Joseph Named Tar Heel Wrestling Club Head Coach

Last Friday brought us plenty of news relating to Penn State alums in the coaching world, now there’s more this week. Two-time NCAA champion and three-time national finalist Vincenzo Joseph will join North Carolina’s Tar Heel Wrestling Club as the head coach of the RTC. 

Joseph recently wrapped up his competitive career at the Olympic Trials where he was beaten in the opening round by Missouri alum Jarrett Jacques and forfeited out of the tournament. Joseph earned a spot at the Olympic Trials by defeating Yayha Thomas in the finals of the Last Chance Qualifier. 

The move to Chapel Hill reunites Joseph with Rob Koll who hired him for his first Stanford staff prior to the 2021-22 season. Joseph appeared to be done competing; however, he entered the 2022 US Open and advanced to the finals at 79 kg. At the 2022 World Team Trials, Joseph fell in an epic, three-match series to Chance Marsteller, who then went to Final X. 

After that showing at the Open and Trials, Joseph stepped away from coaching and moved to Arizona State to train with the Sunkist Kids. He would make the Open finals in 2023 - this time at 79 kg. 

Joseph caught the attention of the wrestling world at the 2017 NCAA Championships when he made the finals, as a redshirt freshman, and stunned two-time national champion Isaiah Martinez with a fall early in the third period. The two would meet in the 2018 national finals and Joseph prevailed again.

Joseph was a senior in the 2019-20 season who had his final NCAA Tournament canceled at the onset of the COVID pandemic. During his career at Penn State, Joseph made three NCAA finals, three Big Ten finals, and amassed an 89-9 record. 

Throughout his freestyle and folkstyle career, Joseph proved to be one of the more exciting and dangerous wrestlers of his era. 

The Tar Heel Wrestling Club recently had a pair of its wrestlers compete at the Last Chance Qualifier for a trip to the 2024 Olympic Games. Neither Lachlan McNeil (Canada) nor Kizhan Clarke (Germany) was able to qualify; however, they have had success on the international stage. 

In addition to Joseph joining as the program's head coach, Dom Lajoie will also be added as the director and former UNC/Stanford wrestler Tyler Eischens will be a Senior level athlete with the club.