Virginia Wrestling Names Pat McNamara Assistant Wrestling Coach
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July 2, 2003
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – University of Virginia head wrestling coach Lenny Bernstein has announced the addition of Pat McNamara to the Virginia wrestling coaching staff. McNamara, a 2001 graduate of Michigan State University, was named an assistant wrestling coach at UVa and will serve as Bernstein’s second assistant. He joins current assistant wrestling coaches Jim Stanec and Joey Seay on the Virginia coaching staff and replaces former UVa assistant coach Chuckie Connor.
McNamara comes to Virginia with a wealth of wrestling experience as both a wrestler and as a coach. He was a three-time All-American wrestler at Michigan State (2001, 2000, 1998) and compiled an impressive record of 108-28 overall, 49-16 in the Big Ten Conference. McNamara just missed becoming a four-time All-American selection after falling one victory short of the prestigious feat during the 1998-1999 season as a Spartan. He qualified for the NCAA Championships every season he competed at MSU and won a Big Ten Conference title as a sophomore. McNamara placed fifth at the NCAA Championships as a freshman, took sixth at the NCAA’s as a junior and senior and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals as a sophomore. He won the Big Ten Championships as a sophomore and finished runner-up as a senior, while also placing third as a senior and fourth as a freshman in the event.
McNamara climbed to a number one national ranking in his weight class (133-pounds) during the 1999-2000 season before competing in the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Star Meet. He turned in an overall record of 33-9 as a freshman (at 126-pounds) before going 33-8 (sophomore), 15-6 (junior) and 27-5 (senior) his last three seasons at Michigan State at 133.
Prior to arriving in Charlottesville, McNamara spent the previous two years in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan at Central Michigan University working towards his master’s degree in sport administration while also serving as a graduate assistant for CMU head wrestling coach Tom Borrelli. This past season at Central Michigan, McNamara helped guide the Chippewas to a record of 13-3 overall, 4-1 in the Mid-American Conference and to a first place finish in the MAC Championships. CMU had seven NCAA qualifiers advance to Nationals from its 2002-2003 squad.
Bernstein recognizes the accomplishments and experiences that McNamara brings with him to the Cavaliers, both on the mat as a competitor and off the mat with his coaching experiences.
“We are obviously very excited to add some one of Pat’s stature to our program here at UVa. It’s not everyday you hire a three-time All-American to join you on your staff,” said Bernstein. “The additional experience he brings from the Big Ten is a real plus to our program. One of the areas that Pat is known for is his work on the mat, so I expect our team to benefit greatly from the top and bottom positions. However, Pat also has quite a bit to add from his feet. His experience at Central Michigan provides him with a great deal of knowledge as a coach as well. His impact on CMU’s program was strong and I expect his coaching will get better every year.”
A native of Jordan, Minnesota, McNamara earned his degree in Kinesiology from Michigan State. He won three Minnesota state championships as a prep where he posted an overall record of 150-7 overall, including a perfect 40-0 mark during his junior year.
— UVa —