Utah Valley University Men's Wrestling

Lofthouse's second year of coaching at UVU (2015-16), he helped the Wolverines pick up a 20-19 upset win at No. 18 Oregon State en route to receiving the program's first-ever votes for the top 25 poll. Lofthouse also helped five Wolverine grapplers earn a spot on the podium at the 2016 Big 12 Championship, two qualify for the 2016 NCAA Championships and senior Jade Rauser earn All-American honors for the first time in his career after placing eighth at 133 pounds. He also helped three more Utah Valley grapplers qualify for the 2015 NCAA Championships and a total of seven place at the 2015 WWC Championships/NCAA West Regional during his inaugural year on Williams' staff.  Lofthouse was not only a two-time NCAA All-American wrestler at the University of Iowa, but also a four-time Utah State Champion during his high school days at Mountain Crest High School in Hyrum, Utah. The Avon, Utah, native went an impressive 192-7 during his high school career, which included an unblemished 47-0 mark during his sophomore campaign.   Lofthouse will bring a wealth of mat experience with him to Orem, as he is also a four-time Junior National All-American and Cadet All-American. The former Hawkeye also won two Greco National Championships as well as one Junior Freestyle National Championship. He is also a two-time Junior FILA Freestyle National Champion as well as a sophomore and junior Folkstyle National Champion.   During the past five years at the University of Iowa (2009-2014), Lofthouse posted a 91-32 career record while competing at 174 and 184 pounds. This past season, the Hawkeye 184-pounder went an impressive 21-4 and 10-1 in duals. He also placed second at the Big Ten Tournament to qualify for his fourth consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships.   Im really excited to get back into wresting in the state of Utah and be on the coaching side of things, Lofthouse said. Im also looking forward to recruiting the kids here in Utah and being able to help get the max potential out of them. I cant wait to step into UVUs room and Im looking forward to helping make the program move on up.   Lofthouse comes from a wrestling family, as his uncle Luke Lofthouse also wrestled for Iowa (2005-11) and his little brother Raider Lofthouse will begin his freshman season at UVU this winter.   It will be a little bit different to be one of Raiders coaches as were only a year apart, but I think it will definitely be beneficial for both of us, added Lofthouse. Im excited to be able put my focus into his wrestling as well as all of the other members of the team.  Ethen Lofthouse

Tadzhimetov Associate Head Coach, Wrestling 9th Season Alma Mater: Utah Valley University (2007) Twitter: @57Erkin Erkin Tadzhimetov enters his ninth season as an assistant coach for the Wolverines in 2016-17 and his fifth as the associate head coach on Greg Williams' staff. Since Utah Valley became eligible for postseason competition at the Division I level (July 2009), Tadzhimetov has helped at least one wrestler qualify for the NCAA Championships in each and every year. Three season's ago (2013-14), Tadzhimetov helped guide a program-best four qualifiers to nationals. During this past season (2015-16), Tadzhimetov  helped the Wolverines pick up a 20-19 upset win at No. 18 Oregon State en route to receiving the program's first-ever votes for the top 25 poll. He also helped five Wolverine grapplers earn a spot on the podium at the 2016 Big 12 Championship, two qualify for the 2016 NCAA Championships and Utah Valley crown its second All-American in school history in senior 133-pounder Jade Rauser.  Tadzhimetov returns to UVU as an assistant coach after wrestling for Utah Valley from 2003-06. He tallied an overall record of 48 wins and 16 losses during his two seasons competing at 133 pounds. During his tenure at Utah Valley, Tadzhimetov's 48 career victories made him the all-time wins leader at that time. His 48 victories now place him sixth on the UVU all-time leader board. In his senior season (05-06) he collected 30 wins, which currently places him fourth in single-season victories at UVU. Prior to wrestling at UVU, Tadzhimetov wrestled for Colby Community College in Colby, Kansas for two seasons. While at Colby CC he was a NJCAA runner-up in 2003. Tadzhimetov grew up in Tashkent, Uzbekistan where he prepped at the Olympic Sport School. He was a nine-time National Champion and a three-time World Junior Placer. In December of 2015, Tadzhimetov placed fourth at the U.S. Senior Nationals after wrestling his way to an impressive 5-2 record at the event. The fourth-place finish then earned him a spot at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials in Iowa City, Iowa, in April of 2016.  