Battista Rejoins Virginia Wrestling Program As Assistant Coach
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Michael Battista, a two-time NCAA qualifier who wrestled for the Virginia wrestling program from 2017-2023, has rejoined the program as an assistant coach, head coach Steve Garland announced on Wednesday (Sept. 10).
Battista qualified for the 2022 and 2023 NCAA Championships, earning an automatic bid at 184 pounds each season through his performance at the ACC Championships. He posted 72 wins over his career, including a 27-12 record in his final season with the Hoos that included multiple wins over nationally-ranked opponents. He was named ACC Wrestler of the Week in the 2022-23 season after going 4-0 at the Virginia Duals and capping the weekend with a win over No. 11 Jaxon Smith of Maryland.
In freestyle wrestling, Battista took third at the 2021 U23 World Team Trials and then posted a fourth-place finish at the 2022 U.S. Open at 92kg in senior freestyle.
In addition to his success on the mat, Battista was also a standout in the classroom. He was a three-time Scholar All-America honoree from the National Wrestling Coaches Association and a three-time member of the ACC Wrestling All-Academic Team.
Steve Garland On Bringing Michael Battista Back To The Virginia Program
“It was a no-brainer to bring Michael back to the program. Michael got two degrees here while he was a student-athlete. He got an undergraduate and master’s, and maintained a great GPA while succeeding at a high level as well. So he’s a great example to our current athlete to what it takes. He also developed when he was here and had success while qualifying for the NCAA Championships, but also had lots of freestyle success as well. He took third at the U.S. Open and third at the U23 World Team Trials, so he has competed at the highest level and that is good for our guys to be around. Finally, I think that personally for me, I really enjoy working with former athletes that I got the coach because there’s a level of relationship there that runs deep. And why that is important is because when the adversity and the trial hits every season, which inevitably it will that strong bond helps you navigate through that.”
Michael Battista On Returning To Coach At Virginia
“It’s a privilege to be back here and I couldn’t be more grateful. After I graduated, I worked out in Texas for a little while before coming back to Northern Virginia to run and grow a couple different private gyms for over a year and half while starting my online business. Although these were great experiences, nothing compares to being back in Charlottesville with the UVA wrestling family. To have the opportunity to be here and help grow the program is a great honor. I’m very excited to get to work with our guys and help make things happen this year. This is a special place that has done so much for me and I’m stoked to be able to give back to this program. Big shout out to Coach Garland and everyone else who helped get me this opportunity – thank you and I’m looking forward to an awesome season for UVA wrestling.”