North Dakota State University Men's Wrestling

Kish on Facebook Coach Kish on Twitter Roger Kish is in his sixth season as head coach of the North Dakota State wrestling team.  He is the fourth head coach in the 59-year history of the Bison wrestling program. He has a 40-34 overall record including 19-6 in the Big 12 Conference (2-2) and Western Wrestling Conference (17-4) duals. He spent two years as an assistant wrestling coach at NDSU prior to taking the head coaching position for the 2011-12 season. Kish led the Bison to a seventh place finish in their first appearance at the Big 12 Championships last season. Hayden Zillmer was Big 12 runner-up at 184 pounds, while Josh Rodriguez (125) and Clay Ream (149) both placed third. Zillmer landed a spot on the U.S. National Greco-Roman team over the summer, while Ream was the NCAA Elite 90 Award winner at the 2016 NCAA Wrestling Championships in New York City. Kish has directed the Bison to a pair of NCAA West Regional/Western Wrestling Conference championships (2014, 2015) and two WWC regular season titles (2013, 2015). Kish is a three-time WWC Coach of the Year award and the Bison have produced 17 NCAA West Region/WWC individual champions. Four wrestlers, Trent Sprenkle (2013, 125/5th), Steven Monk (2014, 165/3rd), Kurtis Julson (2015, 174/8th) and Hayden Zillmer (2015, 184/6th) have earned All-American honors. Kish joined the NDSU program after a successful wrestling career at the University of Minnesota. Kish was a graduate assistant for the Gophers in 2008-09.  A Lapeer, Mich. native, he was a two-time All-American and two-time NCAA runner-up for the Gophers at 184 pounds.  He had a career record of 117-27 for the Gophers.  As a sophomore, he went 35-7 en route to a Big Ten title and an NCAA runner-up finish.  In his junior season, Kish was 37-3 and was the Big Ten and national runner-up.  He was also a team captain. Kish graduated from Minnesota in May 2008 with a bachelors degree in business and marketing education. He was also a two-time cadet national champion and also captured a USA Wrestling junior national title. At Lapeer West High School, he was a four-time Michigan state champion.  Kish is the son of Roger and Brenda Kish.  His older brother, James, wrestled at North Carolina. Roger Kish Head Coach Coach Kish on Facebook Coach Kish on Twitter Roger Kish is in his sixth season as head coach of the North Dakota State wrestling team.  He is the fourth head coach in the 59-year history of the Bison wrestling program. He has a 40-34 overall record including 19-6 in the Big 12 Conference (2-2) and Western Wrestling Conference (17-4) duals. He spent two years as an assistant wrestling coach at NDSU prior to taking the head coaching position for the 2011-12 season. Kish led the Bison to a seventh place finish in their first appearance at the Big 12 Championships last season. Hayden Zillmer was Big 12 runner-up at 184 pounds, while Josh Rodriguez (125) and Clay Ream (149) both placed third. Zillmer landed a spot on the U.S. National Greco-Roman team over the summer, while Ream was the NCAA Elite 90 Award winner at the 2016 NCAA Wrestling Championships in New York City. Kish has directed the Bison to a pair of NCAA West Regional/Western Wrestling Conference championships (2014, 2015) and two WWC regular season titles (2013, 2015). Kish is a three-time WWC Coach of the Year award and the Bison have produced 17 NCAA West Region/WWC individual champions. Four wrestlers, Trent Sprenkle (2013, 125/5th), Steven Monk (2014, 165/3rd), Kurtis Julson (2015, 174/8th) and Hayden Zillmer (2015, 184/6th) have earned All-American honors. Kish joined the NDSU program after a successful wrestling career at the University of Minnesota. Kish was a graduate assistant for the Gophers in 2008-09.  A Lapeer, Mich. native, he was a two-time All-American and two-time NCAA runner-up for the Gophers at 184 pounds.  He had a career record of 117-27 for the Gophers.  As a sophomore, he went 35-7 en route to a Big Ten title and an NCAA runner-up finish.  In his junior season, Kish was 37-3 and was the Big Ten and national runner-up.  He was also a team captain. Kish graduated from Minnesota in May 2008 with a bachelors degree in business and marketing education. He was also a two-time cadet national champion and also captured a USA Wrestling junior national title. At Lapeer West High School, he was a four-time Michigan state champion.  Kish is the son of Roger and Brenda Kish.  His older brother, James, wrestled at North Carolina.

Rivera is in his fifth season as an assistant coach at North Dakota State after joining the Bison staff prior to the 2011-12 season. In 2015, he helped coach senior 174-pounder Kurtis Julson to an eighth-place finish and 184-pound junior Hayden Zillmer to a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. As a team, the Bison won the NCAA West Regional/Western Wrestling Conference championship with 70.5 points with five individual champions and one runner-up. Rivera joined NDSU in 2011 after spending one year as an assistant coach at Virginia and two years as a graduate assistant at Minnesota. While at Virginia, he helped coach two All-America performers. While a graduate assistant for the Gophers, he also served as the assistant director at the School of Champions, a wrestling training program for junior high and high school students. Additionally, he was a volunteer wrestling coach at Rosemead High School. A native of El Monte, Calif., Rivera was a three-time NCAA qualifier at Minnesota and earned All-America honors as a senior after finishing seventh at 141 pounds at the NCAA Championships. He was also a starter on Minnesotas 2007 national championship team. He finished his career with a record of 113-40 and 27 pins and was team captain as a senior. Manny Rivera Assistant Coach Manny Rivera is in his fifth season as an assistant coach at North Dakota State after joining the Bison staff prior to the 2011-12 season. In 2015, he helped coach senior 174-pounder Kurtis Julson to an eighth-place finish and 184-pound junior Hayden Zillmer to a sixth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. As a team, the Bison won the NCAA West Regional/Western Wrestling Conference championship with 70.5 points with five individual champions and one runner-up. Rivera joined NDSU in 2011 after spending one year as an assistant coach at Virginia and two years as a graduate assistant at Minnesota. While at Virginia, he helped coach two All-America performers. While a graduate assistant for the Gophers, he also served as the assistant director at the School of Champions, a wrestling training program for junior high and high school students. Additionally, he was a volunteer wrestling coach at Rosemead High School. A native of El Monte, Calif., Rivera was a three-time NCAA qualifier at Minnesota and earned All-America honors as a senior after finishing seventh at 141 pounds at the NCAA Championships. He was also a starter on Minnesotas 2007 national championship team. He finished his career with a record of 113-40 and 27 pins and was team captain as a senior.