Columbus, Ohio
Ohio State wrestling head coach Tom Ryan announced Wednesday the selection of three assistant coaches to join the OSU staff. Lou Rosselli, who spent 14 seasons at Edinboro, and former Buckeye Tommy Rowlands were named to the staff. Joe Heskett, who competed at Iowa State, will be the Buckeyes’ volunteer assistant coach.
“Lou Rosselli has incredible international experience,” Ryan said. “He also has a proven track record of producing champions. Tommy Rowlands and Joe Heskett are the epitomes of great student-athletes coming from the state of Ohio. They will help us reach our goals at Ohio State.”
Jim Humphrey and Ross Thatcher also will remain on the Ohio State staff. Humphrey will continue to coach the Ohio Wrestling Club. Thatcher, who served as the program director of recruiting and conditioning in his first season with the Buckeyes in 2005-06, will become the director of operations this upcoming year.
As the assistant head coach at Edinboro, Rosselli’s duties included aiding in the coordination of practices and developing training schedules. Rosselli also worked extensively with recruiting. During his tenure, Rosselli helped coach the Fighting Scots to eight Eastern Wrestling League tournament championships, which included four consecutive crowns in two different spans (1998-01 and 2003-2006). The Fighting Scots won their seventh Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference title in 2006 after securing the championship from 1998-2000 and 2002-2004. Individually, Rosselli coached 33 PSAC champions and 22 EWL champions.
On the national level, Edinboro had 70 NCAA Division I tournament qualifiers and 17 went on to become All-Americans between 1997 and 2006. During that span, The Fighting Scots were credited with one national champion and four runner-ups.
As a competitor, Rosselli was a member of the U.S. Olympic Team in 1996 and a three-time national champion (1995, 96 and 99). At Edinboro, Rosselli was a two-time All-American in 1991 and 1993 at 118 pounds. In 1989, Rosselli was named EWL Freshman of the Year and became the first Edinboro freshman to earn a trip to nationals. A three-time PSAC champion, Rosselli earned EWL and PSAC Wrestler of the Year honors in 1993 after winning titles in both conferences.
Rosselli graduated from Edinboro with a degree in health and physical education.
Rowlands will begin his first season as a full-time assistant coach for Ohio State after one season as the Director of Program Operations and one as the volunteer assistant coach. The 2002 and 2004 NCAA heavyweight champion, Rowlands offers expertise that allowed him to conclude his career as the most decorated wrestler in Ohio State history. He is just the second Buckeye to win two national titles and the first to earn All-America honors four times.
Rowlands narrowly missed a spot on the U.S. Olympic team at 211 pounds in May of 2005, but regrouped at the World University Games in Izmir, Turkey, in August with a gold-medal performance. Rowlands claimed his fourth medal, including his first gold for Team USA in four competitions since completing his OSU career in 2004. The Hilliard, Ohio, native is the all-time leader at Ohio State in career wins (164), career team points (702.0) and career takedowns (705). His career record of 164-14 (.921) ranks fourth all-time in winning percentage at OSU, while his 44 wins in 2004 and 43 triumphs in 2001 rank fourth and fifth all-time in a single season.
Rowlands, who has volunteered as an instructor at offseason wrestling camps his entire college career, is thrilled to have the opportunity to stay involved with the program he helped carry to national prominence.
Rowlands graduated from OSU with a degree in business.
Heskett joins the wrestling staff after spending two seasons as the volunteer assistant coach at Cal Poly University San Luis Obispo.
A native of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, Heskett attended Walsh Jesuit High School where he was a three-time Ohio state champion from 1995-97 at 158 pounds and earned Outstanding Wrestler honors his junior and senior years. During his junior season, Heskett pinned every opponent throughout the sectional, district and state tournaments.
Heskett went on to wrestle at Iowa State, becoming the Cyclones’ eighth four-time All-American (1999-2002) with an overall record of 143-9. Third on ISU’s all-time wins list, Heskett finished third in 1999 at the NCAA tournament and second in 2000 and 2001, before claiming the 165-pound title in 2002. Heskett was a three-time Big 12 champion and three-time Midlands champion between the 1998-99 and 2001-02 seasons.
On the international circuit, Heskett was a 2004 Olympic alternate and a three-time U.S. National Team member. In 2004, Heskett was the Dave Schultz International champion, earning Outstanding Wrestler laurels. Heskett also became the 2002 New York Athletic Club Champion and earned a silver medal at the 2001 Pan American Games.
Heskett graduated from Iowa State with a degree in speech communications.
Humphrey is a former Buckeye and a 1972 graduate of Ohio State. He owns an extensive wrestling and coaching background that includes All-America honors and a 1972 Big Ten Individual Championship. A member of the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame, Humphrey is a five-time freestyle national champion, as well as the 1977 World Games silver medalist. Humphrey’s impressive head coaching resume consists of leading the 1984 Canadian Olympic Team and the 1988 U.S. Olympic squad. In the collegiate ranks, Humphrey was the head coach at Indiana from 1984-1989. Both of Humphrey’s sons, Jordin and Reece, are members of the 2005-06 Buckeye squad.
Thatcher will enter his second year on the OSU staff and first as the director of operations. Thatcher was a Penn State letterwinner from 1997-2000 and served as an assistant coach at PSU from 2000-2003. While with the Nittany Lions, Thatcher was named captain and garnered All-America honors. Following his time at Penn State, Thatcher wrestled for the New York Athletic Club, where he was a two-time Sunkist International Open Champion, New York Athletic International Open Champion, Dave Schultz International Open Champion and North East Regional Outstanding Wrestler and Champion. A two-time Ohio state champion and a three-time Ohio state finalist at Bishop Ready High School in Columbus, Thatcher won bronze as a member of the 2001 U.S. Pan American team and was a member of the U.S. University World squad.
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