University of Pittsburgh, Johnstown Men's Wrestling

After six seasons as an assistant coach under Head Coach Pat Pecora, including two in a full-time role,  2016 NCAA Division II National Champion Tyler Reinhart was named Pitt-Johnstown’s Interim Head Coach in September 2024. In his first season at the helm of the program, Reinhart led the Mountain Cats to a 13-2 dual meet record and a 6-0 mark in the PSAC to earn his first and the programs ninth consecutive Conference Championship.  Reinhart also led Pitt-Johnstown to his first and the program's 26th NCAA Regional crown with five National Qualifiers including Isaiah Vance, who went on to become the National Runner-up at 285 lbs., and Trevon Gray, a fourth-place finisher at the National Tournament at 125 lbs. As an assistant coach, Reinhart helped lead the Mountain Cats to four NCAA Division II Super Region I championships and five consecutive PSAC Dual Meet titles.  In addition, he coached seven Pitt-Johnstown All-Americans, including 2019 NCAA National Champion Chris Eddins (149 lbs.) and 2024 National Champion Jacob Ealy (149 lbs.). Reinhart, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Freshman of the Year in 2014-15, burst onto the collegiate wrestling scene as a red-shirt freshman and qualified for the 2015 NCAA Division II National Tournament. The following season, Reinhart won a title at the Midwest Classic in Indianapolis on his way to becoming Pitt-Johnstown’s 12th individual national champion with a fall in the title bout at 165 lbs. In 2017, Reinhart became a two-time NCAA All-American by placing seventh at the national Tournament.  That same year, Reinhart was the runner-up at 165 lbs. at the PSAC Championships as well as the Midwest Classic. Following an injury that ended his senior season, Reinhart earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing in 2018 and joined Coach Pecora’s coaching staff.  

Pecora, who also doubles as Pitt-Johnstowns Athletic Director since July 2008, took over the Mountain Cat wrestling program in 1976. In 39 years, his teams have captured 20 NCAA Regional Championships, including five straight from 2003 through 2007 and ten in a row from 1992 through 2001.  Coach Pecora has been selected as the NCAA Regional Coach of the Year 16 times.  His Mountain Cat squads have won a pair of NCAA Division II National Championships, and have 31 Top-20 national finishes, 20 Top-10 finishes, and 10 top-five finishes.  They have combined to win 48 team tournaments and 540 dual meets.  Coach Pecora has tutored 139 All-Americans and 10 individual national champions who have combined for 17 titles, including Shane Valko (133 lbs.), the 2010 National Wrestler of the Year.  Academically, his teams led the nation in NWCA All-Academic Wrestling Team selections from 1997 through 2000.  Since 1990, Coach Pecora has coached over 100 NWCA All-Academic Wrestling Team members. In 1996 and 1999, his teams captured the NCAA Division II National Championship, the first and second in school history.  In 1995 and 1999, Coach Pecora was named NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year. Also in 1999, he received the National Wrestling Coaches Association Coaching Excellence Award, given to the best coach in all divisions.  Coach Pecora also coached the National All-Star Team, which showcased the best wrestlers in the nation from all divisions. On Feb. 14, 2012, Coach Pecora became the first in NCAA Division II history and just the sixth in all divisions to earn 500 career dual-meet victories when his Mountain Cats defeated Shippensburg University, 39-3.  Coach Pecoras 540 wins rank third all-time and first among active coaches in all levels of collegiate wrestling.  His teams have averaged nearly 14 dual meet victories each year. Coach Pecora is the Division II Representative for the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), a duty previously held for 10 years.  Coach Pecora, a member of the NWCA Board of Directors, was also the president of that organization for two terms.  In 1994, he was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame-East Boro Chapter, and, in 1998, he was inducted into both the Cambria County and the West Liberty State (W.Va.) College Halls of Fame.  In March 2001, Coach Pecora was inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame, and, in 2003, he earned induction into the NCAA Division II Wrestling Hall of Fame.  Then, in April 2015, he earned induction into the Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame.  In addition, Coach Pecora earned the 2008 United States Marine Corps Excellence in Leadership Award. Coach Pecora and his wife Tracy have four children:  Cristina, Marco, Marina and Nico.    

2024 NCAA Division II National Champion Jacob Ealy was named Pitt-Johnstown’s Assistant Men’s and Women’s Wrestling Coach prior to the 2025-26 season.   Ealy, a native of Aliquippa, Pa., spent the 2024-25 season as an assistant coach at Ashland (OH) University, where helped lead the Eagles to a Great American Athletic Conference (GMAC) title and coached eight NCAA national qualifiers.   As a standout on the Pitt-Johnstown wrestling team from 2019-2024, Ealy was a five-time NCAA national qualifier, a four-time NCAA All-American, and a four-time NCAA Super Region I champion.  On March 16, 2024 in Park City, Kan., Ealy became the 15th Mountain Cat to win an individual NCAA Division II national title when he dealt Colorado School of Mines' Cody Thompson a 12-7 loss in the championship bout at 149 lbs.   Ealy, a 2019 Pennsylvania AA State Champion at Hopewell High School, earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing, along with minors in Entrepreneurship and Management at Pitt-Johnstown in 2024.   He is the son of Stephen and Margaret Ealy of Aliquippa.    

Strittmatter won Division II titles at 118 lbs. in 1998 and 125 lbs. in 1999 before transferring to the University of Iowa where he was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American. He placed third in 2000 and was the National Runner-Up in 2001. Following the 1999 National Tournament, Strittmatter was named the tournaments Outstanding Wrestler on his way to leading the Mountain Cats to their second National Team Championship in three years. In two seasons wrestling as a Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cat, Strittmatter compiled an 87-3 overall record. His .967 winning percentage ranks second behind six-time National Champion Carlton Haselrig on the All-Time Mountain Cat list. Along with his All-American honors at Iowa, Strittmatter was a two-time Big Ten Champion and a member of the Hawkeyes NCAA National Championship Team in 2000. Strittmatter, a two-time NWCA All-Academic Team selection at Pitt-Johnstown, earned his degree in Biology.   Two-time NCAA Division II National Champion Jody Strittmatter returned to Pitt-Johnstown in 2004-05 as an assistant coach under Coach Pecora. Strittmatter won Division II titles at 118 lbs. in 1998 and 125 lbs. in 1999 before transferring to the University of Iowa where he was a two-time NCAA Division I All-American. He placed third in 2000 and was the National Runner-Up in 2001. Following the 1999 National Tournament, Strittmatter was named the tournaments Outstanding Wrestler on his way to leading the Mountain Cats to their second National Team Championship in three years. In two seasons wrestling as a Pitt-Johnstown Mountain Cat, Strittmatter compiled an 87-3 overall record. His .967 winning percentage ranks second behind six-time National Champion Carlton Haselrig on the All-Time Mountain Cat list. Along with his All-American honors at Iowa, Strittmatter was a two-time Big Ten Champion and a member of the Hawkeyes NCAA National Championship Team in 2000. Strittmatter, a two-time NWCA All-Academic Team selection at Pitt-Johnstown, earned his degree in Biology.