Tadzhimetov recieved his degree in Behavioral Science with an emphasis in Socialogy from Utah Valley University in 2007. He and his wife, Lola, and their daughter Leyla reside in Orem. Wrestling Career At Utah Valley ... SENIOR ~ (2005): Finished his senior season for Utah Valley going 30-8, while competing at 133 pounds, making him the Wolverines single-season win leader with 30 (at that time, now Ben Kjar holds the current record with 39) ... is also the Wolverines' D-I career win leader with 48 as in his two seasons at UVU he posted a 48-16 overall record.  REDSHIRTED ~ (2004): Redshirted the 2004-05 season.  JUNIOR ~ (2003): Finished the 2003-04 season with an 18-8 record, the best win-loss total on the team ... he won two matches by fall, two by technical fall and two by major decision ... won seven straight matches during December of 2003 ... was 5-2 at the Las Vegas Invitational in December of 2003 ... pinned Garrett Eller of the Colorado School of Mines in a school record 38 seconds on January 17, 2004.  Before Utah Valley ... Prepped at Olympic Sport School ... was a nine-time National champion ... three-time world junior placer ... was NJCAA runner up at Colby Community College in Kansas in 2003.  Personal... Born August 28, 1980 ... graduated from Olympic Sport School in Tashkent, Uzbekistan with a 3.0 GPA ... majoring in physical education ... attended Colby Community College ... parents are Mirza Tadzhimetov and Adilova Shafoat ... married Lola Juldaseva on November 10, 2004 in Utah.

Lofthouse Volunteer Assistant, Wrestling 2nd Season Alma Mater: University of Iowa (2011) Twitter: The 2016-17 season will mark Luke Lofthouse's second as a member of Coach Greg Williams' staff at Utah Valley. "We are excited to have Luke with us. He has a passion for coaching and is already making an impact with our wrestlers through his energy, knowledge and work ethic," said head coach Greg Williams. "Luke believes in the vision we have here at UVU and we are happy to have him back in Utah."  During Lofthouse's inaugural year at UVU (2015-16), he helped the Wolverines pick up a 20-19 upset win at No. 18 Oregon State en route to receiving the program's first-ever votes for the top 25 poll. Lofthouse also helped five Wolverine grapplers earn a spot on the podium at the 2016 Big 12 Championship, two qualify for the 2016 NCAA Championships and senior Jade Rauser earn All-American honors for the first time in his career after placing eighth at 133 pounds.  Lofthouse comes to UVU after spending three seasons as the strength and conditioning coach for his alma mater at the University of Iowa. During his collegiate days, Lofthouse was an All-American wrestler for the Hawkeyes.    Lofthouse not only returns to his home state of Utah, as he hails from Avon, Utah, but also reunites with his nephews Ethen Lofthouse  and Raider Lofthouse  at Utah Valley as well. Ethen, who was recently promoted from a volunteer assistant to a full-time assistant at UVU, will work alongside Luke on Williams' staff while Raider will enter his redshirt freshman season at Utah Valley this fall after redshirting at 157 pounds for the Wolverines during the 2014-15 campaign.    "It's exciting to be back close to family and to be able to work with my nephews here at UVU," Lofthouse said. "I like the team, I like the coaching staff, and I like what's happening with youth wrestling here in Utah. There's a lot of opportunity for development and growth, not only for me personally, but also us as a program and a university."   Luke Lofthouse recently completed his third season as the strength and conditioning coach for coach Tom Brands at his alma mater of Iowa. Prior to his gig as the strength and conditioning coach for the Hawkeyes, Lofthouse capped his wrestling career with an All-American finish during his senior season (2011) by placing fifth in the nation at 197 pounds. That year he posted a 25-7 record and a runner-up finish at the Big Ten Championships. During his four-year career as a Hawkeye, Lofthouse compiled a 57-39 win-loss record and received UI's John & Dorothy Sill Award, which is presented to the team's most dedicated wrestler, during his senior season.   Lofthouse, who prepped at Mountain Crest High School in Hyrum, Utah, was a three-time Utah State Champion during his high school days. He went a combined 161-8 while at Mountain Crest and went undefeated during both his sophomore (41-0) and junior (43-0) seasons. Lofthouse was also a three-time Utah state wrestler of the year, as well as a Wrestling USA Academic All-American as a senior. He also set school records for most wins in a season (44) and career (161), least career losses (8), consecutive falls (35), and most falls in a season (41) and career (123) while at Mountain Crest.   "I've been exposed to a lot of different coaches throughout my career and this has definitely allowed me to grow in all aspects of the sport," added Lofthouse. "You always have to be a student of the game in wrestling, and I've been able to learn a lot over the years including on the psychological side. Hopefully I can help teach some of these experiences and lessons that I've learned to the team and I'm looking forward to coaching here at UVU."   Lofthouse was also a member of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club in 2012. He and his wife, Allison, have a son, Nicholas, and a daughter, Lilly. He is a 2011 graduate of the University of Iowa with a bachelor's degree in heath sciences (health coaching emphasis). Luke Lofthouse Volunteer Assistant, Wrestling 2nd Season Alma Mater: University of Iowa (2011) Twitter: The 2016-17 season will mark Luke Lofthouse's second as a member of Coach Greg Williams' staff at Utah Valley. "We are excited to have Luke with us. He has a passion for coaching and is already making an impact with our wrestlers through his energy, knowledge and work ethic," said head coach Greg Williams. "Luke believes in the vision we have here at UVU and we are happy to have him back in Utah."  During Lofthouse's inaugural year at UVU (2015-16), he helped the Wolverines pick up a 20-19 upset win at No. 18 Oregon State en route to receiving the program's first-ever votes for the top 25 poll. Lofthouse also helped five Wolverine grapplers earn a spot on the podium at the 2016 Big 12 Championship, two qualify for the 2016 NCAA Championships and senior Jade Rauser earn All-American honors for the first time in his career after placing eighth at 133 pounds.  Lofthouse comes to UVU after spending three seasons as the strength and conditioning coach for his alma mater at the University of Iowa. During his collegiate days, Lofthouse was an All-American wrestler for the Hawkeyes.    Lofthouse not only returns to his home state of Utah, as he hails from Avon, Utah, but also reunites with his nephews Ethen Lofthouse  and Raider Lofthouse  at Utah Valley as well. Ethen, who was recently promoted from a volunteer assistant to a full-time assistant at UVU, will work alongside Luke on Williams' staff while Raider will enter his redshirt freshman season at Utah Valley this fall after redshirting at 157 pounds for the Wolverines during the 2014-15 campaign.    "It's exciting to be back close to family and to be able to work with my nephews here at UVU," Lofthouse said. "I like the team, I like the coaching staff, and I like what's happening with youth wrestling here in Utah. There's a lot of opportunity for development and growth, not only for me personally, but also us as a program and a university."   Luke Lofthouse recently completed his third season as the strength and conditioning coach for coach Tom Brands at his alma mater of Iowa. Prior to his gig as the strength and conditioning coach for the Hawkeyes, Lofthouse capped his wrestling career with an All-American finish during his senior season (2011) by placing fifth in the nation at 197 pounds. That year he posted a 25-7 record and a runner-up finish at the Big Ten Championships. During his four-year career as a Hawkeye, Lofthouse compiled a 57-39 win-loss record and received UI's John & Dorothy Sill Award, which is presented to the team's most dedicated wrestler, during his senior season.   Lofthouse, who prepped at Mountain Crest High School in Hyrum, Utah, was a three-time Utah State Champion during his high school days. He went a combined 161-8 while at Mountain Crest and went undefeated during both his sophomore (41-0) and junior (43-0) seasons. Lofthouse was also a three-time Utah state wrestler of the year, as well as a Wrestling USA Academic All-American as a senior. He also set school records for most wins in a season (44) and career (161), least career losses (8), consecutive falls (35), and most falls in a season (41) and career (123) while at Mountain Crest.   "I've been exposed to a lot of different coaches throughout my career and this has definitely allowed me to grow in all aspects of the sport," added Lofthouse. "You always have to be a student of the game in wrestling, and I've been able to learn a lot over the years including on the psychological side. Hopefully I can help teach some of these experiences and lessons that I've learned to the team and I'm looking forward to coaching here at UVU."   Lofthouse was also a member of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club in 2012. He and his wife, Allison, have a son, Nicholas, and a daughter, Lilly. He is a 2011 graduate of the University of Iowa with a bachelor's degree in heath sciences (health coaching emphasis).

