Kolat, a native of Rices Landing, Pa., will also train for the upcoming Olympic Games while coaching. He was most recently named to the United States World Cup wrestling team and is the 1998 world bronze medalist and 1997 world silver medalist at 138-lbs.
He was the 1999 Pan American Games and 1998 Goodwill Games champion. He also is a two-time NCAA champion at Lock Haven.
"It's a great position for me and great place for me to train," Kolat said. "The guys are real friendly. I trained here a little in the summer, so I got to know a few of them. It's worked out well."
"We feel very fortunate to have someone of Cary's caliber and expertise be associated with our program," said coach Craig Turnbull. "He brings a lot in many ways -- his training, his goals and what he has accomplished. Our wrestlers get to watch his intensity and seriousness and he's incorporating them into his training. It's valuable to our program in that Cary finds a training environment suitable to him to achieve goals of being an Olympic and world champion. We are very pleased."
"It's been a real comfortable transition," Kolat says. "I've known Coach Turnbull since I was eight. I didn't go to West Virginia but it feels like my home."