Messiah College Men's Wrestling

Brunk enters his 14th season at the helm of Messiah wrestling in 2016-17, serving as the programs fifth head coach in their 40-plus year history. From 2013 through 2016 the Falcons put together arguably the most successful three-year runs in program history. They've gone 59-5 across those three seasons while collecting three-straight Mideast Regional Championships, producing 13 All-American honors, and finishing as third, sixth, and second in the nation, respectively. Among those individual accolades were three NCAA Division III National Championships: Kaleb Loht (141) in 2014, and both Lucas Malmberg (125) and Ben Swarr (174) in 2016. Malmberg also finished as National Runner-Up in both 2014 and 2015. In recognition of his tremendous leadership of Messiah's program, Brunk was honored as NWCA National Coach of the Year in both 2014 and 2016. Since being appointed the Falcons leader prior to the 2003-04 season, it has been easy to see the strong influence Brunk has had on the program. He was named the 2004 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) NCAA Division III Rookie Coach of the Year, and has since coached 29 NCAA National Championships qualifiers and 18 NCAA All-Americans. Perhaps most importantly, however, Brunk has orchestrated a program that has become known for excellence both on and off the mat. Brunk earned the 2005 NWCA Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence Award an honor bestowed to an outstanding coach who epitomizes the qualities and characteristics of a role model and mentor for developing young student-athletes while Messiah boasted the highest team GPA among all of NCAA Division III in 2006. They also finished second in both 2004 and 2007. We want to provide the best overall wrestling experience in the country, Brunk said. Team unity, academic excellence, spiritual growth and competitive wrestling ... those facets are equally important here. I think thats what makes us unique. Its common to find places where one or two of those things are important, but we pride ourselves on valuing the entire package. Brunks holisitc approach has yielded incredible results, as Messiah has boasted an NCAA National Championships qualifier in all but one of Brunks years as head coach. We strive to win, but its not our overriding purpose, Brunk said. Make no mistake, winning is a clear goal. But it is not our purpose. Prior to coming to Messiah, Brunk was an assistant coach for the University of Southern Maine from 1998-2003. He served at USM under long-time mentor Ted Reese a Maine Amateur Wrestling Association Hall of Fame Coach and National High School Coach of the Year. As a prep, Brunk wrestled for Reese at Bonny Eagle High School, and delivered outstanding results: Splitting time between the 130- and 145-weight classes, Brunk compiled a 112-8 record, winning three Maine State Championships. He was named Honorable Mention All-American by Wrestling USA magazine and was named Academic All-American by Amateur Wrestling News. Brunk began his collegiate career at Wheaton College (Ill.), serving the Crusaders as a two-year starter at 150 pounds. He placed fourth and second in the NCAA Division III West Regional, and was named the first alternate to the NCAA National Championships as a sophomore. While at Wheaton, Brunk finished second and first in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Championships. Brunk then transferred closer to home in 1996, attending Western New England College for his final two years of athletic eligibility. He won New England Conference Championships at the conclusion of each season, qualifying for the NCAA Championships as both a junior and a senior. During his final year of collegiate wrestling, Brunk was named an NWCA Academic All-American. Brunk graduated from Western New England in 1998, earning a bachelor of arts degree in history. He received a masters degree in teaching and learning from the University of Southern Maine in 2004. Brunk has been married to his wife, Bethany, for 16 years. The couple has four children: Asa, Reese, Abel and Ky. The family resides in Grantham.

Hogan enters his fifth season as assistant coach in the 2016-17 season, his eighth-straight year with the Falcons. A native of Temperance, Michigan, Hogan was a four-year wrestler at Messiah and graduated in 2013.   Hogan has been alongside head coach Bryan Brunk for three of the most impressive seasons in program history, starting with a National Third Place finish in 2013-14. That season the Falcons earned five All-Americans highlighted by Kaleb Loht's National Championship at 141. In 2014-15 the Falcons finished sixth in Division III while earning three morning All-American honors and, last season, both Lucas Malmberg (125) and Ben Swarr (174) won National Championships to highlight six All-Americans and seven total NCAA Qualififers helping Messiah to a National Runner-Up finish.  Aside from coaching on the mat, Hogan focuses on developing the Falcons' wrestling strength and conditioning program.  

Plummer enters his second year as a graduate assistant with the Messiah College wrestling program in 2015-16. Plummer joins the staff after graduating from Messiah in 2014 with a degree in Sports Management.   Plummer was a four-year letter winner for Messiah at 165 and 174 pounds. He earned All-American honors his senior season at 174 pounds when he finished fifth in the NCAA Division III National Tournament. He is also top-10 in all-time career wins with 117 victories.   In addition to coaching at Messiah, Plummer is pursuing his Masters Degree in Higher Education with a concentration in College Athletic Management.