University of Chicago Men's Wrestling

Kocher, UChicago has produced multiple All-Americans in each of the past three decades. Four Maroons have earned All-America accolades during the 2000s after 10 garnered national acclaim in the 1990s and eight in the 1980s. UChicago's Peter Wang captured the national title at 177 pounds in 1991 and again in 1992 when he was named the NCAA Division III Wrestler of the Year. Two other Maroons, Joe Bochenski (1988 - 134 lbs.) and Gene Shin (1986 - 190 lbs.), finished as the national runner-up. Wang, Bochenski and Shin have all been inducted into UChicago's Athletics Hall of Fame. In 2013, Kocher was honored with a lifetime service award by the Illinois Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. Prior to his arrival at UChicago, Kocher served a two-year stint as assistant coach at Northwestern University. Kocher began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Northern Illinois University. In addition to his coaching experience, Kocher has been actively involved in collegiate wrestling as a member of the NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee. From 1990-96, he was a member of this 12-person committee which oversaw the rules of wrestling and the conduct of NCAA Wrestling Championships in Divisions I, II, and III. Kocher enjoyed an outstanding competitive wrestling career. He competed at Northwestern where he co-captained the team his senior year. He was a two-time runner-up in the 158-pound weight class at the Midlands Tournament, and was a first alternate at 163 pounds for the U.S. World University Games Freestyle Team. After his college career, Kocher earned distinction in national and international competition, winning the Montreal Open in 1974 and capturing second place in the 1974 U.S. Freestyle National Open. His other career highlights include a third-place finish at the 1973 U.S. Greco Roman National Open and a fourth-place effort at the 1976 AAU Freestyle National Open. After earning a bachelor's degree in history from Northwestern, Kocher went on to receive a master's degree in education from NU. In 1987, he earned an MBA from UChicago's nationally-recognized Graduate School of Business.

Matt Gentry enters his second year as the Head Wrestling Coach and his fourth year as a member of the wrestling coaching staff at the University of Chicago in the 2025-26 academic year. In Gentry's first year as a head coach of the Maroons, he was named the NWCA Rookie Coach of the Year award after leading the team to a 24th place finish in the NCAA Championships in 2025 with three individuals qualifying for the National Championships. The team was highlighted by Sean Conway who earned 1st-Team All-American honors after becoming the first UChicago wrestler to reach the National Championship match since 1992. Gentry previously served as a part-time assistant coach for the Maroons during the 2021-22 academic year. He helped mentor two All-Americans, the University Athletic Association (UAA) Wrestler of the Year and five UAA weight class champions during the course of the season. Gentry produced stellar results throughout his competitive career on both the collegiate and international stages. A four-time NCAA national qualifier at Stanford University, he became the school’s first NCAA wrestling champion when he won the 157-pound title in 2004. Upon graduation, Gentry stayed involved as an assistant coach at Stanford for five years while simultaneously pursuing his international wrestling career. He represented Canada at both the 2008 and 2012 Olympics, placing fifth at 74 kg (163 pounds) in 2012. Gentry is also a two-time medalist at the Pan American Games. Gentry graduated from Stanford with a degree in human biology in 2005. He later earned his doctorate in physical therapy. Gentry Record at UChicago Year Overall UAA Finish NCAA Finish 2025 5-3 2nd 24th Total   5-3     Overall Win Percentage: .625

Jason Tsirtsis enters his second year as the Assistant Wrestling Coach at the University of Chicago in the 2025-26 academic year. Jason joins UChicago with extensive coaching experience, including three years as an NCAA Division I coach at Indiana University and his role as a highly successful coach at Region Wrestling Academy since 2019. His coaching has led to the development of a NCAA D1 Champion, multiple All-Americans, and a Junior World Team Member/Medalist. Tsirtsis' athletic accomplishments speak for themselves. He is a former NCAA Champion, a three-time NCAA Division I All-American at Northwestern and Arizona State University, and a three-time Conference Champion in both the Big Ten and Pac-12. He has also represented the U.S. as a Junior World Team Member and earned a place in history as a four-time Indiana state champion. Reflecting on this new chapter, Tsirtsis shared, "I'm very excited to join the University of Chicago wrestling family and to be a part of such a prestigious university. I am thankful to Angie Torain and Head Coach Matt Gentry for the opportunity to help grow the wrestling program. It's going to be a great season!"