Turnbull out as WVU wrestling coach after 36 years

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. —West Virginia University athletics director Oliver Luck has opted not to renew wrestling coach Craig Turnbull’s contract next season.

Turnbull, the seventh-winningest active coach in the NCAA with 287 dual meet victories, was a four-time Eastern Wrestling League coach of the year who oversaw five individual national champions, 26 of the program’s 29 All-Americans, 42 EWL champions and more than 160 NCAA championships qualifiers.

Luck said a national search for a new wrestling coach at WVU will begin immediately.

“Craig has spent the last 36 years as the head of the Mountaineer wrestling program, and we appreciate his many years of service to West Virginia University,” Luck said. “He took over at the helm of the WVU wrestling program in 1979 after serving as an assistant coach here under Frank Liechti, coaching hundreds of Mountaineer wrestlers along the way. We wish him the best.”

Turnbull guided the Mountaineers to a 287-214-9 career record. This season, the Mountaineers finished 11-7 overall record and 0-3 in the Big 12.

His teams enjoyed a pinnacle in the 1990 and 1991 seasons, combining for a 25-6 record and winning back-to-back EWL dual meet crowns. The Mountaineers finished sixth at the 1991 NCAA championships and in eighth place at the 1991 national dual meet championships. That stretch was highlighted by Scott Collins winning the 142-pound national championship and Mark Banks earning back-to-back All-American honors.





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