Calhoun joins the Muskies coaching staff after spending the last four years as an assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He comes to Lakeland with 11 years of NCAA Division III coaching experience, as well as experience competing at the collegiate and national levels.
"It's an incredible honor to be named Lakeland's Head Men's and Women's Wrestling Coach and I am thrilled to join the tight-knit community at Lakeland," said Calhoun. "It's extremely exciting being given the opportunity to take this wrestling program to the next level and develop a new Lakeland wrestling dynasty. I am fortunate to continue my passion for coaching this great sport and build a legacy of national collegiate wrestling success as I lead the Muskie wrestling program into the future. It's a dream for me to continue my journey teaching the life-skills I've learned through wrestling to the student-athletes of an institution with such respect and integrity as Lakeland."
Calhoun has coached at five different Division III schools in all, including with the Pointers the last four years, where he coached six All-Americans in his tenure at his alma mater. He also coached at Messiah (Pa.) College, Muhlenberg (Pa.) College, State University of New York-Cortland and Gettysburg (Pa.) College, including one year as head coach at Muhlenberg, where he took over a team with just four wrestlers and built up the team's roster numbers quickly and also served as strength & conditioning coach.
Calhoun also was a graduate assistant at Cortland State from 2011-13, and before that was an assistant at Gettysburg for one year. He also was a volunteer assistant at UW-Stevens Point for two years after completing his collegiate eligibility, where he competed for the Pointers, qualifying for the Division III national championships in 2007 and 2008.
Calhoun was a three-time all-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honoree and conference champion at 125 lbs. in 2007, and after competing in college he also continued his career. He reached University Level All-American status in Greco-Roman wrestling and wrestled in the World Team Trials in June 2013 for a spot on the World Team. He also qualified to compete in the 2014 World Team Trials.
Calhoun received his degree from UWSP in physical education with a health education minor and an emphasis in adventure and outdoor education. He also received his master's in recreational education from Cortland State. He is a native of Stevens Point and a graduate of Stevens Point Area Senior High School, where he was a WIAA state qualifier and finished with school records in wins and pins.
"I'd like to thank my family and friends as they've supported me over the years throughout my wrestling and coaching careers," said Calhoun. "I'm where I am today because of the ones I love and hold dear. A special thank you to all those I've coached with and coached under in the past. You've taught me so much and I will be forever grateful. I'd also like to thank my new Athletic Director April Arvan, and Coordinator of External Wrestling Operations Ben Chapman, as well as the rest of the hiring committee. They've brought me on staff, not only to build champions on the wrestling mat, but also to build champions in life, and that's exactly what I'm going to do."
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