University of Illinois Men's Wrestling

Heffernan begins his eighth season as head coach after serving as the top assistant under Mark Johnson for 19 years - 17 at Illinois and two at Oregon State. During Heffernans time in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois has finished in the top-10 at the NCAA championships on 13 occasions, and in the top-15 in 17 of the last 19 seasons. Heffernan has been a major factor in the renaissance of the Illinois wrestling program, helping lead the team to its greatest prosperity since the post-World War II era, including a Big Ten title in 2005 and four Midlands team crowns. Heffernan has also mentored nine individual national champions in the last 18 seasons. In 2015, 157-pounder Isaiah Martinez (157) joined Jesse Delgado (125), Matt Lackey(165), Adam Tirapelle (149, 2001), John Lockhart (heavyweight, 2001), Carl Perry (141, 2000), Eric Siebert (150, 1998), Ernest Benion, Jr. (158, 1995) and Steve Marianetti (150, 1995) in earning NCAA titles since 1995.   Heffernan has also guided the Illini to record-setting performances. In 2015, Heffernan guided Isaiah Martinez to the first undefeated season (35-0) by a freshman since Cael Sanderson did so in 1999 at Iowa State. In 2014, Tony Dallago became the Illinois all-time leader in career pins (40), while Alex Tirapelle set the school record for career wins (128). As a team, the Illini set the school record for dual victories in a season (16) in 2011.  In 2005, Heffernan assisted Illinois in bringing home its first Big Ten Conference tournament championship in 53 years, as Alex Tirapelle (157) and Friedl (174) took home individual league crowns out of five total finalists for the Illini. For the second season in a row, the Illini won the Big Ten regular-season dual meet title with a near-perfect 7-0-1 record. The team finished sixth at the national tournament after qualifying nine wrestlers, while 125-pounder Ott made a repeat appearance in the finals. The team matched 2004s achievement of five All-Americans in Ott (2nd, 125), Mark Jayne (7th, 133), Cassio Pero (7th, 141), Friedl (4th, 174) and Brian Glynn (3rd, 184). A 1987 graduate of the University of Iowa, Heffernan was a four-time All-American, while being a member of three Hawkeye NCAA and four Big Ten championship teams. Heffernan captained the Hawkeyes as a senior and grabbed Iowas Male Athlete of the Year honor in 1987. Heffernan began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Iowa before becoming an assistant coach at Lehigh University in 1988. He remained at Lehigh until moving to Oregon State in 1990. He joined Johnson in Champaign in 1992. Before taking over as head coach in 2009, Heffernan earned national coach of the year honors three times (1995, 2001, 2003).  He also coached the Cadet Wrestling Team at the world championships in Istanbul, Turkey, in 1992, and the USA World Espoir Team in 1989. Heffernan graduated from national wrestling powerhouse St. Edward High School (Cleveland, Ohio), where he finished as a two-time high school state champion. Heffernan and his wife, Rebecca, live in Champaign with their son, Sean, and daughter, Ally.

