"We are proud to continue the expansion of our department," said Marian Athletic Director Steve Downing. "We have added women's soccer (1998), women's golf (2004), men's football (2007), men's and women's bowling (2010) and women's lacrosse (2015) in the past two decades and the addition of men's wrestling just makes sense. It's an emerging sport across the nation and we are looking to bring in the top quality student-athletes who will not only compete for championships, but also be strong students in the classroom."
Steven A. Bradley brings wrestling and coaching experience from Midwestern schools to his new position as the inaugural head wrestling coach of Marian. As a wrestler, Bradley was a three-time Indiana state champion in the late 1990s for Beech Grove High School in suburban Indianapolis. He was a 2000 Junior College National runner-up at Lincoln College; he then completed his wrestling career at the University of Indianapolis. Bradley launched his coaching career at University of Indianapolis, serving as assistant coach for four seasons (2005-2008) before returning to Lincoln College where he was assistant coach for three seasons (2009-2011), then promoted to head coach. In his three years at the helm at the two-year school located in Lincoln, Ill., Bradley mentored 12 All-Americans, 26 national qualifiers, two national champions, and posted a dual meet record of 21 wins and 9 losses. In 2013, Coach Bradley's team placed third in the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) Wrestling Championships. Bradley, who holds a Master of Coaching Education from Ohio University in Athens, and a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science from the University of Indianapolis, was inducted into the Indiana Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2008.
As a wrestler and coach, Arthur ("Art") Canales has been involved in the sport on and off for nearly forty years. Canales wrestled in high school for Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Ga., then at Ohio University. He then started coaching in high schools in Miami, Fla. and in Indianapolis, and is currently one of the coaches for Brownsburg Wrestling Club in Brownsburg, Ind. just outside Indianapolis. Canales earned a baccalaureate degree from Florida International University, Master of Arts degrees from University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla., Master of Divinity degree from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C, Master of Liturgical Studies degree from the University of Notre Dame, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Catholic University. Canales is a member of USA Wrestling Association and a member of the National Wrestling Coaches Association.
The news of the new wrestling program at Marian comes on the heels of their Knights football team winning the 2015 NAIA team title by defeating Southern Oregon in the championships the Friday before Christmas in Daytona Beach.
Founded in 1937, Indianapolis-based Marian University is a four-year, co-educational university owned and sponsored by the Sisters of St. Francis, Oldenburg, a community of Franciscan religious that celebrated 150 years of faith, leadership, and education in Indiana in 2001.
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