Location Pittsburgh, PA Colors Blue and Gold Arena Fitzgerald Field House | Nickname Panthers Head coach Jason Peters Conference Atlantic Coast Conference | |
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University University of Pittsburgh | ||
Pittsburgh Panthers wrestling is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate wrestling program of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt wrestling team competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and hosts home meets at Fitzgerald Field House on the campus of the school. Since the Pitt wrestling program began in the 1912–1913 school year, it has produced 16 individual national champions and 76 All-American selections. The head coach of the Panthers since 2013 is Jason Peters.
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History
Wrestling at Pitt began in the 1912–1913 school year and eventually became one of the most tradition-rich sports at the University. Pitt's wrestling program boasts 16 individual NCAA national champions, the 13th most among all schools, and 75 All-Americans throughout the program's history. Pitt's all-time dual meet record, through the 2013–14 season, is 535-396-19 (0.573).
The school's most prominent years were the during the era the program was directed by head coach Rex Peery. During this stretch from 1952 until 1963, the team never finished lower than 9th at the NCAA Championship, placing second both in 1954 and when hosting the NCAA Championship at Fitzgerald Field House in 1957. Peery coached 13 individual national champions and twice during this span, in 1956 and 1957, the Panthers boasted five All-Americans in one season. Pitt also won the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association tournament in 1954, 1955, 1956, and 1960.
Between 1979 and 2013, Pitt's wrestling team was under the leadership of head coach Rande Stottlemyer, a three time All-American wrestler for Pitt in 1974, 1975, and 1978 and a five-time Coach of the Year (1986–87, 1989–90, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2011–12) in the Eastern Wrestling League, the wrestling conference Pitt competed in between 1976 and 2013. Under his direction, Pitt produced 56 EWL individual EWL champions, 33 All-Americans, and 3 individual National Champions including Pat Santoro, a back-to-back champion at 142 lbs, and the 2008 champion at 174 lbs, Keith Gavin. In 2010, Stottlemyer guided Pitt to a school record 17 dual meet wins and an overall 17-1-1 record en route to the team capturing the Panthers' first-ever EWL dual-meet championship. In 2011 and 2012, Pitt repeated as dual meet champions with 6-0 EWL records in each season. Pitt went on to win its first EWL tournament team title in 2011 and repeated as EWL tournament champions in 2012 and 2013, Pitt's final year in the conference and Stottlemyer's final season as head coach. Following the 2012–13 season, Stottlemyer retired after 34 years as Pitt's all-time winningest wrestling coach with a record of 304-230-12.
Pitt moved into the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2013–14 season with Jason Peters, an assistant under Stottleymyer for ten seasons, taking over as head coach. In its first year of ACC competition, the wrestling team swept through its conference dual meet schedule with a perfect 6–0 record to capture the university's first regular season ACC title in any sport.
NCAA Championship results
Pitt wrestling has scored points in 62 NCAA Division I Championships over the years, finishing as high as second place twice and in the top ten 13 times.
Individual national champions
Pitt wrestlers have won individual NCAA national championships 16 different times in various weight classes. All-time, Pitt has the 13th most individual NCAA champion wrestlers among all Division I schools.
Hall of Fame
Pitt has three individuals inducted as Distinguished Members of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a wrestler or a coach.