Dana VoteDana Vote, head wrestling coach at Concordia University of Nebraska, has been named Director of Wrestling Operations at Iowa State, the Lincoln (Neb.) Journal-Star reported Monday.
In four seasons heading up the wrestling program at Concordia - a four-year private school located in Seward, Nebraska -- Vote had coached eight All-Americans and the Bulldogs' first-ever individual NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) national champion, Andrew Schulte, this past March. The Gillmore City, Iowa native helped guide the Bulldogs to Great Plains Athletic Conference dual and tournament titles in each of the past two seasons. Vote was twice named GPAC Coach of the Year.
"It was one of the toughest decisions I've made in my life," Vote said of leaving Concordia for the new position at Iowa State. "It's a good group of kids here. The commitment they've shown is what made it so hard to leave. It's also what's helped me feel better about the decision because I know that they're going to succeed in whatever they do. They've all shown tremendous growth.
"My time here is time I'll never forget. I went through basically every emotion you can go through as a coach. We went from being one of the least competitive programs in the country to being nationally relevant and having a national champion and GPAC team championships. It was an awesome opportunity. I enjoyed every bit of it."
Director of Athletics Devin Smith complimented Vote on turning around what he described as "a program that had fallen on hard times" into a "national contender."
Meanwhile, Vote starts his new job at Iowa State this week.
"Dana is a piece of the puzzle that our program needs," said Cyclones head coach Kevin Jackson. "He brings a multitude of experience being a head coach. We're also excited about his experience as a full-time administrator."
Prior to heading to Nebraska to take the helm at Concordia in 2012, Vote was very much a fixture in wrestling within the state of Iowa. He had spent the previous five seasons as an assistant coach at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa. Vote had started his collegiate mat career at Iowa Central Community College, where he was a national qualifier during his two seasons at the Fort Dodge school. He completed his wrestling and academic career with the BVU Beavers, wrestling for two seasons at 149 and 157 pounds, before graduating in 2008.
Concordia has already begun a nationwide search for Vote's replacement.
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