Graphic courtesy of Ohio State University Athletics.
Penn State and Cornell have been the two most discussed Division I wrestling programs this week. The primary headline was the announcement that Max Dean officially transferred to Penn State.
However, the transfer was not the only news concerning both powerhouse programs. Former Penn State four-time All-American and two-time NCAA champion Quentin Wright was announced as the head wrestling coach at Tyrone Area High School in Tyrone, Pennsylvania.
https://twitter.com/JustinJBasch/status/1392452047002341388
Collegiately, Wright was a four-time All-American at Penn State at three different weight classes. He won two NCAA titles at 184 in 2011 and 197 in 2013 and was a runner-up at 184 in 2012. The two-time Big Ten champ went 116-23 in Happy Valley.
While this is Wright's first head coaching role at the high school level, it is not his first foray into coaching. Wright has coached 4M Wrestling Club in Morrisdale, Pennsylvania, for the last six years.
Similarly, Gabe Dean will also be joining the high school coaching scene, at his alma mater Lowell High School, in Lowell, Michigan, where he was an accomplished Red Arrow wrestler in his own right. Dean was a two-time state finalist at Lowell winning a state title as a junior and placing as the runner-up as a senior. Dean was a two-time all-state selection on the gridiron while playing quarterback.
https://twitter.com/lowellwrestling/status/1392183212185636864
As a upperweight in the Cornell Big Read lineup, Dean, like Wright, was a four-time All-American and a two-time NCAA champ, with his titles coming in 2015 and 2016, both at 184 pounds. Dean had four EIWA crowns to his credit as well. The elder of the Dean brothers ended his college career with 152 wins to just seven losses. He also spent time on the Cornell coaching staff after his days as a competitor.
Elsewhere in Big Ten Country, particularly in Columbus, Ohio, the Buckeye wrestling program announced staff changes. Logan Stieber will step into an assistant coach position and will continue to be the head of the Ohio Regional Training Center. Bo Jordan has been elevated to an assistant coach after serving the last three seasons as a volunteer assistant.
https://twitter.com/wrestlingbucks/status/1390387776823115777
These former Scarlet and Gray teammates put together stellar careers in Buckeye singlets.
Stieber was one of four wrestlers ever to win four national titles in the history of NCAA Wrestling. He concluded his Buckeye career with an overall record of 119-3, recording the highest winning percentage (.975) in school history.
Jordan was a four-time All-American who collected 89 career victories and was the 2017 Big Ten Champion at 174 pounds. He also was an NCAA finalist in 2017. Off the mat, Jordan was just as honored. He was a three-time member of the NWCA All-Academic Team and was a five-time OSU Scholar-Athlete.
It's amazing to see that this quartet of elite former NCAA grapplers are staying involved in the sport, helping to train, develop, and mentor the next generation. Congratulations to them all on their next roles within the sport on the other side of the whistle.
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