Waller, a Western, Pa. native and former NCAA Division I champion at the University of Oklahoma begins his tenure in Mat Town, U.S.A. after four seasons as the assistant coach at his alma mater.
Waller, a 2003 graduate of Oklahoma with a Bachelor of Arts in English has spent the last four seasons as a top assistant for the Sooners, helping the team to a third-place finish at the 2006 NCAA Championships.
As an assistant with the Sooners under head coach Jack Spates, Waller assisted in all facets of coaching, including recruiting.
Waller, who claimed an individual National Championship in 2003, is very excited about the opportunity to coach at Lock Haven.
“I’m very excited to start here at Lock Haven,” Waller said. “Lock Haven has such a great tradition and it’s in the hot bed of scholastic wrestling.”
Waller, who is originally from Latrobe, Pa. and is a graduate of Mount Pleasant Area High School, is also very excited to be back to the area, but with his return he brings lofty goals.
Waller, who’s worked at some of the nation’s top youth wrestling camps, spent time at the University of Missouri, Columbia, one of the nation’s top wrestling programs before returning to Norman, Okla. Waller was a graduate assistant and assistant at Missouri, where he earned his Master of Education degree in 2007.
As a coach, Waller has coached 12 NCAA Division I All-Americans and four NCAA Finalists. In 2006 he helped OU to a third place finish at the National Championships. Waller also helped Missouri to an 11th place showing at the NCAA Championships in 2005 and a 13th place finish in ’04.
Waller is no stranger in getting to the elite level. Along with his 2003 National Championship, he was also an All-American in ’02 and was a four-time NCAA qualifier.
In 2006 Waller was inducted into the Western Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame.
The 1998 Pennsylvania State Champion finished his scholastic career with a remarkable 128-3 record. He was a two-time State Runner-up and FILA Junior Freestyle Champion.
Lock Haven head coach Rocky Bonomo (eighth season) is very excited to bring someone of Waller’s caliber to The Haven.
“To bring this caliber of a person to Lock Haven, it just goes to show the type of place Lock Haven is when it comes to wrestling,” said Bonomo. ‘He’s been a Pennsylavnia State Champion and a NCAA Champion, so he knows what it takes to win at the highest levels.”
“He brings with him great energy, great people skills and he’s proven that he can recruit some of the top athletes in the country,” added Bonomo.
Lock Haven Director of Athletics Sharon E. Taylor is also excited about Waller’s hire.
“We are all very pleased to have Robbie (Waller) on our wrestling staff at LHU,” Taylor said. “His credentials and experience, as well as his Pennsylvania roots, made him a very attractive candidate and an easy selection for everyone that has met him.”
“Coach Bonomo’s respect for and confidence in Robbie is reflected in his role of Associate Head Coach, a designation that we utilize very infrequently,” Taylor added. “He’s a super young man and I look forward to having him in our program.”
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