Pacific University Men's Wrestling

Zach Binkerd was named men's and women's wrestling coach in the fall of 2022, returning to Pacific after a four-year wrestling career and a brief stint as an assistant coach for the program.  Binker enjoyed a very successful 2021-22 campaign, leading Sagel Bush to the national meet. Binkerd served as an assistant coach for a few seasons for the Boxers and helped three Boxer men's wrestlers reach the second round of the consolation round of the NCAA Division III West Regional in 2018-19 season. In the same season he helped four women wrestlers participate in the WCWA Wrestling Championships and two wrestlers earn Top four finishes at the Oregon Women's State Championship.  He competed four years on the mats for the Boxers after wrestling four years in high school at Hillsboro and earned three top eight finishes at State including a second place finish in the Oregon 5A State Championships in the weight class of 119lbs.  Binkerd earned his bachelor's degree in 2014 from Pacific. His father Kevin Binkerd also wrestled at Pacific and was inducted into the Pacific Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000. 

Cook plays a key role in hosting and running the Boxers home wrestling tournaments.   Cook served as a student assistant coach for the Boxers from 2008 to 2009 before leaving for a year to coach at Crook County High School in Prineville.  Cook was a four-year wrestler for the Boxers from 2005 to 2008.   A native of Canby, Ore., Cook was the 2005 Pac-9 Conference champion at 160 pounds and finished eighth in the weight class at the Oregon State Championships in both 2004 and 2005.   Cook graduated from Pacific in 2008 with a bachelors degree in history and earned his masters in education from Eastern Oregon University in 2010. He currently is a science and robotics teacher at Neil Armstrong Middle School in Forest Grove.  Marshall Cook

David Steinberg signed on as assistant coach of the Pacific handball team in 2013 in preparation for taking over from retiring head coach Mike Steele in 2015. As assistant coach, he was instrumental in preparing the 2014 Collegiate National Championship Boxer team and again in 2015 with four players winning individual titles.As a certified personal trainer, Steinberg instituted a performance and endurance oriented program for Boxer players which carries over to most other sports. Attention to precision athletic movement with careful oversight and repitition is a Steinberg trait that achieves results.Steinberg learned to play handball in high school 1972 and has played ever since. Steinberg was admitted to the prestigious Multnomah Athletic Club as an athletic member in 1987. He has competed for 40 years in national tournament play, winning back-to-back National Open Singles titles in 1988 and 1989. For the next 15 years Steinberg dominated Northwest handball, winning 13 state and four regional open championships.Steinberg's involvement with Pacific Handball dates back to 1999 when Steele requested him to do demonstrations and conduct clinics. Steinberg is also one of only a dozen Level 5 referees in the country and has officiated numerous national and world championship pro singles and doubles matches over the years.

Beechwood spent the 2011-12 season as an assistant coach at Highline Community College in Des Moines, Wash.  A NJCAA top-25 ranked program, Beechwood helped coach two NJCAA All-Americans and six national qualifiers.  The Thunderbirds finished second at their regional tournament, one of the best finishes in program history.   Prior to coming to Highline, Beechwood spent two seasons as the director of operations for the Division I wrestling program at Tennessee-Chattanooga.  During his two seasons with the Mocs, the team developed eight national qualifiers and placed seventh at the NCAA Division I Championships.  Before moving east, Beechwood spent one season coaching at Seaside (Ore.) High School and was a student assistant coach for the Boxers.   A native of Homer, Alaska, Beechwood graduated from Pacific in 2008 degree in economics.  He is married to the former Teresa Ayala, was a four-year member of the Pacific womens wrestling program. Beechwood is currently a financial analyst at Rivermark Community Credit Union in Portland.  Chris Beechwood

Walsh has helped lead a number of Boxers to west region and All-America honors during his tenure.   In 2014-15, Eric Harder became Pacifics first NCAA Division III West Region champion since 2002. The Boxers had four all-region wrestlers on the mens side last year. In 2013-14, Caleb Malychewski became Pacifics first NCAA Division III All-American since 2002 when he placed fifth at the national championships at 184 pounds. His 31-8 record was Pacifics best in a number of years.   That season, Walsh helped coach five Boxers to all-region honors and also had three National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-Americans.   In 2012-13, Pacific finished with a 6-9 dual meet record, which included victories over a Division III ranked squad from Loras and NAIA-ranked Baker (Kan.).  The Boxers also scored a 27-18 win over perennial NAIA power Southern Oregon, marking just the sixth time that Pacific had downed the Raiders.   Walsh saw three of his athletes place at the 2013 NCAA Division III West Regional Tournament.  Malychewski led the way, placing second in the 184-pound weight class.  He became the first Pacific wrestler to qualify for the NCAA Championship since 2006.  Walsh also coached three wrestlers, Malychewski, Bruce Balcita and Harder, to 20-plus win seasons.   On the womens side, Walsh has been successful in keeping a small, but dynamic program competitive.  In 2011-12, the Boxers finished second at the National Collegiate Wrestling Associations Womens Nationals and saw all but one of the women on the roster finish as All-Americans as designated by the NCWA.  Pacific also competed at the Womens Collegiate Wrestling Association freestyle nationals, where Megan Chun came home with a seventh place finish.   In 2014-15, Walsh coached Bailey Martinez to a seventh place finish at the WCWA, Pacifics first All-American since Chun. She finished 15-8 on the season.   Walsh came to Pacific after serving two seasons (2006-08) as the top graduate assistant coach at NCAA Division II St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn.  During his tenure, Walsh helped lead eight Huskies wrestlers to NCAA Division II national tournament berths.  During the 2006-07 season, the Huskies finished 12th at the NCAA Division II Championships and set a new school record with 13 dual meet victories.  The Huskies also finished 12th at the 2008 championships.   Prior to arriving at St. Cloud State, Walsh spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Dana College, a successful NAIA program in Blair, Neb.  At Dana, Walsh helped coach the Vikings to a fourth place nationals finish in 2005 and the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NCWA) national dual championship and NAIA national championship in 2006.  In addition, Danas 2006 team boasted the top non-Division I recruiting class in the nation.   Walsh began his coaching career at William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa, where he helped lead the Statesmen to a pair of NAIA Central Region championships, an 11th place NAIA National Tournament finish in 2003 and a sixth place finish in 2004.   A 1995 Washington high school state champion, Walsh wrestled two seasons for Yakima Valley Community College before transferring to William Penn.  He was the 2002 NAIA Central Region champion at 285 pounds and competed in the 2002 NAIA National Championships.   A native of Coulee City, Wash., Walsh earned his Bachelors degree in wellness and recreation from William Penn in 2004 and a teaching certification from Dana in 2006. Walsh and his wife, Annette, are the parents of a son, Ezekiel, and reside in Forest Grove.  Severin Walsh