Kokesh Added to Nebraska Staff as Green Steps Away

Wednesday brought us two bits of news regarding coaching at Nebraska. The first item was that James Green confirmed what had been rumored for a few weeks now - that he’s stepping down from his position with the Cornhusker wrestling staff.

Over the weekend, Green won the 74 kg title at the US Open and therefore has clinched a spot in Final X. It will mark the third time that Green has appeared in Final X and he’s seeking to make his eighth world team appearance. Green stated that he will continue training at Nebraska over the summer until his next move is official.

Replacing Green on the Nebraska staff is a familiar face in three-time All-American Robert Kokesh. Kokesh starred for the Cornhuskers from 2012-15 and finished third at the NCAA Championships on two occasions and fourth one time. He also won a pair of Big Ten championships and was the #1 seed at the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

This will be Kokesh’s second stint on the coaching staff at his alma mater. He was previously an assistant from 2019-23. After his graduation, Kokesh also served as a volunteer administrative assistant for a year with Nebraska.

Nebraska is coming off back-to-back seasons that ended with an NCAA team trophy. They were national runner’s-up in 2025 and third in Cleveland. They’ve had at least seven All-Americans in those two tournaments. The Huskers could field a lineup that featured five returning AA’s in 2026-27.