University Park, Pa. — Penn State Nittany Lion head wrestling coach Troy Sunderland quickly filled out his coaching staff today with the hiring of former Iowa Hawkeye National Champion Mark Perry. Perry will fill the second assistant coach position recently vacated by former assistant John Hughes.
"We're very excited to add Mark to our coaching staff," Sunderland said. "This is a man who has had great success as both an individual and team at Iowa. We are happy to welcome him to the Penn State wrestling family. I am confident his skills and wrestling knowledge will compliment and enhance our current staff, putting us in a position to achieve our goal of a national team championship."
Perry won the last two NCAA National Championships at 165 pounds. The Stillwater, Okla., native was a four-time All-American at Iowa where he helped lead the Hawkeyes to the NCAA team title this season. Perry's 25 points en route to his second individual crown were the most scored by any wrestler at Nationals this year.
Perry became Iowa's 14th two-time National Champion this year and became a four-time All-American (the 17th Hawkeye to do so). He missed the entire Big Ten dual season with an injury but still posted a 20-3 season record and led the Hawkeyes in pins (12) and fastest pin (21 seconds).
As a freshman, he went 27-5 with a 12-2 dual record, took second at Big Tens and second at Nationals. As a sophomore, he went 21-4, 9-1 in duals, took second at Big Tens and third at Nationals. In 2006-07, the junior went 28-4, 16-3 in duals, won the Big Ten title and the NCAA Championship as well. Add last year's Big Ten runner-up finish and second NCAA title and Perry leaves Iowa as one of the school's most decorated and successful wrestlers.
"After spending time working at camps and clinics, I discovered that I have a passion for coaching," Perry said. "Once I decided that coaching was the direction I wanted to go in, I had the chance to talk with a lot of prestigious programs about opportunities. Being the son of a former coach, when the Penn State position opened up, I was obviously interested."
"Penn State has always been a program that I've recognized as one of the nation's best," Perry continued. "I'm very excited to be a part of the Nittany Lion program. I can develop myself as a coach as well as help this program reach its goals. Pennsylvania is the proving ground for young wrestlers and I don't think I could be in a better situation. I've had the chance to gain knowledge from some of the greatest minds in wrestling and I feel I have a lot to offer. I'm confident that I can help Penn State reach its goal of winning the national title."
Penn State will announce its 2008-09 schedule later this month. The season will begin with Wrestle-Offs in early November.