Graphic and official release courtesy of Army – West Point Athletics.
WEST POINT, N.Y. – In preparation for his eighth season at the helm of the Army wrestling team, head coach Kevin Ward announced that Jesse Dellavecchia will join his staff for the 2021-22 slate on Wednesday afternoon. Dellavecchia, a 2021 NCAA All-American at Rider University, will serve as a volunteer assistant coach.
"Adding Jesse to our staff is a huge boost to our program and fits into our vision of the type of people we want helping guide our athletes towards their goals," Ward said. "As an athlete, Jesse showed incredible self-belief and determination in becoming a two-time all American and NCAA finalist during his competitive career. He is one of the most promising young coaches in the country, and his experiences overcoming the odds in competing at the highest levels of NCAA wrestling will be a huge benefit to our program."
The first-ever national finalist in Rider Wrestling history, Dellavecchia had an extremely decorated career during his tenure with the Broncs. A two-time Mid-American Conference Champion at 157 pounds, he was named the 2021 MAC Wrestler of the Year after a historic campaign that saw him finish second in the National Championship Bout.
During his dominant run in 2021, Dellavecchia racked up an 11-1 record and pinned top-seeded Ryan Deakin of Northwestern, who entered the bout undefeated, in the National Championship Semifinal. The 18th All-American in the program's history finished his career as a Bronc 66-10 overall.
In addition to being celebrated for his prowess on the mat, Dellavecchia is a well-known advocate for mental health within the wrestling realm. After competing at Binghamton as a freshman in 2015-16, he stepped away from the sport to focus on his battle with anxiety and depression, as well as his academics. With his passion renewed, he later rejoined the competition field at Rider and was ranked as high as No. 13 in the nation in his first season with the Broncs. Dellavecchia has been quite open about his struggles with mental health and has been profiled by numerous wrestling news outlets, including InterMat.
"Coaching at an NCAA Division I level has always been a dream of mine and I am so grateful for the opportunity to work at such a prestigious Academy with an incredible coaching staff already in place," Dellavecchia said. "I can't wait to help continue to build the program into a national powerhouse, share my knowledge with the wrestlers and positively impact the team."
A Great River, N.Y. native, Dellavecchia enjoys MMA and podcasts.
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