Brian Anderson took over as the Wabash College wrestling coach for the 2004-2005 season and has fashioned one of the top Division III programs in the nation.
Anderson guided Wabash to second place at the 2022 NCAA Division III National Wrestling Tournament, its best finish in program history while finishing one point behind national champion Wartburg College. Five Little Giants earned All-America honors with Carlos Champagne, Kyle Hatch, and Jack Heldt finishing in second place in each of their respective weight classes. Heldt was also named the 2022 NCAA Elite 90 Award recipient for the Division III Wrestling Championships as the student-athlete competing at the championships with highest cumulative grade-point average. Heldt, Grant Johnson, and Tyson Nisley were recognized as Scholar All-Americans by the National Wrestling Coaches Association, while Wabash was named a Scholar All-America Wrestling Team by the organization. All-American Chase Baczek was named to the 2022 D3wrestle.com All-Freshmen Team. Anderson ended the season as the 2022 NCAA Division III Wrestling Coach of the Year, D3wrestle.com Coach of the Year, and NCAA DIII Central Region Coach of the Year.
The Little Giants finished tenth at the 2023 NCAA championships. Senior Jack Heldt capped his career by winning the 285-pound title. Chase Baczek joined Heldt as an All-American by placing seventh at 184 pounds. Wabash sent six of its ten regional entries to the national championship tournament. Â
The Little Giants produced 10 National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-Americans in 2021 despite not competing on the mat due to COVID-19 protocols. Anderson and four Wabash wrestlers were set to compete at the 2020 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament when the event was canceled. Hatch, Darden Schurg, Maxwell Bishop, and Alex Barr received All-America honors for the their top-three finishes at the NCAA regional. The Little Giant team, along with seven individual wrestlers, were named to the Scholar All-America team in 2020.Â
Wabash added three All-American honors and a ninth-place team finish at the 2019 NCAA Championship Tournament. The Little Giants scored a fifth-place finish at the 2018 tournament and earned three more All-America awards.Â
Anderson's 2016-17 team tied for its highest finish in school history by placing third at the NCAA DIII National Championship Tournament. The Little Giants sent a school-record seven qualifiers to the championship event, finishing with one national champion and four All-Americans. Riley Lefever became only the second wrestler in Division III history and 11th in NCAA history at any level to win four national titles, capping his career with a pin in the 197-pound title bout. Nick Bova finalized his career with a third-place finish at 157 pounds. Devin Broukal placed fourth at 141 pounds. Freshman Owen Doster earned seventh place in his first trip to the national tournament. Lefever and Doster also earned Scholar All-America honors. The Little Giants tied for 26th as a Scholar All-America team. Wabash captured the 2017 Midwest Regional title and earned the seven spots at the national tournament. Anderson was named Regional Coach of the Year.
The 2015-16 Wabash squad capped the season under Anderson with a fourth-place finish and a pair of national champions. Riley Lefever captured his third consecutive individual crown at 184 pounds — becoming the 16th wrestler in DIII history to earn three straight championships. Devin Broukal stormed his way through the 133-pound bracket to claim the national championship at the DIII tournament. Nick Bova added an eighth-place finish at 154 pounds to earn All-America honors. The Little Giants advanced six wrestlers out of regionals to the national tournament. Wabash captured the Midwest Regional title and finished 13-1 in dual meets with the team's only loss coming in head-to-head competition against national champion Wartburg. Ethan Farmer, Lefever, Tim Locksmith, Brett Thumm, and SaVonne Bennette were also named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-America Team.
Anderson's 2014-15 Wabash wrestling team reached new heights in the lengthy and storied history of the program. The Little Giants captured third place --- the best team finish ever --- at the 2015 NCAA Division III Wrestling National Championship tournament. Two Little Giant wrestlers won national titles. Riley Lefever repeated as the top 184-pound wrestler in Division III to become the first back-to-back national champion in Wabash wrestling history. His older brother, Conner Lefever, won the 174-pound national title for his first championship and first time in program history two Little Giants stood at the top of the podium. The third Lefever brother, Reece Lefever, finished second at 157 pounds to earn All-America honors for the third consecutive year --- the first Wabash wrestler to accomplish that feat. Ethan Farmer added a seventh-place finish at 165 pounds, giving Wabash a record-setting four All-Americans at one tournament. Devin Broukal added key tournament points at 133 pounds. The Little Giants also boasted a fifth-place finish among all wrestling programs in the National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-America Team standings with a grade point average of 3.51, the fifth straight season Wabash has finished among the top-16 teams in the nation in that program. Six individuals --- Farmer, Tommy Poynter, Brett Thumm, and the three Lefever brothers --- were named Scholar All-Americans by the NWCA.
Anderson and his staff guided Wabash to its second-highest finish at the 2014 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships with a ninth-place finish. Riley Lefever became the first Little Giants to win a wrestling national title, capturing the 184-pound weight class title. Wabash tied a school record by sending a total of six competitors to the championship tournament. Lefever went on to be named the NCAA DIII Freshman of the Year by d3wrestle.com after winning the national title while posting a perfect 38-0 record. Reece Lefever became the second Little Giant to win back-to-back All-America honors with his fourth-place finish at 157 pounds after taking seventh place in 2013. Wabash also earned National Wrestling Coach Association Scholar All-America Team honors, ranking 16th among DIII programs. Five members of the Wabash team — Ethan Farmer, Reece Lefever, Tommy Poynter, Josh Sampson, and Drew Songer— received individual Scholar All-America honors. Anderson was voted NCAA DIII Midwest Wrestling Regional Coach of the Year after his Little Giant team finished third in the team standings.
