Takedown Report

Coaching Changes

Sentes named head wrestling coach
BUIES CREEK, N.C. – After helping Campbell’s wrestling program to unprecedented heights, Scotti Sentes has been named head coach, announced today by director of athletics Omar Banks. Since arriving at Campbell, Sentes has helped the Camels to three Southern Conference tournament championships, as well as back to back dual titles over the last four seasons, the program’s first NCAA Division I championships. “I am thankful to Omar Banks, Wanda Watkins, and Hannah Bazemore and the entire CU athletic department for affording me this incredible opportunity,” said Sentes. “I would also like to thank Cary Kolat and the CU alumni who encouraged and recommended me for this position. Campbell is a special place and I will do everything I can to continue making this program proud.” “The Campbell community is very pleased to have Coach Sentes as our next head wrestling coach,” …. story at https://gocamels.com/news/2020/3/26/sentes-named-head-wrestling-coach.aspx?mc_cid=97441c20ca&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Chris Pendleton to Lead Beaver Wrestling
Corvallis —Chris Pendleton, one of the most successful collegiate wrestlers in the history of the sport, has been selected to lead the Oregon State program, Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Barnes announced Monday. His appointment is contingent on the completion of all university hiring processes. Coach Pendleton arrives at Oregon State after spending the last six seasons as an assistant coach at Arizona State. The Sun Devils have won three of the last four Pac-12 titles, including scoring 141.5 points (most by ASU since 1993) on its way to the conference crown earlier this month. ASU finished the shortened season ranked No. 6 in the country and defeated seven top 20 teams, including snapping No. 1 Penn State’s 60-match win streak. “The interest in this position was incredibly high, but as the process moved forward Coach Pendleton quickly rose to the top,” Barnes said. “Coach Pendleton’s focus on the development of student-athletes on and off the mat aligns with the Oregon State culture. …. story at https://osubeavers.com/news/2020/3/30/chris-pendleton-to-lead-beaver-wrestling.aspx?mc_cid=864912e0e4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Mike Evans and Blaize Cabell Join Navy Wrestling Coaching Staff
ANNAPOLIS, Md. —  Navy head wrestling coach Cary Kolat announced today that former Campbell assistant coaches Mike Evans and Blaize Cabell have joined his coaching staff at the Naval Academy. Mike Evans, a former three-time All-American at the University of Iowa, begins his tenure in Annapolis after spending the last three seasons on the Campbell wrestling staff, including last season as head assistant coach. Serving alongside Kolat, he helped lead the Campbell wrestling program to unprecedented success in recent years. The Camels wrapped up the 2019-20 season by posting an 11-2 record that featured wins in each of their last nine duals. Among that nine-match winning streak, CU put together an undefeated mark (7-0) in Southern Conference action. Campbell secured its second straight and third overall SoCon Tournament Championship in four years thanks to crowning five individual champions. A program-record six wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Championship for a second consecutive year. Among those qualifiers were three wrestlers seeded among the top 10, including 133-pound Noah Gonser, a three-time NCAA qualifier who was named the 2020 SoCon Wrestler of the Year.  …. story at https://navysports.com/news/2020/3/30/mike-evans-and-blaize-cabell-join-navy-wrestling-coaching-staff.aspx?mc_cid=864912e0e4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

