Landon Williams is a collegiate wrestling coach, currently at Central College (Iowa) in Pella, Iowa. Williams was announced as Central's head men's wrestling coach in April 2024 following 5 years as an assistant at his alma mater, Wartburg.[1]
| Current position | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Team | Central (IA) |
| Conference | ARC |
| Record | 0–0 (–) |
| Biographical details | |
| Born | Eldridge, IA |
| Alma mater | Wartburg |
| Playing career | |
| Wrestling | |
| 2011-2014 | Wartburg |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| 2014-2015 | Wartburg (asst.) |
| 2015-2019 | Holy Cross HS (LA) |
| 2019-2024 | Wartburg (asst.) |
| 2024-Present | Central (IA) |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 0–0 (–) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| As wrestler: 4x NCAA Team National Champion (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014) 2012 NCAA 165 lb. National Champion 2014 NCAA 174 lb. National Champion As assistant coach: 2022 NCAA Team National Champion 3x NCAA Team National Runner-up(2015, 2023, 2024) | |
Wrestling career
editHigh School
editWilliams went to high school in Davenport, Iowa at Davenport Assumption high school where he was member of the wrestling team. In his senior season he would finish with an undefeated season at 47-0 and a state championship at 160lbs.[2]
College
editLandon was a 4-year member of the Wartburg Knights wrestling program. During his time at Wartburg he won 4 team national titles and two individual titles. In 2012, his sophomore campaign, he won his first NCAA national title at 165 lbs. with a win over Coe College's Nick LeClere.[3] In his final season as a Knight, Williams capped off the year with a pin in the 174 lbs. national final against Anthony Bonaventura of Waynesburg to secure his second national title.[4] He finished his career with 135–15 record and as a 2x team captain, 2x NCAA champion, 3x NCAA all-American, and 4x NCAA team champion.
Collegiate coaching career
editWartburg
editWilliams began his coaching career at Wartburg College following his graduation in 2014 for one season. Then after a stint coaching high school wrestling at Holy Cross in Louisiana, Williams would return to Wartburg in 2019 to coach under head coach Eric Keller.[5] During his time at Wartburg, Williams would help the Knights return to the top of the NCAA wrestling world by winning the 2022 NCAA team title, the programs first since 2018.[6] In his final two seasons at Wartburg the program would finish as back to back National Runner-ups.[7] In his coaching career at Wartburg, Williams was a part of the 2022 NCAA team national championships, 3 NCAA team national runner-ups(2015, 2023–2024), and helped coach 6 individual national champions and 42 all-Americans.
Central
editOn April 8, 2024, Landon Williams was named the head men's wrestling coach at Central College (IA).[8] Williams is the 11th head coach in program history.
Coaching results
editReferences
edit- ^ Selvig, Dave (April 9, 2024). "Williams hired as Central College wrestling coach". Quad-City Times. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ Heaton, Shannon (February 21, 2010). "Williams leaves trail of victims on way to 2A title". Quad-City Times. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ Nelson, Jim (March 11, 2012). "Wartburg clinches ninth Division III wrestling championship". Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ Nelson, Jim (March 15, 2014). "Wartburg wins 4th consecutive Division III wrestling title". Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ Trahan, Ken (May 7, 2018). "Azinger named head wrestling coach, Williams Director of Wrestling Operations at Holy Cross". Crescent City Sports. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ Goodwin, Cody. "Wartburg wins exciting team race over Wabash for Division III wrestling national title". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved Feb 7, 2023.
- ^ McKown, Eli (March 16, 2024). "Wartburg wrestling takes 2nd at NCAA Division III Championships, Upper Iowa is 17th in Division II". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
- ^ "Former NCAA champ Williams to lead Central men's wrestling program". athletics.central.edu. Central Dutch Athletics. 8 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.