Manheim, Pa. “The National Wrestling Coaches Association announced that Russ Cozart, Terry Brands and Greg Jones will be the featured clinicians at the annual NWCA Coaches Clinic at the 2006 NCAA Division I Championships in Oklahoma City March 16-18, 2006.
“We’re excited to have such a cross-section of talent represented at this year’s clinic,” said NWCA Executive Director Mike Moyer. “The level of knowledge these three men possess from the high school to collegiate to Olympic levels is phenomenal.”
Terry Brands, the current freestyle resident coach for the U.S. Olympic Training Center, was a 2000 Olympic bronze medalist and collegiately, is a two-time NCAA champion while wrestling under Dan Gable at Iowa.
Brands’ coaching career started at his alma mater before moving on to Nebraska for two seasons and then Montana State-Northern for a season. Brands most recently coached at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for three seasons, grooming the Mocs into one of the premier programs in the Southeast and setting the table for the program to move forward.
A three-time NCAA finalist, Brands is revered as one of the sport’s most intense competitors and coaches.
“The name Brands is synonymous with success,” Moyer said. “Having Terry as a part of our coaches clinic really gets us excited about this year.”
Russ Cozart has led Brandon High School in Brandon, Fla., to 422 consecutive dual meet victories in what’s simply referred to as “The Streak.” Brandon’s won 16 Florida state championships and 15 of them under Cozart. He’s coached 56 wrestlers to state championships and produced 135 state placewinners.
In 2005, Brandon High School wrestlers and graduates earned nine medals including five champions at the USA Wrestling Cadet & Junior Nationals in Fargo, N.D. Current high school senior David Craig won both freestyle and Greco titles, while Eric Grajales won a cadet freestyle championship, Marco Toledo won a junior Greco title and Franklin Gomez won a junior freestyle championship. Cozart’s son Rocky won a junior Greco title and current Penn freshman Cesar Grajales doubled up with medals, finishing second in Greco and third in freestyle.
Collegiately, he’s coached Division I All-Americans Josh Lambrecht (Okalahoma) and Bret Gustafson (UT Chattanooga) along with NAIA All-American Matt Juncal (Cumberland College).
Cozart wrestled at Alabama and is an eight-time Veterans National Freestyle Champion, winning them between 1997-2004 and a seven-time Veterans World Champion. He was an Olympic Trials qualifier in 1980.
Greg Jones was one of the most dominant wrestlers in NCAA Division I history, winning three championships and being named the 2005 Outstanding Wrestler after he won his third national championship.
Currently an assistant coach at his alma mater of West Virginia, Jones is dynamic and a solid technician.
“Very few wrestlers have had the chance to do what Greg Jones did as a competitor on the collegiate level,” Moyer said. “Now we have the chance to welcome Greg into the coaching fraternity and there’s no doubt he will be as successful on the bench as he was on the mat.”
Jones is the only Mountaineer to ever go unbeaten during a season, doing it twice, and the only Mountaineer to win an NCAA championship. He amassed a career record of 126-4.
Jones is no stranger to NWCA events, winning all three matches in his career at the NWCA All-Star Classic.
“We’re excited to have such a great staff at this year’s event,” Moyer said. “It will be one of the best clinics we’ve ever had.”
The National Wrestling Coaches Association, established in 1928, is a professional organization dedicated to serve and provide leadership for the advancement of all levels of the sport of wrestling with primary emphasis on scholastic and collegiate programs. The membership embraces all people interested in amateur wrestling.
The NWCA, through its organizational structure, promotes communication, recognizes achievement, recommends rules and regulations, sponsors events, and serves as an educational and informational source. Additionally, the NWCA strives to foster the sportsmanship and integrity that are the cornerstones of athletic competition.
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