Matt Zwaschka, a former assistant coach for the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater wrestling team, returned to campus as he was named head coach on September 18, 2018. He enters his fifth season as the Warhawks' head coach in 2022-23.
In 2021-22, Jaritt Shinhoster captured the national championship at 184 pounds to lead the Warhawks to a tie for 17th place at the NCAA Championship. Zwaschka led UW-W to a 9-1 dual record during the regular season, including a 4-1 mark against Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference competition.
Zwaschka's 2019-20 team tied a Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference high with four individual conference titles and finished as WIAC runner-up and NCAA Upper Midwest Regional second runner-up. The Warhawks qualified four individuals for the NCAA Championship, including three top-four seeds, before the national tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
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In the 2018-19 season, Zwaschka led the Warhawks to a seventh-place finish at the 2019 NCAA Championships. Mike Tortorice finished runner up at 125 pounds and Riley Kauzlaric finished third at 197 pounds. The team finished as runner-up at the WIAC Championship, where it claimed five individual titles. In his first year as head coach, Zwaschka helped four Warhawks earn All-American, three earn NWCA All-Academic honors and three earn a total of five WIAC Athlete of the Week awards.
Zwaschka served as an assistant coach for the Warhawks from 2005-11, working in all aspects of the program. He helped the team tie for 12th at the 2009 NCAA Championships and coached seven All-Americans, eight Academic All-Americans and six individual Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champions.
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After leaving UW-Whitewater, Zwaschka was hired as head wrestling coach at the Milwaukee School of Engineering in 2013, helping four Raiders reach the NCAA Championships during his five years at the helm. He coached one All-American and seven Academic All-Americans while overseeing all aspects of the program and serving as assistant director of recreation at MSOE.
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Zwaschka also worked as an assistant wrestling coach and assistant football coach at Port Washington High School during his tenure at MSOE. He was a physical education and health education teacher in the Port Washington Saukville School District from 2011-13.
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Zwaschka is currently the Junior Greco Roman National Team coach for the Wisconsin Wrestling Federation, a position he has held since 2012.
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A native of Marshfield, Zwaschka wrestled at UW-La Crosse during his undergraduate career, earning four letters and claiming the WIAC championship and a spot at the NCAA Championships at 165 pounds in 2003. He earned his bachelor’s in exercise and sports science (physical education) in 2003 and his master’s in exercise and sports science in 2005 at UW-La Crosse.
(Last Updated: June 29, 2022)
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