West Liberty Hires National Coach of the Year
04/08/2019
WHEELING, W.Va. – West Liberty University announced Monday that NCAA
Division II Coach of the Year Danny Irwin has been hired as the Hilltoppers'
new head wrestling coach. The announcement came during a morning press
conference at the university's downtown center.
"We are tremendously excited to bring in such an impressive young man
who has demonstrated success at the highest levels athletically and
academically," WLU President Dr. Stephen Greiner said. "Coach Irwin's
incredible work ethic combined with his proven ability to recruit and
develop high-achieving student-athletes on and off the mat make him a
perfect ambassador for his sport and a great fit for our university."
Irwin replaces former head coach Mitch Smith, who recently stepped down
to accept a position in the private sector that would permit him to spend
more time with his growing family.
"I want to thank Coach Smith for his hard work and dedication over the
past four years," athletic director Lynn Ullom said. "Mitch played an
integral role as we upgraded our facilities to the point where we now
have some of the best in the region, putting us in position to take the
next step.
"I'm always looking for the best possible candidate but being able to
hand the reins of our storied wrestling program over to the reigning
National Coach of the Year is the definition of a home run hire. Coach
Irwin's accomplishments speak for themselves, but I was even more impressed
by the obvious passion he has for the sport and his student-athletes along
with the vision he has for the program. We are thrilled to welcome him to
the West Liberty family."
Irwin comes to WLU a few weeks after leading Wheeling Jesuit University to
a runner-up finish at the 2018-19 NCAA Division II Nationals in Cleveland.
All six of Irwin's national qualifiers earned NCAA Division II All-America
status with two of them winning national championships. Irwin was honored
as the 2018-19 NCAA Division II Coach of the Year in just his second season
as a collegiate head man.
Just as impressively, a program-record seven members of Irwin's national
runner-up squad at WJU were named to the 2018-19 National Wrestling Coaches
Association's All-Academic Team.
"I'm deeply honored to take over a program with the rich tradition of West
Liberty wrestling," Irwin said. "This was an awesome opportunity for me
to work with a group of people who are committed to success in every phase
of the student-athlete experience. The support this program receives from
the alumni, administration and the Ohio Valley wrestling community is
overwhelming."
The Hilltoppers' new head man began his coaching career with a 2-year
stint at Bluffton (Ind.) High School. He led the Tigers to a conference
championship before moving into the college ranks as an assistant coach
at NCAA Division III Wabash College in Crawfordsville, Ind.
The Little Giants posted four NCAA Division III Top 10 finishes during
Irwin's nine years on the staff. He won three Regional Assistant Coach
of the Year Awards and was a national finalist for the Best of Brands
Social Media Award across all NCAA divisions before heading off to
Wheeling Jesuit.
"My immediate goal at WLU is to get to know the team and the families
that support them," Irwin said. "I also want to hear from the alumni base.
Each one has a different story but it's the combination of those stories
that make West Liberty one of the nation's most tradition-rich wrestling
programs.
"Winning the Coach of the Year award last month was neat, but it merely
reflected the commitment from our coaching staff, support staff, wrestlers
and their families throughout the year. The honor just gave me that much
more motivation to give my family, my student-athletes and West Liberty
University my best every day. I can't wait to get started."
An Indiana native, Irwin was a regional champion and 2-time NCAA Division
III national qualifier during his collegiate career at Manchester
University in North Manchester, Ind. He graduated from Manchester
with a bachelor's degree in History.
Irwin and his wife, Andrea, live in St. Clairsville, Ohio with their
daughter, Addison and son, J.P.
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