"Devin is one of our own," Coach Smith said. "He knows our program inside and out and what it takes to succeed as a member of #TigerStyle. He wrestled for me whandwent to nationals three times. He's worked camps for me and he's been a student at Mizzou, so he knows Mizzou inside and out. He brings the whole package of knowing how to deal with student-athletes."
In four years as an attached wrestler, Mellon complied a 99-39 record, scoring 17 major decisions and nine falls. In his senior campaign (2014-15), the Lawson, Mo., native posted a 33-11 record and won the MAC Championship after going 3-0 at the tournament. Mellon defeated Blaize Cabell (Northern Iowa) in the championship bout for his third win over a ranked opponent that season. A fixture in the starting lineup for three seasons, Mellon posted 20 or more wins in three of four seasons.
Following graduation, Mellon accepted a position on the Oregon State wrestling coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach. With Oregon State, Mellon helped coach heavyweight Amarveer Dhesi to All-America status, finishing fifth at the 2016 NCAA Championships in New York City in March. Dhesi was also named PAC-12 Wrestler of the Year in April.
"I honestly think it's good for guys to experience another program and see how things are done. A lot of times, you pick up new ideas and other nuances of another program," said Coach Smith. "Devin went across the country to work under Coach Jim Zalesky at Oregon State, which won the PAC-12 this past year. He will have a chance to work with a lot of young heavyweights in our room and will be a big impact on those guys."
For all the latest on Mizzou Wrestling, stay tuned to MUTigers.com and follow the team on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (MizzouWrestling).
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now