Courtesy of Lindsey Wilson Athletics – Link
COLUMBIA, Ky. – Jameel Bryant has been named Lindsey Wilson College’s wrestling head coach, Lindsey Wilson Athletics Director Willis Pooler announced on Monday.
“It’s an honor to be back home and have the opportunity to work for an institution with such a winning tradition,” Bryant said. “I’m excited that Lindsey Wilson is my first head coaching job. It feels like yesterday I was competing here for a national title and now I get to help others strive for that same goal.
“I had the best experience here as a student-athlete,” Bryant added. “One of my top goals is to make sure our student-athletes have that same fulfilling experience, in the classroom and on the mat. I’m eager to get the ball rolling and build on the great successes we have here at Lindsey Wilson College.
Bryant becomes the second coach in the program’s history. He replaces Corey Ruff who resigned in early June after starting the program in 2011.
“The opportunity to hire Jameel was one I couldn’t pass on. His passion for wrestling and Lindsey Wilson College was evident during our discussions and his knowledge of the sport, our mission, and his clear emphasis on focusing on the student-athlete experience were important aspects of this decision.” Pooler said.
Bryant graduated from Lindsey Wilson with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications in May of 2015 and was a part of the Lindsey Wilson wrestling program. During his two seasons, he compiled a 56-14 overall record, including winning a pair of NAIA national titles. He was the program’s first two-time individual national champion.
“His familiarity with the Mid-South Conference and NAIA are well documented through his successes as a student-athlete and assistant coach,” Pooler said. “He left his mark as an excellent recruiter and mentor at two MSC institutions. I have no doubt he will bring student-athletes to Columbia who are a great fit for our program and will allow us to remain one of the top NAIA wrestling programs in the country. I look forward to working with our two-time national champion.”
The native of St. Petersburg, Florida is a three-time All-American accomplishing the feat in the NAIA twice and the NJCAA once.
Bryant spent the last two seasons as the head assistant coach at Southeastern (Fla.), which finished inside the top-10 of the NAIA Coaches’ top-20 poll both seasons. He also spent two seasons at Life (Ga.) where he served as the head assistant coach and an academic coordinator. He also spent time as Brewton-Parker’s head assistant coach for one season in 2016-17.
“I would like to thank President (Bill) Luckey, Dean Adams, Willis Pooler, and the hiring committee for believing in me and giving me the opportunity,” Bryant said. “I am going to push every student-athlete to their best ability, both academically and athletically. I’m looking forward to leading this program as we build great men that go out in the world to become great leaders in their communities.”
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