New Northern Michigan University women’s wrestling coach Adam Wilson, right, talks with a men’s wrestler while he was head coach for both men’s and women’s programs at downstate Albion College during the past four years. (Photo courtesy NMU)

MARQUETTE — With NCAA women’s wrestling expanding on the national front, Northern Michigan University will have a new head coach for next season.

Adam Wilson replaces Tony DeAnda, who was the program’s only head coach since it was made a varsity sport at NMU in 2020. DeAnda has taken the same position at NCAA Division II Jamestown (North Dakota).

Nationally, the NCAA announced in January that it was adding women’s wrestling as its 91st championship sport with a single all-division tournament to first be held in 2026. It emerged from the NCAA’s Emerging Sports for Women program, which like Northern’s program also kicked off for the sport in 2020.

The NCAA said there were 76 women’s wrestling programs in the 2023-24 school year, including Northern’s, and in January anticipated 17 more coming into existence during the current school year with more than 1,200 women wrestlers on teams.

Wilson, who was announced as new NMU coach on Monday, will now head up the Wildcats’ roster, which for the 2024-25 season showed 25 athletes, according to NMU’s athletics website, nmuwildcats.com.

“We are thrilled to welcome Adam as the new head coach of our women’s wrestling program,” Northern athletic director Rick Comley said in an NMU Sports Information news release about the hiring. “Adam brings a wealth of experience, a deep passion for the sports, and a proven commitment to developing student-athletes both on and off the mat.

“As we continue to build a competitive and empowering program, we are confident that Adam will be an inspiring leader and a tremendous asset to our athletic department.”

He comes from the Lower Peninsula, where for the past four years he was head women’s coach and director of wrestling at Division III Albion College.

Wilson also has vast knowledge and experience as a wrestler himself.

“I want to thank the team of Rick Comley, Robin Burke, Mike Kaurala and Holly Warchock for this opportunity to lead the Northern Michigan women’s wrestling team,” Wilson said in the same NMU release that also mentioned those other top officials in the NMU athletic department.

“It is fair for us to have high expectations. I want to move this program forward with individuals who are of high character, love to compete, and want to chase down NCAA championships.”

While at Albion, Wilson led the reinstatement of men’s wrestling after 40 years of it not being part of that school’s varsity program, while also leading the establishment of a women’s wrestling program in 2020, just like at NMU.

In his time coaching the two programs, Albion produced 10 first team all-conference wrestlers, 32 National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-Americans, 41 places at regional competition and 18 national qualifiers.

Wilson has been active in other parts of the wrestling community, too.

Since June 2016, he has served as national teams director for Michigan USA Wrestling. Elected to that group’s executive board, Wilson is responsible for oversight of the 14-years-and-under, 16-under and Junior-level national teams for boys and girls, which includes more than 250 wrestlers each year.

For four years before coming to Albion, he was head assistant wrestling coach at another Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association member, Olivet College, and prior to Olivet, had been on coaching staffs at two other Division III schools, MIAA member Trine University in Indiana and Washington and Lee University in Virginia.

Wilson wrestled at Olivet from 2007-11, winning four varsity letters as a two-time captain. He was a two-time Mid States Conference champion, a three-time NCAA Midwest Regional place winner, a member of the 2011 NCAA Midwest regional championship team, and a member of the 2009 NWCA Scholar All-American team.

Wilson earned his bachelor’s degree from Olivet in 2011 and master’s of higher education administration from Upper Iowa in 2014.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release about the new coach. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.