Campbellsville women's coach Lee Miracle celebrates. (Photo courtesy of Campbellsville Athletics)

Life women's coach Ashley Flavin instructs a wrestler. (Photo courtesy of Andy Hamilton/FloWrestling)

By Gary Abbott
USA Wrestling
Opportunities are exploding for girls and women in the sport of wrestling at all levels. With more and more programs being created for female wrestlers, there is also another big opportunity available in our sport, for motivated and qualified coaches to lead these programs.

If you have ever thought about coaching at the college level, or never considered it but believe that you would do a great job, now is the time to throw your hat in the ring.

Colleges at the NCAA, NAIA and junior college levels are looking for the right candidate to lead their women’s wrestling programs. The good news is that many are looking for coaching candidates RIGHT NOW.

A number of these opportunities are for brand new college programs, where a coach will be asked to put together a team from scratch. Some of the current openings are at colleges which have already started a program but are seeking a new leader to move the team forward.

The right coach could come from a number of different backgrounds:

• It could be somebody who has already coached at a college level.
• It could be a successful high school coach.
• It could be a coach who has led a respected club wrestling program.
• It could be a talented person who has competed in wrestling at a high level, such as college or the international scene, and is looking to enter the coaching profession.
• It could be somebody who has coached women before, or have coached men, or have coached both.
• It could be someone in the business world, who has the ability and time flexibility to coach a program.

Qualified women and men who are wrestling coaches should apply for these openings.

The style in college for women is freestyle, so coaches with a background in this international style have an opportunity to put this knowledge to work. Those without a deep background in freestyle, but with the right coaching and organizational skills, could also be very successful in these positions.

If this might fit your life, please apply. Wrestling has many resources available (coaching classes via NWCA, on-line modules and one to one mentoring) to support first year college coaches, so do not hesitate if you are coming from another level. If you are not interested but know somebody who would be perfect in this role, please let them know about these openings.

The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) provides transformational coaching development, including the Coaching Resource Manual and the Practice Planner. All coaches are encouraged to attend one of the NWCA CEO Leadership Academies, one-day programs designed to broaden a coach's perspective to become a more effective coach and administrator within the educational space. The NWCA works to partner new coaches with seasoned and experienced coaches to provide one-on-one consultation and mentorship.

The NWCA regularly posts job openings and on its Twitter account (@nwcawrestling) and on its website (nwcaonline.com). The NWCA website has a career center, where both coaches and employers can make connections.

The NWCA has shared this list of women’s college openings to consider

Current Head Women’s Wrestling Coach Openings
Alvernia University, PA, Division III Women
Bluefield State College, WV, Division II Women
Cedar Crest College, PA, Division III Women
Concordia College, WI, Division III Women
Cornell College, IA, Division III Women
Doane University, NE, NAIA Women
Elmira College, NY, Division III Women
Ferrum College, VA, Division III Women
Fontbonne University, MO, Division III Women
Grand Valley State University, MI, Division II Women
Hiram College, OH, Division III Women
Jarvis Christian, TX, NAIA Women
Lourdes University, OH, NAIA Women
Marymount University, VA, Division III Women
New England College, NH, Division III Women
Ursinus College, PA, Division III Women
Wartburg College, IA, Division III Women
Wayland Baptist, TX, NAIA Women
Western New England College, MA, Division III Women

Colleges are seeking a qualified assistant coach, to eventually become head coach
Huntingdon College, AL, Division III Women
York College of Pennsylvania, PA, Division III Women

With growth comes opportunity. Now is the time to think outside the box. How about it?