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Phone: 570-577-1035
Dan Wirnsberger, who officially became the 15th coach of the Bucknell wrestling program on May 10, 2005, enters his fourth season at the helm for the Orange and Blue in 2008-09. In 2006-07, under Wirnsberger's direction, the Bison returned to the mat in grand fashion, setting a school record for dual-meet victories in a season by compiling a record of 12-9-1, 3-3-1 in the EIWA, including a 17-16 win over nationally ranked Columbia. At the EIWA tournament, he led the Orange and Blue to a ninth-place finish out of 14 schools and saw three Bucknell grapplers earn bids to the NCAA Championships. A three-time wrestling All-American at Michigan State University, Wirnsberger previously served as the head coach of Bloomsburg University's Division I program from 2002 to 2005. As head coach of the Huskies, Wirnsberger qualified 10 student-athletes for the NCAA Tournament, including six in 2005, and he coached the program's first-ever Olympic Trials qualifier. He helped four Bloomsburg wrestlers capture Eastern Wrestling League titles and six win PSAC crowns. Named the 2005 PSAC Coach of the Year after leading the Huskies to the team title for the first time since 1990, Wirnsberger's recruiting classes were ranked 14th and 19th, respectively, in 2003 and 2004, while his first two recruiting classes at Bucknell have been ranked 14th and 25th by Wrestling International Newsmagazine (W.I.N.). In 2004-05, Bloomsburg posted a 10-6 dual-meet record (4-2 EWL) and crowned three EWL champions while finishing fifth at the league tournament. Prior to becoming head coach of the Huskies, Wirnsberger spent six years as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech, where he helped coach a team that featured three All-Americans and finished in the top-25 at the NCAA Tournament in 2000 (19th) and 2001 (23rd). The Hokies qualified a school-record five wrestlers for NCAA's in 2000, and the following year the program was invited to compete at the National Team Duals at Penn State. At both Bloomsburg and Virginia Tech, Wirnsberger gained extensive experience in the areas of national recruiting, fundraising and summer camp administration. A 1995 graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in criminal justice, Wirnsberger posted a 35-8 record and was the Big Ten Champion and NCAA runner-up at 158 pounds in 1995. That was his third of three straight All-America plaques, and he earned team Most Valuable Wrestler honors. Overall in his career, Wirnsberger compiled a record of 120-44, third most wins in school history. In NCAA competition, he logged 11 wins for the Spartans in three trips to nationals. During his career at Michigan State, the team went from a struggling program to a 12th-place national ranking his sophomore year, 25th his junior year and third in the nation his senior season. A three-year captain of the Spartans, Wirnsberger continued his wrestling career at the Dave Schultz Wrestling Club while training for the 1997 World Team Trials. He qualified for the trials after placing sixth at the USA Senior Freestyle Tournament, his first senior competition. Participating at a higher weight class of 167 pounds, Wirnsberger defeated such renowned opponents as twotime NCAA champion Marcus Mollica of Arizona State and Iowa's NCAA champion Darryl Weber. Wirnsberger began his coaching career with the Mason (Mich.) Youth Wrestling Program. He later moved back to his native South Carolina, where he served as head wrestling coach at Greer High School. In addition to his head coaching duties, Wirnsberger was the junior varsity football coach and taught classes for autistic students at Greer Middle School. Wirnsberger resides in Lewisburg, Pa., with his wife Dana and their sons, Cade (3) and newborn Max. |
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