Williams has also sent at least one Wolverine grappler to the NCAA Championships in each of the past seven seasons. He has also coached a pair of All-Americans during his career -- in senior 125-pounder Benjamin Kjar (placed fourth) in 2011 and senior 133-pounder Jade Rauser (placed eighth) in 2016 -- and took a program best four NCAA qualifiers to nationals in 2014.   After spending nine seasons of competition as a member of the Western Wrestling Conference, Williams helped his team get into one of the most prestigious conferences in the nation in the Big 12 Conference in the summer of 2015. His Wolverines are one of six wrestling affiliates to join the Big 12 in the sport of wrestling for the 2015-16 season, as they along with Air Force, Northern Colorado, North Dakota State, South Dakota State and Wyoming all now call the Big 12 home. During Utah Valley's inaugural year of competition in the Big 12, Williams helped his Wolverines pick up a 20-19 upset win at No. 18 Oregon State en route to receiving the program's first-ever votes for the top 25 poll. He also helped five Wolverine grapplers earn a spot on the podium at the 2016 Big 12 Championship, with two advancing on to the 2016 NCAA Championships and Jade Rauser earning All-American honors.    After taking a program record four grapplers to nationals in 2014, Williams followed that up by sending three in 2015 and two more in 2016. One of his two 2016 qualifiers was Jade Rauser, who not only earned All-American honors that season, but also became the schools first-ever four-time NCAA qualifier.    In all, Williams has coached 19 NCAA qualifiers, two All-Americans, six conference champions and a total of 17 Academic All-Americans since UVU became a full NCAA Division I member prior to the 2009-10 campaign.   In 2009-10, Williams had his most successful year when he led his team to a 10-3 overall record and a second-place conference finish with a 4-1 WWC record. That year he also coached UVU's first-ever NCAA Division I qualifiers as three Wolverine wrestlers punched their tickets to the NCAA Championships. That same season Williams also picked up Utah Valley wrestling's inaugural victory over a nationally-ranked program when his Wolverines upset the then eighth-ranked Boise State Broncos at home by a score of 22-20.   In 2008-09, Williams coached his Wolverines to a school-record in victories with an 11-3 clip. Williams' Utah Valley grapplers also posted a 4-1 record in the Western Wrestling Conference that season as well.   In Williams' 10 seasons of coaching at UVU, he has a tallied an overall record of 65-75. In his first season of coaching at Utah Valley (2006-07), he posted a 6-12 record and his squad finished at 9-11 in 2007-08 and also picked up the Wolverines first Western Wrestling Conference dual victory with a 39-4 win over South Dakota State. In 2010-11, 2011-12 and 2012-13, Williams respectively led his Wolverines to a 5-4, 6-10 and 6-4 records. He also helped his squads post a 6-9 tally two seasons ago (2013-14), a 2-9 clip in 2014-15 and a 4-10 record in 2015-16.   Williams is the second coach in Utah Valley's short history, as the institution added the sport of wrestling prior to its first season of NCAA Division I competition, 2003-04.   Williams brings over 20 years of coaching experience to UVU, including 13 years as the owner and coach of the Elite Wrestling Club prior coming to Utah Valley.   He is a 14-time coach of the Utah National Wrestling Team and during his coaching career has tutored over 70 high school All-Americans.   Williams' pupils include former UVU assistant coach, Justin Ruiz, who was previously the No. 1 ranked Greco wrestler at 211 lbs. Ruiz was a two-time All-American at Nebraska and a bronze medalist at 2005 World Championships.   He began his coaching career at Sky View High School in Smithfield, Utah, where he led the school to an 87-8 record.   Williams, a native of San Diego, California, graduated from University High School in 1979 where he was a California State Champion.   From there, he moved on to Utah State University in Logan, Utah, where he was an All-American wrestler and a three-time NCAA qualifier for the Aggies.   Williams graduated from Utah State in 1985 with a degree in Marketing Education. He and his wife Kristin have two children, Alexis and Taylor.Greg Williams