UTC head wrestling coach Heath Eslinger announced the addition of Kyle Ruschell to the Mocs wrestling staff Wednesday. Ruschell replaces David Hoffman who is leaving to become the head coach at his high school alma mater, The Hill School in Pottstown, Pa.
Ruschell spent the previous eight seasons as an assistant coach at Wisconsin. A former member of the U.S. National Team (2014-15), he was a two-time All-American for the Badgers (2007-10).
"We are extremely excited to have Kyle join our staff," stated Eslinger. "He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our program. He has been around college wrestling, as a coach and a competitor, for a long time. I am excited for him to use that experience to make Chattanooga wrestling better."
As a member of the Wisconsin coaching staff, Ruschell specialized in leg riding, shot defense, scrambles, high level attacks and finishes. He coached five Badgers to seven All-America honors.
Ruschell helped Isaac Jordan win his first Big Ten championship and earn four All-America honors. Jordan was the program's first Big Ten champion since Trevor Brandvold in 2011.
Ruschell also coached Evan Wick to a third place finish at NCAAs in 2018, along with Ryan Taylor and Connor Medbery to All-America honors in 2015. In 2017, the Badgers sent nine wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, marking the program's highest number of qualifiers since 2007.
Ruschell has twice compete in the World Team trials in Fargo, N.D., most recently in 2018. He made the U.S. National Team in 2014. He placed third in the U.S. Open and finished third in Phase II of the World Team Trials after beating two-time national champion Kellen Russell from Michigan and national team member Frank Mollinaro, who was a national champion for Penn State.
In the fight to "Save Olympic Wrestling", Ruschell was asked to be a representative for the sport at the Kentucky state capital as they passed a state bylaw to keep wrestling in the Olympics.
The Crittenden, Ky. native was a four-time NCAA championship qualifier for the Badgers, earning All-America honors twice at 149 lbs. The four-year letter winner served as team captain his junior and senior seasons.
Ruschell is the only two-time All-American from Kentucky and the highest placer in the NCAA Division I championships. At Ryle High School, Ruschell was a two-time state champion and four-time conference champion.