Anderson guided the 2004-05 Wabash wrestling team to its first NCAA Regional title since 1983, earning Midwest Regional Coach of the Year honors. He sent two wrestlers to the 2005 NCAA Championships, including eventual second-place All-American 174-pounder Chris Healy. Garrett Pino advanced to the Nationals after winning the Midwest Regional at 141 pounds in 2006. Keith Garrard finished fifth at 197 pounds at the 2007 NCAA Championships.Â
Anderson produced two more national qualifiers during the 2009-2010 season. In 2011, junior Greg Rhoads represented Wabash at the national meet, finishing eighth at 184 pounds to earn All-America honors. Josh Boyer, Graham Youngs, and Pat Clegg were named to the Scholar All-America team, while the Little Giant program overall finished 20th in the final National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar Team Awards list with a GPA of 3.274.
In 2012, senior Greg Rhoads returned to the national meet, finishing eighth at 184 pounds for the second consecutive year and became the school's first back-to-back All-American. Josh Boyer, Josh Sampson, and Drew Songer were named to the Scholar All-America team, and the Wabash team finished 16th in the final National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar Team Awards list with a GPA of 3.318.
The Little Giants sent two wrestlers to nationals in 2013 — Jake Strausbaugh and Reece Lefever. Stausbaugh ended his four-year career tied for the Wabash all-time wins record, while Lefever earned All-America honors with his seventh-place finish at 157 pounds. Lefever and his brother, Conner, were recognized by the NWCA as Scholar All-Americans, while the Wabash team's GPA of 3.53 was third-best among Division III programs.
Anderson has also been instrumental in Wabash's ability to serve as the host school for the 2008, 2011, and 2014 NCAA Division III Midwest Wrestling Regional.
Anderson spent two years as an assistant at Manchester College, where he helped the program produce seven national qualifiers and three All-American wrestlers. The Spartans produced a 15th place finish at the NCAA Division III National Championship meet in 2003 and an 18th place finish last season with his assistance.
Anderson wrestled for four seasons at Manchester, graduating in 1999 before heading to Michigan City High School as the head wrestling coach for three years. While wrestling at Manchester, Anderson helped the squad to two sixth-place finishes at nationals while picking up more than 100 victories in his career. He was two-time Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference champion and earned a Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference title at 184 pounds. In 1999 he was an Academic All-American and earned the Manchester College Senior Leadership Academic Award. He also received the 1999 Jim Gratz Leadership Award.
He and his wife, Lauren, reside in Crawfordsville. They have three daughters, Brynn, Kelsey, and Annabel.
Brian Anderson's Career Record:
(Career Record: 158-60-1 in dual meets)
2021-2022: 8-1 dual meet record; Second Place at the 2022 NCAA Division III Wrestling National Championship Tournament; Five All-Americans and seven national qualifiers; three national second-place finishers; Jack Heldt named 2022 NCAA Elite 90 Award recipient for DIII wrestling; 2022 NWCA Scholar All-America Team; Three 2022 NWCA Scholar All-Americans; Chase Baczek named to 2022 D3wrestle.com All-Freshmen Team; Anderson named 2022 NCAA DIII Coach of the Year, 2022 D3wrestle.com Coach of the Year, and 2022 NCAA DIII Central Region Coach of the Year.
2020-2021: No competition due to COVID-19 pandemic. Ten Scholar All-Americans.Â
2019-2020: 11-2 dual meet record; Four national qualifiers and All-Americans for the 2020 NCAA DIII National Championship Tournament (cancelled due to COVID-19). Seven Scholar All-Americans; Scholar All-America Team honors (seventh in DIII).
2018-19:Â 6-3; Tied Ninth Place, NCAA DIII Wrestling National Championship tournament; One National Champion;Â Three All-Americans; Six National Qualifiers; d3wrestle.com Wrestler of the Year (Darden Schurg); Four Scholar All-Americans
2017-18: 7-2; Fifth Place, NCAA DIII Wrestling National Championship tournament; Three All-Americans; Five National Qualifiers; Five Scholar All-Americans; Tied for 12th Place Scholar All-America Team
2016-17: 7-2; Third Place, NCAA DIII Wrestling National Championship tournament; One National Champion;Â Four All-Americans; Seven National Qualifiers; Two Scholar All-Americans; Tied for 26th Place Scholar All-America Team.
2015-16: 13-1; Fourth Place, NCAA DIII Wrestling National Championship tournament; Two National Champions;Â One National 8th-place finisher; Six National Qualifiers; Five Scholar All-Americans;17th Place Scholar All-America Team.
2014-15: 12-2; Third Place, NCAA DIII Wrestling National Championship tournament; Two National Champions; One National Runner-Up; One National 7th-place finisher; Five National Qualifiers; Six Scholar All-Americans; Fifth Place Scholar All-America Team.
2013-14: 13-3; One National Champion; Two All-Americans; Six National Qualifiers; Five Scholar All-Americans; 16th-Place Scholar All-America Team.
2012-13: 9-5; One All-American, Two National Qualifiers; Two Scholar All-Americans; Third-Place Scholar All-America Team.
2011-12:Â 12-3; One All-American; Three Scholar All-Americans; Scholar All-America Team.
2010-11: 11-4; One All-American; Three Scholar All-Americans; Scholar All-America Team.
2009-10: 11-4; Two National Qualifiers
2008-09: 6-4
2007-08: 5-6-1
2006-07: 8-2; One All-American; One Scholar All-American.
2005-06: 10-8; One National Qualifier; One Scholar All-American.
2004-05: 9-8; One All-American, Three National Qualifiers; Midwest Wrestling Regional Champions; Regional Coach of the Year; Four Scholar All-Americans; Scholar All-America Team.
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