Takedown Report

College Coaching Changes

1 } – Ellsworth Names Tyson Springer New Head Coach
Ellsworth Panthers are excited to welcome Tyson Springer as the new head wrestling coach and Dale Howard Family Activity Center Director.  Springer comes to ECC from Hastings College in Hastings, NE, where he served as the head wrestling coach for three seasons. “This was a very different process as it was all done virtually over Zoom, but it was an easy decision to come to Ellsworth.  I was sold on the ECC tradition.” The tradition of Panther success may be strong, but Springer recognizes the challenges of this unprecedented time.  “It’s really the challenge of the unknown.  I’m going to be recruiting athletes to a place I’ve never been, but Ellworth’s history speaks for itself.”  Springer says he’s going to hit the ground running by making phone calls and sending out emails as soon as he is able.  “There are many high school athletes who haven’t made their decision yet because of the pandemic.  … rest of story at _{https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/Ellsworth-Names-Tyson-Springer-New-Head-19-6-2020}

2 } – Aurora University selects Pearch to lead men’s and women’s programs
Aurora University announced the hiring of Justin Pearch as the Head Coach of the Aurora University men’s and women’s wrestling programs. He was selected to build both programs with the men’s program returning to AU following an over three decade hiatus and the women’s program being new as it is among the NCAA’s emerging sports. The AU men’s and women’s wrestling teams will take to the mat and begin competition in the 2021-2022 season, becoming AU’s 23rd and 24th collegiate sports.
“For the first time we completed a job search remotely and even with this alteration, the best candidate for the position was easily recognized. Justin Pearch is the ideal wrestling coach to start the women’s and men’s programs,” said Director of Athletics Jim Hamad. “His recruiting connections and proven success in developing and instructing wrestlers is going to be beneficial in building the foundation. We expect these programs to meet the standard of excellence that has been established in the department and Justin will build AU Wrestling into a nationally recognized brand.”   Pearch came to AU after four seasons as the head wrestling coach at Aurora Christian High School. In his time at Aurora Christian, the program produced an Illinois State Championship and two more two three finishes in a program that began in 2016. … rest of story at _{https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/Courtesy-of-Aurora-Athletics-Link-18-6-2020}

3 } – OSU Wrestling: Chandler Rogers Hired as Assistant at Arkansas Little Rock
Pistols Firing has learned that former Cowboy and two-time All-American Chandler Rogers has been hired as an assistant coach at Arkansas Little Rock by another former Cowboy, Neil Erisman. The Oklahoma State coaching tree continues to grow and improve as Rogers, who was formerly the Director of Operations at the Air Force Academy has accepted an assistant coaching position at Little Rock. Rogers, who was coached by Erisman at Stillwater High School, will now be coaching alongside him in Arkansas. Erisman is one of nine (!) former Oklahoma State wrestlers in current Division 1 wrestling head coaching positions, and Rogers will become one of a nearly countless number of assistant coaches in D1 wrestling coming from Oklahoma State. … rest of story at _{https://pistolsfiringblog.com/osu-wrestling-chandler-rogers-hired-as-assistant-at-arkansas-little-rock/?mc_cid=0b36b62cc1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

4 } – Barner Named New Cleary University Wrestling Coach
(June 3, 2020 – Howell, Mich.) — Cleary University is proud to announce the hiring of new wrestling coach Greg Barner. Barner has an extensive coaching background having just recently finishing as assistant coach at Concordia University in Minnesota.  Prior to joining the Cobber’s staff, Barner spent two seasons as an assistant at Simpson College after restarting the wrestling program at Northeastern Junior College as head coach. The Plainsmen program was on hiatus for 37 years before Barner guided the program to a Top25 finish with an All-American and three wrestlers participating in the NJCAA national championship meet.  Prior to Northeastern, Barner was an assistant coach at Briar Cliff, where he earned his master’s degree in business administration. Barner graduated from Central College in 2014 in exercise science while wrestling for the Dutch. Barner began his collegiate wrestling career at Iowa Central Community College as he earned All-America honors and was part of two national championship teams. “I felt an immediate connection with the administration at Cleary,” Barner said.  … rest of story at _{https://portal.nwcaonline.com/articles/NWCA_News/Barner-Named-New-Cleary-University-4-6-2020}

5 } – Oregon State awards wrestling coach Chris Pendleton with a 5-year, $825,000 contract
By Nick Daschel | The Oregonian/OregonLive
Wrestling coach Chris Pendleton’s first contract with Oregon State runs through 2025 and pays an annual salary of $165,000. The contract, received through a public records request by The Oregonian/OregonLive, also includes several bonuses for athletic and academic performances. Pendleton, who replaced Jim Zalesky in April, is Oregon State’s lone head coaching hire of the past year. Zalesky was paid $155,000 during his final year at OSU. … rest of story at _{https://www.oregonlive.com/beavers/2020/06/oregon-state-awards-wrestling-coach-chris-pendleton-with-a-five-year-825000-contract.html?mc_cid=76bedc2d68&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

