Dan Neff"I am excited to add Dan to my staff and believe he will make an immediate impact in the wrestling room," said Sharratt. "As an All-American, he understands the commitment to a championship lifestyle we hold in the Navy program. Dan has a strong desire to be a top-level coach and his decision to join our program speaks volumes about his commitment to excellence. He has great intensity and is driven for success and that's contagious among the young team we have retuning in 2018-19.
"The timing of this allows for an immediate impact with the talent we have around the weight Dan lives and trains at. He will push guys like Nicholas Gil, Jared Prince and Quentin Hovis on a daily basis to perform at their very best."
Neff was part of a Bucknell program that saw one of its most successful stretches in program history. The Bison reached double digits in the win column for four straight seasons, including 2016-17 when they closed out the year with a 12-4 mark, including a 9-1 record against EIWA competition. That same season Bucknell placed sixth at the EIWA Championships and sent four wrestlers to the NCAA Championship in St. Louis. There, Tyler Smith finished one victory shy of earning All-America status at 141 pounds. The Bison struggled with injuries throughout the 2017-18 campaign, though Smith once again was a bright spot in the Bucknell lineup. Smith put together the 11th undefeated dual season in school history (16-0) and became Bucknell's seventh EIWA runner-up, falling to eventual national champion Yianni Diakomihalis of Cornell in the title bout. For the second year in a row, Smith fell one match shy of becoming an All-American, bowing out in the Blood Round.
While at Bucknell, Neff also served as a coach and resident athlete of the Buffalo Valley Regional Training Center in Lewisburg. There he organized and conducted practice sessions, coached multiple high school dual teams, volunteered for Lewisburg Elementary wrestling and competed personally at the senior and international level.
A four-time NCAA qualifier and 2016 graduate of Lock Haven University, Neff garnered All-America honors in 2015 after placing eighth in the 149-pound weight class at the 2015 NCAA Championship. In doing so, he became the school's 39th All-American overall and the first since 2007. Additionally, the Quarryville, Pa. native was the 2016 Eastern Wrestling League Champion at 149 pounds and earned PSAC Freshman of the Year honors in 2012. He finished his career 11th on Lock Haven's all-time wins list with a 109-46 record.
Neff also had a remarkable high school career, becoming Solanco High School's first PIAA State Champion after winning the 3A 135-pound crown in 2011. He amassed a 150-19 high school record which stands as the fifth-best mark in Lancaster County history.
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