TIGER ATHLETICS ANNOUNCES THE ADDITION OF CONTOS TO THE IOWA WESLEYAN WRESTLING PROGRAM
Mt. Pleasant, IA – March 27,  2020 – To continue to expand the Tiger Athletics Department and to give our students the best opportunities possible to succeed, IW announced on May 9, 2019, that Men’s and Women’s Wrestling would be added to the athletic department.  Robert Powell was hired as the wrestling coach this past September to get the program going and begin recruiting for the fall of 2020. To give the programs the best ability to become successful, plans were in place to hire a second coach in the spring of 2020.   After a national search, the Iowa Wesleyan Athletics Department would like to announce that Shawn Contos has been given the title of Head Coach of the Tiger Men’s Wrestling program. “I am thrilled to announce the addition of Coach Contos to our coaching staff.  His wealth of knowledge in freestyle and folkstyle wrestling, combined with his high energy and professionalism, make him an ideal candidate for this position”, said Director of Athletics, Derek Zander. “Under the combined leadership of Coach Contos and Coach Powell, I expect the Iowa Wesleyan wrestling program to grow and produce high-quality results, both on and off the mat.”  Coach Powell will take over the reins for our newly formed women’s program, as Coach Contos will lead the men’s program. Both will work collaboratively to lead and grow men’s and women’s wrestling at Iowa Wesleyan University.   Contos brings with him over 20 years of experience as a wrestling coach. He has coached and competed alongside many notable wrestlers throughout his years. Contos coached at Iowa State with Cael Sanderson and at Penn State with both Cody Sanderson and Casey Cunningham. While at PSU, Contos helped lead the team to four NCAA National Championship Titles. At ISU, he was with the team when they won the Big 12 Conference Championship, were third in the NCAA, and as they produced a USA NCAA National Champion. …. story at https://www.iwtigers.com/article/2751?mc_cid=5dfdb1c828&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Roanoke Tabs Nate Yetzer to Lead Wrestling Program
Salem, Va. – Roanoke College Director of Athletics Scott Allison has announced the hiring of Nate Yetzer to serve as the College’s first Head Wrestling Coach.   Allison announced in January the addition of wrestling as the College’s 22nd NCAA Division III sponsored athletic program.  The Maroons will begin competition in the Fall of 2021.
“We’re fortunate to have Nate Yetzer lead our wrestling program,” said Allison. “His ability to build a program is proven.  The energy he brings to the table is off the charts.  We know he’ll fit in well with his colleagues on our hallway!” Yetzer joined the Ferrum coaching staff in July 2012 as Head Wrestling Coach. In the last eight years at the helm of the new Panther mat program, Yetzer has sent 13 individuals to the NCAA Div. III Wrestling National Championships. Four wrestlers have earned All-America honors under Yetzer, Logan Meister in 2016 and Zach Beckner in 2017, with Beckner being the College’s first-ever NCAA finalist in any sport. Levi Englman and Mario Vasquez became the third and fourth All-Americans in 2019. Yetzer’s 2017 team won the NCAA East Regional and he was named NCAA East Region Coach of the Year. …. story at https://www.roanokemaroons.com/general/2019-20/releases/20200325k7mkzo?mc_cid=97441c20ca&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

OSU wrestling search committee got its man in Chris Pendleton: ‘No doubt, we got the right guy’
Oregon State has hired a wrestling coach who will bring the Beavers back in prominence, members of the selection committee say. Arizona State assistant coach Chris Pendleton was named Monday to replace Jim Zalesky as the man in charge of OSU’s mat wars. “Chris has the experience and the name, he can recruit, and he has good vision for where the program can go,” said Greg Strobel, a two-time national champion for the Beavers in the 1970s. “That vision coincides with what we as alums would like to see — consistent top-10 teams, All-Americans and national champions. He has the ability to make that happen.” “He is going to bring an exciting brand of wrestling to Oregon State,” ex-OSU All-American Bob Tomasovic said. “He has a great philosophy on how to wrestle. …. story at https://pamplinmedia.com/pt/12-sports/459794-374152-osu-wrestling-search-committee-got-its-man-in-chris-pendleton-no-doubt-we-got-the-right-guy?fbclid=IwAR3_zCzET5zx2jWrYvd07i8ykqFkFOZQhgXi3U3ITs6_Z25FiPzHh1MwzM0&mc_cid=864912e0e4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Chris Pendleton to Lead Beaver Wrestling
Corvallis —Chris Pendleton, one of the most successful collegiate wrestlers in the history of the sport, has been selected to lead the Oregon State program, Vice President and Director of Athletics Scott Barnes announced Monday. His appointment is contingent on the completion of all university hiring processes. Coach Pendleton arrives at Oregon State after spending the last six seasons as an assistant coach at Arizona State. The Sun Devils have won three of the last four Pac-12 titles, including scoring 141.5 points (most by ASU since 1993) on its way to the conference crown earlier this month. ASU finished the shortened season ranked No. 6 in the country and defeated seven top 20 teams, including snapping No. 1 Penn State’s 60-match win streak. “The interest in this position was incredibly high, but as the process moved forward Coach Pendleton quickly rose to the top,” Barnes said. “Coach Pendleton’s focus on the development of student-athletes on and off the mat aligns with the Oregon State culture. …. story at https://osubeavers.com/news/2020/3/30/chris-pendleton-to-lead-beaver-wrestling.aspx?mc_cid=864912e0e4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Coronavirus outbreak has Oregon State wrestling coach Chris Pendleton waiting for his campus debut and a job he says ‘is big’
Chris Pendleton says he worked more than a decade as an assistant wrestling coach to find the right college head coaching job. In recent years, he’s passed on several opportunities. When Oregon State had an opening, it felt right. The former Arizona State assistant applied, won over the interview committee and earlier this week, accepted the job. But it wasn’t until Monday around noon that Pendleton fully understood what he had agreed to do. The former two-time NCAA wrestling champion was simply trying to order lunch, but text messages and phone calls continually interrupted the process. …. story at https://www.oregonlive.com/beavers/2020/04/coronavirus-outbreak-has-oregon-state-wrestling-coach-chris-pendleton-waiting-for-his-campus-debut-and-a-job-he-says-is-big.html?mc_cid=1f2298c90d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

