Former Michigan State All-American Has Been Bloomsburg’s Head Coach Since 2002
LEWISBURG, Pa. “Completing a major step in the reestablishment of the varsity wrestling program at Bucknell, director of athletics and recreation John Hardt today announced that after an extensive national search, Dan Wirnsberger has been named head coach. A three-time wrestling All-American at Michigan State and the head coach at Bloomsburg University since 2002, Wirnsberger will take over the reins of a year-long transition process that will culminate with the Bucknell wrestling program’s official return to varsity status when classes begin on Aug. 24, 2005.
“Dan Wirnsberger brings a tremendous wrestling background and great enthusiasm to Bucknell, and I am particularly excited that he has taken on the challenge of reconstructing our varsity wrestling program,” said Hardt. “The candidate pool was especially competitive, featuring a national collection of applicants with very impressive credentials. In the end, Dan’s commitment to the scholar-athlete and success in the development of competitive programs stood out significantly. As a former Big Ten champion and NCAA finalist, he knows first-hand what it takes to succeed at the national level.”
Founded in 1947, the Bucknell wrestling program was designated for club-varsity status following the 2001-02 season, but largely through a generous $5.6 million donation by former Bison wrestler Bill Graham ’62 that also helped fund Bison women’s athletics programs, it was announced in May 2004 that wrestling would return as Bucknell’s 27th varsity sport in 2005-06.
Wirnsberger will be formally introduced at a gathering of Bucknell alumni and other wrestling notables at The Graham Company headquarters in Philadelphia this Thursday evening.
“I am very excited to take over the wrestling program at such a prestigious institution as Bucknell University,” said Wirnsberger. “Through the wonderful generosity of Bill Graham and the support of the University’s leadership, there is tremendous potential in this program. This is a great opportunity for me and my family and I look forward to the challenge of leading Bucknell wrestling back to national prominence. I have the background and passion to make this a successful experience for the student-athletes. I am proud to be affiliated with an institution that places such a positive emphasis on the scholar-athlete model. I know what it takes to succeed at the highest level of Division I wrestling and look forward to instilling that same attitude into future Bison student-athletes.”
As head coach of Bloomsburg’s Division I wrestling program for the last three seasons, Wirnsberger qualified 10 student-athletes for the NCAA Tournament, including six in 2005, and he coached the program’s first-ever Olympic Trials qualifier. He helped four Huskies win Eastern Wrestling League titles and six win PSAC crowns. Named the 2005 PSAC Coach of the Year after leading Bloomsburg to the team title for the first time in 10 years, Wirnsberger’s recruiting classes were ranked 14th and 19th, respectively, in 2003 and 2004. In 2004-05, the Huskies posted a 10-6 dual-meet record (4-2 EWL) and crowned three EWL champions while finishing fifth at the league tournament.
Prior to becoming head coach at Bloomsburg, Wirnsberger spent six years as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech, where he helped coach a team that featured three All-Americans and finished in the top-25 at the NCAA Tournament in 2000 (19th) and 2001 (23rd). The Hokies qualified a school-record five wrestlers for NCAA’s in 2000, and the following year the program was invited to compete at the National Team Duals at Penn State.
At both Bloomsburg and Virginia Tech, Wirnsberger gained extensive experience in the areas of national recruiting, fundraising and summer camp administration.
A 1995 graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in criminal justice, Wirnsberger posted a 35-8 record and was the Big Ten Champion and NCAA runner-up at 158 pounds in 1995. That was his third of three straight All-America plaques, and he earned team Most Valuable Wrestler honors. Overall in his career, Wirnsberger compiled a record of 120-44, third most wins in school history. In NCAA competition, he logged 11 wins for the Spartans in three trips to nationals. During his career at Michigan State, the team went from a struggling program to a 12th-place national ranking his sophomore year, 25th his junior year and third in the nation his senior season.
A three-year captain of the Spartans, Wirnsberger continued his wrestling career at the Dave Schultz Wrestling Club while training for the 1997 World Team Trials. He qualified for the trials after placing sixth at the USA Senior Freestyle Tournament, his first senior competition. Participating at a higher weight class of 167 pounds, Wirnsberger defeated such renowned opponents as two-time NCAA champion Marcus Mollica of Arizona State and Iowa’s NCAA champion Darryl Weber.
Wirnsberger began his coaching career with the Mason (Mich.) Youth Wrestling Program. He later moved back to his native South Carolina, where he served as head wrestling coach at Greer High School. In addition to his head coaching duties, Wirnsberger was the junior varsity football coach and taught classes for autistic students at Greer Middle School.
Still to be announced as part of the Bison wrestling program’s transitional process is a future conference affiliation and competition schedule for next season.
Bucknell is a highly-selective, privately endowed liberal arts institution with an enrollment of approximately 3,550 undergraduate students. Bucknell competes in NCAA Division I and competes in 23 sports as a member of the Patriot League with full membership along with American, Army, Colgate, Holy Cross, Lafayette, Lehigh and Navy. Bucknell has won the Presidents’ Cup, signifying the Patriot League’s all-sports champion, in 11 of 14 years, including the last seven in a row.
Bucknell has finished in the top 10 nationally in the graduation rates of its student athletes in each year the NCAA has conducted such a survey. Three times in that span Bucknell ranked FIRST in the nation in graduation rates, including 2004. In addition, Bucknell ranks third in Division I in the total number of ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America selections, with 109 national honorees since 1970.
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