HARTSVILLE, S.C. – Coker College vice president of athletics and facilities Lynn Griffin announced today that Cy Wainwright has been appointed as head wrestling coach. Wainwright will be the first coach in the program's history.
"Cy understands how to build a program with quality student-athletes," said Griffin. "He brings a championship mentality to this position, which is exactly what we were looking for. As a champion himself, Cy knows how to win, and we believe he will bring that mindset to our student-athletes. His wrestling accomplishments speak for themselves, and I have no doubt he will come in and build a successful, winning program here at Coker."
Wainwright comes to Coker after serving as head coach at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas, since May 2011. Prior to that, he served as an assistant wrestling coach at St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn., for two years. In addition, he has served as an assistant coach at Atlantic High School in Port Orange, Fla.
"I am very grateful for the opportunity to become the first head wrestling coach at Coker College," Wainwright said. "Coker is a great place for students to achieve academic and athletic excellence, and I'm pleased to be part of a signature institution in a beautiful city with such a proud history. The addition of wrestling at Coker College is a testament to the growth and popularity of the sport in the Southeast. I look forward to building a great program at Coker College."
Originally from Green Cove Spring, Fla., Wainwright attended Newberry College, where he was an accomplished wrestler at the Division II level. He won the national championship in his weight class and was runner-up for Division II wrestler of the year in 2009, was a two-time All-American and served as captain of the team for three years.
Wainwright graduated from Newberry with a bachelor's degree in secondary education in 2009. He received his master's in sports management from St. Cloud State in 2012.
The national search for a head coach came immediately after Coker announced it was adding wrestling as its 17th Division II sport. The program begins competition in the 2013-14 academic year, with the first match slated for November 2013.
For more information, contact Chris Dougherty, manager of athletics media relations, at 843-383-8018 or cdougherty@coker.edu.
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Coker College readies undergraduates for personal and professional success through a distinctive four-year program that emphasizes a practical application of the liberal arts as well as hands-on and discussion-based learning within and beyond the classroom. Coker is ranked among the "Best Colleges" in the South by U.S. News & World Report as well as The Princeton Review. Located in Hartsville, S.C., Coker is within two hours of the cultural, financial and recreational resources of Charlotte, Columbia, Charleston and Myrtle Beach.