KENT, Ohio — Kent State College Vice President & Director of Athletics Randale L. Richmond introduced immediately the hiring of Clay Wenger as the college’s first head ladies’s wrestling coach.
“Immediately marks the start of one thing really particular for Kent State, and we couldn’t be extra excited to have Clay Wenger cleared the path,” mentioned Richmond. “Clay has already demonstrated that he is aware of the way to take a program from an thought to a nationally aggressive operation, and he brings the identical imaginative and prescient and power to Kent State. His expertise, mixed together with his historical past as a Golden Flash and his deep roots all through Northeast Ohio wrestling, provides him a singular understanding of what this program can change into.”
Wenger arrives at Kent State after two seasons because the inaugural head coach on the College of Mount Union, the place he orchestrated the profitable launch of a brand new NCAA program. He grew the roster from zero to 30 student-athletes inside one calendar 12 months, main the Purple Raiders right into a nationwide competitor.
Wenger is available in to launch a program at a college he is aware of effectively, as he was a member of the boys’s wrestling workforce at Kent State from 2011-2015, the place he wrestled below the present director of wrestling and males’s head coach, Josh Moore, who was a Kent State assistant coach on the time.
“I wish to thank President Diacon, Vice President Randale Richmond, Coach Moore, and the search committee for giving me this wonderful alternative to return to my alma mater and begin the ladies’s wrestling program,” mentioned Wenger. “I’m trying ahead to constructing a powerful program and following the wealthy custom Kent State athletics units! This can be a dream come true for me, and I’m very grateful for this chance.”
In Wenger’s most up-to-date teaching stint, he coached two nationwide qualifiers and eight regional placers. As a workforce, Mount Union completed within the prime 10 at regionals and within the prime 25 nationally with groups from all Divisions.
One other spotlight of his teaching profession got here final 12 months on the inaugural NCAA Girls’s Wrestling Championships in Coralville, Iowa. Abigail Mozden turned the primary All-American at Mount Union as she completed fifth at nationals.
“Clay brings the precise blueprint, imaginative and prescient, and work ethic wanted to launch our ladies’s wrestling program from the bottom up,” mentioned Moore. “Having already efficiently constructed a program from scratch in Ohio, he understands the way to set up high-level requirements, a successful tradition, and a Division I setting from day one. I could not be extra excited to accomplice with him as we construct a championship basis for Kent State.”
Previous to launching the Mount Union ladies’s wrestling program, Wenger oversaw all ranges of the storied Wadsworth wrestling program as head coach in Northeast Ohio. He maintained a 71-12 twin meet document whereas balancing rigorous tutorial expectations and character growth.
Prime achievements as a workforce included 5 sectional championships, two district championships, and 5 regional twin titles. As for particular person success, Wenger produced 24 state-placers, 17 All-People, and 4 state champions, which incorporates present Kent State males’s wrestling standout Chris Earnest, who was a Mid-American Convention Champion in 2026. In 2021, he was named the Larger Cleveland Coaches Affiliation Coach of the 12 months.
Wenger additionally served as the top coach of USA Wrestling’s freestyle program, the place he specialised in growing Olympic-style wrestling for elite prospects. He coached one freestyle Cadet Nationwide Champion, one FILA nationwide champion, and 5 freestyle All-People.
He additionally constructed one of many premier golf equipment within the space, the BattleZone Wrestling membership, 15 years in the past, and continues to run day-to-day operations. They’ve educated over 30 state champions and had been named a top-three membership nationally in 2016 and 2017.
“Clay operates with a real CEO mindset, combining robust operational experience with deep, genuine roots within the Northeast Ohio wrestling group,” Moore added. “His potential to construct relationships with recruits, alumni, donors, and native applications might be instrumental as we rally the group round this historic subsequent chapter for our program.”
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