"I'm really excited to have Brad join our coaching staff," said Santoro. "He came to Maryland four years ago and was a big part of our turnaround down there. He knows the sport and cares about the student-athletes. I have complete trust in his abilities as a coach."
Dillon amassed a record of 101-26 at Lehigh and ranks in the top ten in school history for career victories. As a senior in 2004, Dillon set a school single-season record with 24 dual meet victories, and also had a record-string of 39 straight dual meet wins from 2002-2004. Dillon captured EIWA Championships at 174 in both his junior and senior seasons, and went on to earn All-American honors in each of his final two years, placing fifth in 2003 and fourth in 2004.
Off the mat, Dillon was an NWCA Academic All-American as a senior and was an Academic All-District At-Large selection by CoSIDA. Before graduating with a degree in Biology, Dillon earned the Athletics Department's highest honor when he was named Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2004.
Like Santoro, Dillon will be returning to his native Lehigh Valley. Dillon was raised in Allentown, and graduated from nearby Parkland High School.
"It's good to be home," said Dillon. "The Lehigh Valley has been home for as long as I can remember, and being able to return to my alma mater is a pretty neat experience. I'm excited to start working the guys on the team and I'm looking forward to new challenges that lie ahead here at Lehigh."
During his tenure at Maryland, Dillon proved to be one of the most versatile coaches on Santoro's staff. Dillon worked in the practice room with wrestlers from nearly every weight class, and also assisted in the recruiting efforts that helped the Terrapins land several nationally ranked recruiting classes.
Last season, Dillon helped guide the Terrapins to their first ACC Championship in 35 years and Maryland went on to crown its first All-American since 1997 en route to a top-25 team finish at the NCAA Championships.
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