The Panthers Also Knocked Off Sixth-Ranked Lehigh on Saturday
Thirty-one years at the helm of one of the most history-rich wrestling programs in the East is no small accomplishment. Pitt's head wrestling coach, Rande Stottlemyer, has done it the old-fashioned way: through dedication and commitment to one's principles and beliefs and a good day of hard work.
Stottlemyer was able to see rewards of that hard work in 2010 as Pitt captured its first-ever Eastern Wrestling League regular-season title, finishing with a school-best 6-0 record in league action. In addition, Pitt's 17 dual wins on the year (17-1-1) marked a program-best mark. For the team's successes, Stottlemyer was named the EWL Coach of the Year for the fourth time. In addition, four Panthers won individual EWL titles and six wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Championship. Sophomore Tyler Nauman earned All-America status at 141, finishing fifth at NCAAs. Nauman's status now gives Stottlemyer a Pitt All-American in 20 of the last 27 seasons.
To cap off the year, Stottlemyer was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame by the Pennsylvania Chapter as he earned the Lifetime Service to Wrestling Award. In addition, he was also inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
Along with his assistant coaches, Stottlemyer has continued a winning tradition that he was a part of prior to his coaching days.
In 2009, Stottlemyer added to his extensive list of All-Americans as senior Zach Shaeffer became just the fourth heavyweight in Pitt history to earn All-America honors. Against Cleveland State, Stottlemyer picked up the 250th win of his career. In 2008, Stottlemyer and his staff guided six wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. A year after helping coach 174-pounder Keith Gavin to a runner-up finish, Gavin reached the summit, becoming a national champion after a 4-2 win over Michigan's Steve Luke. Gavin's national title marked the first for Pitt since Pat Santoro won his second of back-to-back titles in 1989.
In 2006, for the second consecutive season, the Pitt coaching staff guided six wrestlers to the NCAA championships. Stottlemyer and his assistants additionally led their fourth wrestler in three years to a EWL title when Justin Nestor won at 165 pounds. In 2005, they coached yet another NCAA All-American in Drew Headlee, the 18th wrestler to achieve this career milestone under Stottlemyer's tenure. In addition, Sheaffer became the EWL Champion at 285 pounds in his first season as a Panther. Four years ago, Carl Fronhofer, went from being unseeded to an NCAA finalist and an All-American at 174 pounds.
Pitt's all-time winningest coach with 268 victories in 31 seasons, Stottlemyer still enjoys what he does and gets just as much of a thrill in seeing his team succeed as he did in taking the job back in 1979. His excitement and enthusiasm for a sport he has been a part of for over 30 years is contagious as he talks about his coaching duties with the Panthers.
"Coaching at the University of Pittsburgh has given me an opportunity to work with great young men and outstanding assistants," Stottlemyer said. "It has also given me an opportunity to help student-athletes build character and acquire tools they will need in the future."
During his tenure, Stottlemyer and his staff have produced a two-time national champion in Pat Santoro, one-time national champion in Keith Gavin, 20 NCAA All-Americans, 135 national qualifiers and 36 Eastern Wrestling League Champions. In 20 of the last 26 years of his career, they have coached at least one NCAA All-American and his teams have finished in the top-40 nationally. Pitt has finished in the nation's top-25 in seven of the last 13 seasons.
Eight of his athletes have been honored as recipients of either the Blue-Gold or Panther Awards, student-athletes whose names are permanently etched in the stone on the sidewalk leading between the Cathedral of Learning and Heinz Chapel. His most recent addition to that special list was Gavin, who earned the Panther Award in 2008.
In addition, two of Stottlemyer's former wrestlers, Greg Zimmerman and John Withrow, were the recipients of the prestigious Omicron Delta Kappa Award, presented annually to the outstanding senior student at Pitt. Numerous Pitt wrestlers have been named to the Eastern Wrestling League's Academic Honor Roll and in 2006 the wrestling team captured Pitt's Men's Scholar-Athlete Academic Cup, which is awarded annually to the athletic team with the highest GPA. Current redshirt junior Ethan Headlee was named to the NWCA's True Freshman All-Academic team two years ago, one of just five freshmen in the country to be honored.
Stottlemyer's strong ties and success in the sport of wrestling date back to his high school career at Hickory High School in nearby Hermitage, Pa., where he was a PIAA state runner-up and two-time Junior National Freestyle wrestling champion.
Following a stellar scholastic career at Hickory, Stottlemyer enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh, where he became a three-time NCAA All-American, achieving that level of distinction only one year before becoming a full-time assistant coach to then Panther wrestling coach Dave Adams. As a collegian, Stottlemyer put together a record of 68-16-2, won one EWL title and served as team captain for each of his varsity seasons.
As a coach, Stottlemyer stresses the importance of keeping one's priorities straight.
"What we hope to accomplish here at Pittsburgh is to give our guys tools for life," Stottlemyer said. "I believe in education through athletics. You learn so much in the sport of wrestling, where there is no place to hide. It is two guys going against each other, exposed in a public forum for all to see."
"We want our wrestlers to not just love the sport but more importantly, to love the process of progressing in our sport. It's important for them to realize that although they only do it for a short period of time, wrestling will be a part of who they are the rest of their lives. It will leave an indelible mark on their hearts."
And as a celebrated wrestler and coach, Stottlemyer, who in 1992 received induction into the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, realizes the unique nature of his chosen sport and the value of its potential rewards.
"Wrestling is a very grueling sport. And in order to be successful it takes an unusual amount of discipline and the ability to make a lot of personal sacrifices. It's a very combative sport and a battle of wills. Who's going to quit first? And that's one of the things we emphasize the most -- never give in. Your opponent may end up scoring more points than you, but it won't be because of a lack of effort or commitment. Don't give up, because then you've lost more than just a wrestling match."
Those words tell more about Stottlemyer than any others. His work ethic is unquestionable as is his desire to keep Pitt among the elite wrestling programs in the country.
