September 26, 2022

SIOUX FALLS – Pam Gohl and the University of Sioux Falls are proud to announce the hiring of Matt Meuleners as the new men's wrestling head coach.

"We are thrilled to have Matt Meuleners take over our men's wrestling program," said Athletic Director Pam Gohl. "Matt knows what it takes to achieve success as a student-athlete at the highest level in NCAA DII. His passion for the sport of wrestling, along with his drive and work ethic, will be critical as he takes on the task of starting the men's wrestling program again at USF."

Meuleners returns to the NSIC and joins USF as the first men's wrestling coach in the Division II era. Prior to USF, he was the head assistant wrestling coach at California State University – Bakersfield. While at CSUB he developed practice plans and workouts for his athletes while also maintaining a positive relationship with athletes, parents and other athletic personnel.

"I want to thank Dr. Bradfield, Pam Gohl and the search committee for the opportunity to lead the men's wrestling program at USF," said Coach Meuleners. "I am excited to get back to Division II wrestling and the NSIC where I started my wrestling career and I couldn't pass up an opportunity to come back to where it all started.  My family and I are excited to get to Sioux Falls and serve USF and the surrounding communities."

Meuleners has had the opportunity to learn from some of the best in college wrestling as a head assistant coach at Brown University and as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. At Brown, he helped lead his team to a 2^nd place finish in the Ivy League which was the highest finish since 1997. Meuleners also coached 7 NCAA Qualifiers while signing 8 of the top prospects in the country throughout his time with the Bears.

Prior to Brown University, Meuleners spent four seasons with the Huskers under the leadership of Mark Manning. While with Nebraska, he coached 12 All-Americans and 33 NCAA Qualifiers while helping lead the Huskers to a 49-13 dual record over his tenure.

"The University of Sioux Falls got better today with the hiring of Matt Mueleners! Matt is a man of high character and will work hard to put together a program that people at the University and the Sioux Falls community will be proud of.  Matt will attract student-athletes that will represent the University of Sioux Falls in a first-class manner and will be ready to compete at the highest level of success."

-Mark Manning, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Head Wrestling Coach

 

Before entering the coaching realm, Meuleners was a four-time NCAA All-American wrestler for Northern State University earning two NCAA DII National Championships in 2011 and 2012. Meuleners had a career record of 145-32 while etching his name in the record books for the most career wins in Northern State history. His decorated career included four All-Conference team selections, two academic All-American designations and being selected as the 2012 NSIC Wrestler of the Year. Meuleners went on to qualify for the US World Team Trials in 2013 & 2014 while being named a US Open Senior Freestyle All-American in 2013, 2014 & 2015. In 2016, he qualified for the US Olympic Trials to round out his wrestling career.

 

"The University of Sioux Falls made a great decision with the addition of Matt Mueleners. After having a lot of success as a Division II NSIC athlete, I know he is excited to return to his DII roots. Matt has recruited and coached at a number of recognized institutions which will help him in guiding the wrestling program at USF. He knows what it takes to lead a successful program and I can't wait to watch him grow throughout his coaching career."

-Tony Ersland, Purdue University

Head Wrestling Coach

 

 

While with USF, Meuleners will be responsible for providing leadership and direction to USF student-athletes. He will be responsible for scouting and recruiting successful student-athletes while developing skill advancement and leadership throughout the program. Currently, there are nine NSIC schools that have Division II wrestling with USF set to become the 10^th. With just 64 Division II schools having wrestling programs, Sioux Falls will look to add to the growth of wrestling throughout the country.

 

"Matt knows the strength of the NSIC in men's wrestling and he's up for the challenge. We believe that he will use his connections to recruit student-athletes who will be successful on and off the mat," said Gohl. "While learning from some of the best in the country, Matt has positioned himself professionally to lead a program and build a tradition here in the Midwest. We cannot wait to have him hit the recruiting trails for USF and share with prospective student-athletes how they can truly have a full student-athlete experience at the NCAA DII level while keeping their lives balanced."

 

Meuleners graduated from Northern State University with his bachelors in human performance and fitness and a minor in coaching. In 2019, he graduated from the University of Central Missouri with a masters in kinesiology – sports management.