Aurora University announces addition of Men’s and Women’s Wrestling
Aurora University, an NCAA Division III institution, announced the return men’s wrestling and addition of women’s wrestling to the varsity sport offerings at AU. The Spartan wrestling program’s will begin in the 2021-2022 season and become AU’s 23rd and 24th collegiate sport. “We are thrilled that women’s and men’s wrestling will be the newest programs at AU,” said Assistant Vice President / Director of Athletics Jim Hamad. “It is exciting to be a part of both the rapid growth of women’s wrestling and the steady resurgence of men’s wrestling. We have been able to start new programs that quickly find success in recent years and we are confident that our wrestling programs will follow a similar timeline. Our goal is to become successful in the competitive national wrestling landscape.” AU will see men’s wrestling return to campus after a 35 year hiatus, becoming an official NCAA Division III program and according to the NCAA, in the 2020-2021 season a total of 116 men’s wrestling programs will compete in NCAA Division III. Men’s and women’s wrestling is currently classified as a winter sport, with competition beginning in October and running through February with the men having a NCAA Division III Championship in March. …. story at https://athletics.aurora.edu/news/2020/3/27/general-aurora-university-announces-addition-of-mens-and-womens-wreslting.aspx?mc_cid=5dfdb1c828&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

A Look Back at 1983
Well, we had planned on today, Sunday – March 22, to be a travel day for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga wrestling team.  Junior Fabian Gutierrez and sophomores Tanner Smith and Matthew Waddell, along with the coaches and staff, were set to make the trip home from the 2020 NCAA Championships in Minneapolis, Minn. 
All three had favorable draws in the brackets that were released on March 11, so who knows what could have happened over three days in U.S. Bank Stadium.  With all NCAA sports being canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there is not much news coming out of college athletics.  We thought it would be a good time to take a look back at the Mocs’ most successful showing at the NCAA Division I Championships.  The Mocs had some really strong Division II squads in the 1970s, but made the jump to Division I for the 1977-78 season. UTC had some individual success early in the 1980’s, including the 1983 squad that seven qualifiers to the national tournament in Oklahoma City, Okla.  The Mocs scored 20¼ points, tying for 14^th overall in the team race with Arizona State.  It is still the highest Division I finish in school history at UTC. That year was highlighted by junior Charlie Heard’s runner-up at 118 pounds.  It was the second of three All-American honors for the LaGrange, Ga., native and 1992 inductee into the UTC Athletics Hall of Fame. …. story at https://gomocs.com/news/2020/3/22/wrestling-a-look-back-at-1983.aspx?mc_cid=e20a7e57a4&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

April 12, 2020 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized