the Year Award winner. The award was given following the conclusion of the inaugural Cliff Keen WCWC National Collegiate Women’s Wrestling Championships hosted by Arian College. The award, which is presented to a coach that has demonstrated outstanding effort throughout the season in developing and elevating their program on campus and in the community, is presented by Defense Soap, the official Hygiene partner of the NWCA. “In continuing our mission, Defense Soap is proud to partner with the NWCA to keep wrestlers on the mat with our products and education in hygiene.” Guy Sako, Founder, and CEO of Defense Soap
The recipient of this year’s NCAA Women’s National Coach of the Year is Sam Schmitz of McKendree University. Coach Schmitz has served as the head coach since the announcement of the program in 2013.  …. story at http://www.nwcaonline.com/nwca-announces-ncaa-womens-national-coach-of-the-year-winner/

NWCA ANNOUNCES NAIA WOMEN’S NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR
Manheim, PA – On Thursday, the National Wrestling Coaches Association announced the NAIA Women’s National Coach of the Year Award winner.  This award was scheduled to be presented on the eve of the NAIA Women’s Wrestling Championships at the University of Jamestown. Unfortunately, the championships were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Presented annually, this honor goes to a coach who has demonstrated outstanding effort in developing and elevating their program on campus and in the community. The coach of the year awards program is presented by Defense Soap, the official Hygiene partner of the NWCA. he recipient of this year’s NAIA Women’s National Coach of the Year is Lee Miracle of Campbellsville University.  Coach Miracle is in his seventh year as head coach and his squad took home a Runners-up trophy from the NWCA National Dual Championships while capturing their second WCWA National Championship. …. story at https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/NWCA-ANNOUNCES-NAIA-WOMEN-S-NATIONAL-2-4-2020

Zeke Jones Named Pac-12 Coach of the Year
SAN FRANCISCO – As announced by the Pac-12 Conference on Thursday, Arizona State wrestling head coach Zeke Jones has been named Pac-12 Coach of the Year.  Jones becomes the first ASU wrestling head coach to win the conference award three times since Thom Ortiz did so in 2003, 2005 and 2006. The sixth-year head coach was also selected for the Pac-12 honor in 2017 and 2018 after winning the Pac-12 Championship in back-to-back seasons.  The Sun Devils made their run at the program’s 21st all-time conference championship and 19th in the Pac-10/12 era in early March at Stanford. With a well-rounded team performance, ASU posted its highest conference tournament point total (141.5) since 1993, with the help of five weight classes taking home a title. ASU recorded an incredible 15-2 dual meet record this season with seven top-25 wins and four top-15 wins. It was the largest win total for an ASU wrestling team since 1989-90. …. story at https://thesundevils.com/news/2020/3/26/wrestling-zeke-jones-named-pac-12-coach-of-the-year.aspx?mc_cid=97441c20ca&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Foley Named NEWA Assistant Coach of the Year
NEW LONDON, Conn. – Dylan Foley, assistant wrestling coach at the Coast Guard Academy, has been named the New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) Assistant Coach of the Year for the second straight season. Foley is in just his second year as the assistant wrestling coach at the Academy under head coach Kevin Bratland, who is in his sixth season. “Dylan has made a tremendous impact in raising the level of Coast Guard wrestling,” said Bratland. ” It is exciting to see his efforts rewarded.” Coast Guard finished the season ranked seventh nationally.  …. story at https://uscgasports.com/sports/wrest/2019-20/releases/20200327jvp1jg?mc_cid=5dfdb1c828&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

April 7, 2020 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized