Santoro Steps Down at Lehigh; Dillon Elevated to Head Coach

While a large chunk of wrestling fans are trying to dissect the NCAA’s new five-for-five eligibility ruling, some huge college coaching news emerged from the EIWA. After spending the last 18 years as Lehigh’s head coach, Pat Santoro, has chosen to step down from his position. Santoro’s longtime assistant, Brad Dillon, will take over and become only the ninth head coach in Lehigh’s storied history.

Santoro leaves Bethlehem after amassing a 202-93-1 dual record and guiding a pair of wrestlers to NCAA titles - Zach Rey (2011) and Darian Cruz (2017). 22 different wrestlers combined to earn All-American honors on 39 occasions under Santoro. As a team, Lehigh claimed six EIWA titles and his wrestlers picked up 47 individual EIWA crowns.

During his tenure at Lehigh, the Mountain Hawks finished in the top 20 at the NCAA Championships on 13 occasions. Twice, they finished in eighth place. In each of his final three seasons, Lehigh finished in the top 15 nationally.

In Santoro’s final season, Lehigh went 11-7 in dual competition and won an EIWA team title, outpacing second-place Navy by 28 points. Six Lehigh wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Championships, with Luke Stanich finishing third at the 141 lb weight class.

Dillon has coached alongside Santoro for the last 18 years at Lehigh. He also spent four years on Santoro’s staff at the University of Maryland. Dillon is a Lehigh grad and earned All-American honors in each of his final two years of eligibility, taking fifth as a junior and fourth as a senior. He was an EIWA champion in both of those seasons and seeded in the top seven twice at nationals.

As an assistant, Dillon was an integral part of the recruiting process for Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks were noted as honorable mentions with their 2024 and 2025 recruiting classes. Their 2023 class was ranked #21 in the nation by InterMat and their 2022 class was #17.

Lehigh is expected to be a favorite in the EIWA again in 2026-27. Dillon’s first team could feature a starting lineup that includes six wrestlers with NCAA experience.