The 2026 Offseason Coaching Carousel (8/18/2026)

We’re more than halfway through August and many schools have already started their fall semesters. Even so, the coaching carousel continues to turn. Last week, we noted that Air Force promoted Joe Johnston to their head coaching position and Leroy Vega left Purdue for his alma mater, Minnesota. 

This week got started with Princeton announcing that they’ve hired Max Brignola as an assistant coach. Brignola wrapped up his collegiate career in 2026 after competing at his third NCAA tournament for Lehigh. Brignola captured an EIWA title at 165 lbs and earned the #7 seed at nationals. In Cleveland, Brignola advanced to the bloodround before falling to Arizona State’s Nicco Ruiz. 

During the regular season, Brignola split matches with Ruiz - defeating him in sudden victory at the National Duals Invitational and losing in the season finale in tiebreakers. He finished his senior campaign with a 20-6 record. 

Brignola started his senior campaign with an appearance at the NWCA/All Star Classic, where he fell 4-1 to Stanford All-American Hunter Garvin. 

Previously, Brignola had qualified for the NCAA Tournament on the strength of second and third place finishes at the EIWA Championships. 

Joe Dubuque’s Princeton team will go into the 2026-27 season with a staff that includes Brignola, Cody Brewer, and Ryan Wolfe. 
 

New Hires

Air Force Head Coach: Joe Johnston (Air Force - Associate Head Coach)

Army West Point Associate Head Coach: Mike Macchiavello (Lehigh Valley WC Athlete)

Binghamton Assistant Coach: Luke Welch (The Citadel - Interim Head Coach)

Bloomsburg: Gable Strickland (Lock Haven - Athlete)

Cal Poly Assistant Coach: Nelson Brands (Iowa City Regina HS Head Coach)

Columbia Assistant Coach: Cesar Alvan (Columbia - Wrestler)

Cornell Associate Head Coach: Zach Tanelli (Virginia Tech - Assistant Coach)

Cornell Assistant Coach: Yianni Diakomihalis (USA Wrestling - Athlete)

Davidson Assistant Coach: Avery Bassett (Lock Haven - Wrestler)

Edinboro Assistant Coach: Boomer Fechko (John Carroll - Associate Head Coach)

Franklin & Marshall Assistant Coach: Anthony Noto

George Mason Assistant Coach: Logan Messer (George Mason - Athlete)

George Mason Assistant Coach: Gabe Willochell (Wyoming - Athlete)

Iowa Assistant Coach: Jacob Warner (Hawkeye Wrestling Club)

Iowa State Assistant Coach: Jaiver Maldonado (Little Rock - Assistant Coach)

Iowa State Head Coach: Brent Metcalf (Associate Head Coach)

Iowa State Assistant Coach: Drake Ayala (Iowa - Athlete)

Lehigh Head Coach: Brad Dillon (Lehigh - Associate Head Coach)

Lehigh Assistant Coach: Michael McGee (Senior Level - Athlete)

Lock Haven Assistant Coach: Lenny Pinto (Rutgers - Athlete)

Maryland Assistant Coach: Gavin Hoffman (Lock Haven - Assistant Coach)

Mercyhurst Assistant Coach: Qian’te Wagner (Rio Grande - Assistant Coach)

Michigan Assistant Coach: Kellen Russell (Cornell - Associate Head Coach)

Minnesota Assistant Coach: Leroy Vega (Purdue - Head Assistant Coach)

Navy Assistant Coach: Peyton Walsh (Navy Wrestling Club RTC Director)

NC State Assistant Coach: Hayden Hidlay (Stanford - Assistant Coach)

Nebraska Assistant Coach: Robert Kokesh

Ohio Assistant Coach: Dean Heil (George Mason Assistant Coach)

Ohio Assistant Coach: Eric Morrill (California Baptist Assistant Coach)

Oregon State Assistant Coach: Gary Traub

Penn Assistant Coach: Lucas Byrd (Illinois - Athlete)

Pittsburgh Assistant Coach: Ethan Laird (Maryland - Assistant Coach)

Princeton Assistant Coach: Max Brignola (Lehigh - Athlete)

Rider Assistant Coach: Tyler Klinsky (Rider - Athlete)

Rutgers Associate Head Coach: Anthony Ashnault (Princeton - Assistant Coach)

SIU Edwardsville Head Coach: Daryl Thomas (SIU Edwardsville - Associate Head Coach)

SIU Edwardsville Assistant Coach: Colton McKiernan (Fort Hays State - Assistant Coach)

Stanford Assistant Coach: Myles Amine

The Citadel Head Coach: Timmy McCall (Utah Valley - Assistant Coach)

The Citadel Assistant Coach: Kegan Calkins (Aurora - Assistant Coach)

Virginia Tech Assistant Coach: James Green (Nebraska - Assistant Coach)

Virginia Tech Assistant Coach: Ty Walz (Brown - Assistant Coach)

West Virginia Assistant Coach: Peyton Hall (RTC Athlete)

RTC/Club

Husky Elite WC - Barry Davis (Navy - Assistant Coach)

Pennsylvania RTC Head Coach: Pat Santoro (Lehigh - Head Coach)

Openings

Brown: Assistant Coach

Gardner-Webb: Graduate Assistant

Hofstra: Assistant Coach

Illinois: Assistant Coach

Little Rock: Assistant Coach

Merchyhurst: Volunteer Assistant

Purdue: Assistant Coach

Utah Valley: Assistant Coach

Wisconsin: Assistant Coach