Malecek Named National Coach of the Year
3/11/2010 2:51:32 PM
La Crosse, Wis. - University of Wisconsin-La Crosse head coach Dave Malecek has been selected the D3wrestle.com Coach of the Year. He led the Eagles to a second-place finish at the 2010 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships March 5-6 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Malecek was also named the 2010 WIAC Mertz Mortorelli Coach of the Year as UW-L won its 13th straight league title. It marked the fourth consecutive season Malecek earned the conference of the year honor.
Completing his fourth season at UW-L in 2009-10, the Eagles were 14-3 this season. He has compiled a career coaching dual record of 67-12.
Along with finishing second at the 2010 NCAA III Championships, UW-L placed second in 2008 and third in 2007 and 2009 under Malecek. He was named the 2007 NCAA Rookie Coach of the Year.
UW-L crowned three individual national champions at this year's championships, including sophomore Bebeto Yewah at 133-pounds, sophomore Mike Schmitz at 174-pounds and senior Dan Laurent at 285-pounds. Laurent became the third wrestler in school history to win multiple national championships and the second to win three titles. Ryan Allen won the 285-pound championship in 2004, 2005 and 2006 while Josh Chelf captured the 174-pound title in 2007 and 2008.
The Eagles were the only team to win multiple individual titles at the 2010 NCAA III Championships. Along with the three national crowns, Matt Mauseth, Andy Moore and Cory Ferguson also earned All-America honors. Mauseth was third at 149-pounds while Moore placed fourth at 197 and Ferguson eighth at 165.
Malecek has coached eight NCAA Division III champions and had 23 All-America honors while at UW-L.
UW-L finished third at this year's Matman Invitational, sixth at the Pete Willson Wheaton (Ill.) Invitational, second at the UW-Eau Claire Invitational and fifth at the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA)/Cliff Keen Duals.
A four-time NCAA Division I qualifier at Northern Iowa University (1991-94), Malecek earned All-America accolades in 1994 with a fourth-place finish at 177-pounds. He served as the Panthers’ team captain in 1993 and 1994 and ranks seventh in career victories at Northern Iowa. Malecek earned his bachelor’s (1994) and master’s (2005) degrees from Northern Iowa.
He was a participant in the United States’ Olympic Wrestling Trials in 1992 and 1996. Malecek was also a two-time state champion at Osage (Iowa) High School.