June 13, 2006

CLEVELAND - Brian Dolph, a distinguished wrestler and coach at the high school, collegiate and Olympic levels, has joined the Cleveland State coaching staff as an assistant coach. Head coach Jack Effner made the announcement on Tuesday (June 13).

Dolph, a native of Canton, Ohio, comes to CSU after serving as the head wrestling coach at Perry High School in Massillon, Ohio where he earned Stark County Wrestling Coach of the Year honors in both 2004 and 2005. He also worked as a physical education teacher in the Perry Local School District at both the high school and junior high school levels.

No stranger to collegiate wrestling, Dolph served as an assistant coach at Penn from 1994-2003 where he implemented training programs and practices for teams that produced an NCAA champion, an Olympic gold medalist and 14 All-Americans. His teams were consistently ranked among the best in the nation both competitively and academically.

Dolph authored a prestigious wrestling career at Indiana University, culminating in 1990 with a school-record 46 wins and an NCAA Championship at 150 pounds. He finished his four-year career with 127 victories, the third-most in IU history, while earning a Midlands Open Championship, two Big Ten Championships and three All-America honors.

His wrestling career continued after college as a four-time member of the US National Team and as a 167.5-pound alternate for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.

Dolph has also worked as a wrestling camp director and counselor and has appeared as a motivational speaker and international representative of the US National and Olympic teams and the Dave Schultz Wrestling Club.

"Brian has been a winner at every level in our sport," Effner said.

"Even more remarkable than that is his experience and accomplishments as a coach. He has been very active in northeast Ohio in clubs and clinics, and he brings a great reputation along with impressive credentials."