Olsen named Assistant Wrestling Coach
PLATTEVILLE, Wis.-Dan Olsen will join the coaching staff of UW-Platteville Pioneer wrestling for the 2018-2019 season.
PLATTEVILLE, Wis.-Dan Olsen will join the coaching staff of UW-Platteville Pioneer wrestling for the 2018-2019 season.
As a student-athlete, Olsen was a key component in the resurgence of Wheaton College wrestling under the guidance of two-time Olympian Jim Gruenwald. A 2016 graduate of Wheaton, Olsen was a two-time NCAA All-American with a career record of 95-22 in three seasons. After helping his team earn their first conference championship since 1981, Olsen went on to finish third at the 2015 NCAA Division III Championships at 184-pounds. He was also recognized as the CCIW's "Outstanding Wrestler" that year. As a sophomore, Olsen finished seventh at 184-pounds at the Division III Championships to earn All-American honors.
Head Coach Mike DeRoehn shared, "I am incredibly excited about having Dan join our program as our full-time assistant. He brings an authentic passion for coaching wrestling as well as strength and conditioning that really shined through during our search process."
After graduating with a degree in Applied Health Science, Olsen joined the coaching staff at Wheaton and served the program for the past three seasons. He helped Coach Gruenwald lead nine student-athletes to qualify for the NCAA Championships, three of whom earned NCAA All-American honors during that span.
Dan and his wife, Riley, are proud parents of a young daughter, Rosie. Olsen states, "I am grateful for this opportunity and looking forward to joining a strong program. My family and I are very excited about becoming a part of the Pioneer family."
Olsen also brings extensive international experience and remains highly active in Greco-Roman wrestling at the senior level. He represented the United States at the 2013 University World Championships in Kazan, Russia. Olsen has twice finished in the top eight at the U.S. Open, including 7th in 2018, which qualified him to compete at the final World Team Trials in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Coach DeRoehn added, "I love the fact that Dan continues to train and compete at such a high level in Greco and want to do what I can to help him there. He can provide our team with new techniques to expand our arsenal, give our upperweights a hands-on training experience and most importantly, be an example to our student-athletes in terms of pouring your heart into the pursuit of reaching your highest potential."
The Pioneers will open the 2018-19 season at home vs Cornell College in the UW-Platteville Center for the Arts on Saturday, November, 3 with the Throwdown in the Theatre - Act II.