Perry is in his fourth season on the Fighting Illini coaching staff after coming from Cal Poly, where he served as co-head coach in 2010-11 and as an assistant coach in 2009-10. Perry won a pair of NCAA titles at Iowa, taking the crown at 165 pounds in 2007 and 2008. He was a four-time All-American from 2005-08 and won a Big Ten title in 2007. He helped lead the Hawkeyes to an NCAA team national title in 2008 and was a team captain from 2005-08. A native of Stillwater, Okla., Perry was the 17th four-time All-American and 14th two-time national champion in NCAA history. He defeated Michigan's Eric Tannenbaum in the championship match in 2008 and took down two-time defending champion Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State in the 2007 finals. Perry also defeated Tannenbaum in the 2007 Big Ten championship match. Perry also won the Gorrarian Trophy after he pinned four opponents at the 2007 NCAA Championships. He was named the NWCA Rookie of the Year in 2005 and the Iowa Athlete of the Year in 2007. Perry also was a four-time finalist at the Midlands Championships, winning two titles. The former Hawkeye wrestler was an assistant coach at Penn State in 2008-09 before taking the position at Cal Poly in 2009. At Penn State, Perry helped a pair of wrestlers to freshman All-America honors and he has directed Mark Perry Wrestling Camps nationwide for the past four summers. Perry earned his B.A. in art from Iowa in 2008. He was a two-time high school national champion at Blair Academy in New Jersey and a three-time Asics High School All-American while posting a 169-7 career record. Mark Perry is in his fourth season on the Fighting Illini coaching staff after coming from Cal Poly, where he served as co-head coach in 2010-11 and as an assistant coach in 2009-10. Perry won a pair of NCAA titles at Iowa, taking the crown at 165 pounds in 2007 and 2008. He was a four-time All-American from 2005-08 and won a Big Ten title in 2007. He helped lead the Hawkeyes to an NCAA team national title in 2008 and was a team captain from 2005-08. A native of Stillwater, Okla., Perry was the 17th four-time All-American and 14th two-time national champion in NCAA history. He defeated Michigan's Eric Tannenbaum in the championship match in 2008 and took down two-time defending champion Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State in the 2007 finals. Perry also defeated Tannenbaum in the 2007 Big Ten championship match. Perry also won the Gorrarian Trophy after he pinned four opponents at the 2007 NCAA Championships. He was named the NWCA Rookie of the Year in 2005 and the Iowa Athlete of the Year in 2007. Perry also was a four-time finalist at the Midlands Championships, winning two titles. The former Hawkeye wrestler was an assistant coach at Penn State in 2008-09 before taking the position at Cal Poly in 2009. At Penn State, Perry helped a pair of wrestlers to freshman All-America honors and he has directed Mark Perry Wrestling Camps nationwide for the past four summers. Perry earned his B.A. in art from Iowa in 2008. He was a two-time high school national champion at Blair Academy in New Jersey and a three-time Asics High School All-American while posting a 169-7 career record.

Hunter Assistant Coach Alma Mater: Penn State '00 The 2000 NCAA Champion at 125 pounds, Jeremy Hunter begins his 14th season on the Illinois coaching staff and third as an assistant coach. Hunter wrestled post-collegiately for four years (2000-04), competing in two World Team Trials and the 2004 Olympic Trials, where he finished fourth at 55 kg. Hunter has shown great versatility in his coaching, as he was a big factor in the success of NCAA Champion Jesse Delgado (125), often drilling with him in workouts. Hunter has also guided All-Americans Jimmy Kennedy (133), Mike Poeta (157) and John Wise (HWT). A three-time All-American at Penn State University, Hunter ended his career ranked third all-time with 62 dual meet wins and 29 career pins. His 123 career victories are tied for fifth and his 14-5 NCAA Tournament record ranks ninth in the Nittany Lion record books. He placed fifth in 1998 and was the NCAA runner-up in 1999. Hunter won a Big Ten title in 1999 and placed among the top three on four occasions during his Penn State career. He earned Big Ten Wrestler of the Year honors in 2000 after his second-straight 33-1 season and was the conference's Rookie of the Year in 1997. A four-year dual-meet starter, he led the Nittany Lions in scoring for three straight seasons and posted a string of 41-straight dual-meet wins.

Kowalczyk Executive Senior Associate Director of Athletics, Sport Administration Alma Mater: Kent State '80 Paul Kowalczyk (kuh-WALL-check) is Executive Senior Associate Athletics Director - Sport Administration as of May 2016. Paul joined the Fighting Illini administrative staff as senior associate athletics director in August 2012. He served as interim Director of Athletics from November 2015 to March 2016.  Kowalczyk served as athletics director at Colorado State from 2006-2011 following his stint as AD at Southern Illinois from 2000-2006. During his time at SIU, the Salukis won 15 conference championships in seven sport programs. During his time at CSU, the Rams won 10 conference championships in four sport programs. He spent time at Northwestern as the business manager and associate athletic director/external affairs from 1991-2000 and was assistant athletic director for business operations at Kansas State from 1988-91. Kowalczyk also gained experience at Portland State as the athletic business manager from 1987 to 1988, at Youngstown State University in the marketing department and at Kent State in the development office. A native of Warren, Ohio, Kowalczyk earned his bachelor's degree in accounting at Kent State in 1980 and his master's degree in sports administration at Kent State in 1986. He was named the Athletics Director of the Year, 1-AA Central Region, by NACDA in 2006 and received the General Robert R. Neyland Outstanding Athletic Director Award in 2004. He was the NCAA Leadership Council Representative for the Mountain West Conference from 2008-11 and served as the AD Chair for the Mountain West in 2011. He was a member of the NACDA Executive Committee from 2008-2011. Kowalczyk is married to Peg Lynch Kowalczyk. Updated May 2016