6 } – ALBION COLLEGE ADDS MEN’S AND WOMEN’S WRESTLING, ESPORTS TO ATHLETICS LINEUP
Men’s wrestling returns after four decades and will compete in MIAA; all three sports scheduled to begin competition in 2021-22 academic year.
June 23, 2020
Albion College President-Elect Mathew Johnson has announced the Albion College Athletic Department will bring back men’s wrestling after a more than 40-year absence as well as add women’s wrestling and esports. All three are expected to begin competition for the 2021-2022 academic year. “Albion College is always striving to provide a great educational experience, and athletics is part of that experience,” said Dr. Johnson, who was a high school and college athlete. “With men’s and women’s wrestling as well as the rapidly growing esports, Albion will provide more opportunities for all those students who wish to participate.” The additions will bring to 24 the number of varsity sports sponsored by Albion — 12 for men and 12 for women. … rest of story at https://www.albion.edu/news-and-events/recent-news/news-archive/14883-albion-college-adds-mens-and-womens-wrestling-esports-to-athletics-lineup?mc_cid=9af16a3b6d&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b

7 } – The College of New Jersey Cancels Wrestling in Fall Semester
Kathryn A. Foster, the president of The College of New Jersey, laid out the school’s plans for reopening this fall in an online letter today. Along with information about the semester schedule and modifications due to COVID-19 was information that certain sports would not compete during the fall semster: Regrettably but necessarily, and in alignment with our rationale and actions in instruction, residential education, and other operations, I have decided that for health and safety reasons we will restrict the menu of in-person student activities this fall to low human density and low in-person contact or proximity activities only. This means that we will cancel high human density, high in-person contact or proximity extracurricular activities, including performance ensembles (e.g., music, theater), many events and gatherings of clubs and organizations, and all high-contact varsity, intramural, and club athletics scheduled for fall semester (including football, soccer, field hockey, basketball, wrestling, rugby, dance, and cheerleading). Coaches and trainers may arrange workouts and other individual fitness activities. … rest of story at _{https://www.d3wrestle.com/tcnj-cancels-wrestling-in-fall-semester/?mc_cid=c0a731c968&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

8 } – Central Valley Conference in California suspends fall athletics, affecting CCCAA champion Fresno City wrestling
BY GARY ABBOTT, USA WRESTLING | JUNE 27, 2020The Central Valley Conference, a community college athletic conference in California, has suspended fall 2020 sememster athletic competition. Wrestling is a fall sport in the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA), and two of its wrestling teams fall within the Central Valley Conference: Fresno City College and West Hills College Leemore. Fresno City College is the defending CCCAA state wrestling champions and a dominant team in the California Junior College scene. In response Fresno City College announced they are suspending all athletics for the fall 2020 semester due to COVID-19, according to local news reports. … rest of story at _{https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2020/June/27/CVC-suspends-fall-sports-affecting-wrestling-teams-in-California?mc_cid=12f1229b4b&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}
Note : In regards to the entire CCCAA wrestling season, the CCCAA has announced that it will decide on their plan to move forward with the 2020-21 season on July 17. On that date, they will either go forward with their normal season (called their Conventional Plan), or go with two other plans (Contact/Non-Contact Plan or Contingency Plan). In the other two plans, wrestling would become a spring season sport for all CCCAA programs.

9 } – Quite a catch: Aurora University plucks Aurora Christian coach Justin Pearch to start men’s and women’s wrestling programs
Justin the builder is continuing to work on Aurora’s West Side, but he’s moving from the high school to college level and expanding his scope. Justin Pearch, who quickly built Aurora Christian’s boys wrestling program into a small school powerhouse, has been hired by Aurora University to head its men’s and women’s programs. AU officials this spring announced a plan to revive a men’s wrestling program that was discontinued 35 years ago and also start a women’s program. AU athletic director Jim Hamad said women’s wrestling trails only e-gaming as the second-fastest growing sport in college athletics. … rest of story at _{https://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/aurora-beacon-news/sports/ct-abn-spt-college-wrestling-au-justin-pearch-st-070120-20200630-ok3i63ako5dxdjbkhkvcps2ooq-story.html?mc_cid=7a484e7dde&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

10 } – Athletic Departments Cut Sports, but Wyoming Athletics Makes Adjustments to Avoid Eliminating Teams
LARAMIE — Despite financial strains created on collegiate athletic programs because of the coronavirus, the University of Wyoming has addressed the issue in a manner that will allow it to keep all 17 Division Sports. Wyoming is avoiding what many other schools are facing in terms of Olympic Sports, according to a Sports Illustrated piece by Ross Dellenger and Pat Forde that looks at the consequences schools are facing in eliminating non-profit Olympic sports. 
https://www.si.com/college/2020/06/11/college-sports-program-cuts-ncaa-olympics
The firs steps in addressing Wyoming’s financial situation was when athletic Director tom Burman announced on April 4 he would take a 10 percent paycut for the rest of the calendar year, resulting in roughly a $30,000 saving, and head football coach Craig Bohl and his wife donated $100,000 to cover scholarships for seniors who had their spring sports seasons wiped out and are going to return for another year in Laramie. … rest of story at _{https://www.si.com/college/wyoming/around-the-mwc/athletic-departments-cut-sports-but-wyoming-athletics-makes-adjustments-to-avoid-eliminating-teams?mc_cid=9214b6001a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4bhttps://goeclions.com/sports/wrest/2019-20/releases/20200611ft6h1l?mc_cid=9214b6001a&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

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