Angel Escobedo (Photo/Richard (Immel)BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Fred Glass announced today that Duane Goldman, the all-time winningest coach in Indiana Wrestling history, has decided to retire after 26 years at the helm of the IU program. Glass has appointed former Indiana University student-athlete and Griffith, Ind., native Angel Escobedo, also a four-time All-American and 2008 NCAA champion, as Goldman's replacement.
"We appreciate the significant contributions that Duane has made in building Indiana Wrestling and developing outstanding wrestlers who have excelled at a national level and have represented the program and the university well," Glass said. "He has left a great and lasting mark on our wrestling program."
During his 26 years in Bloomington, Goldman coached three NCAA champions (Escobedo - 2008, Joe Dubuque - 2005 and 2006), five NCAA finalists, 30 All-Americans, 113 NCAA qualifiers, and had 13 teams place in the top-25 at the NCAA Championships. His students also excelled academically, evidenced by the program's 21 Academic All-Americans and 140 Academic All-Big Ten selections during his tenure.
A former NCAA champion in his own right while at the University of Iowa, Goldman is a member of the National Wrestling and University of Iowa Halls of Fame.
"As Indiana University proceeds into what I believe will be its athletic Golden Age, with unbelievable new facilities and support being provided, I have decided that it is the perfect time for me to retire from coaching and allow a new era of IU greats to emerge," Goldman said. "Myself, along with many dedicated assistants and tremendous wrestlers, worked amazingly hard to bring distinction to Indiana Wrestling and I am proud of the battles we fought, the perseverance we demonstrated and the successes we had. More than anything, I am pleased to have maintained my integrity and thankful to have long been a part of the greatest sport on Earth."
Goldman's replacement is one of the most accomplished wrestlers in IU history. While best known for his successes on the mat, Escobedo also has four years of collegiate coaching experience. While training full-time as a professional wrestler, he spent three years on Iowa State's coaching staff from 2015-17, where he helped develop a handful of the Cyclones' lightweight wrestlers into national contenders. Among his most notable wrestlers was two-time All-American and four-time NCAA qualifier Earl Hall.
"This was a dream of mine when I set out as a coach, to come back here and run this program," said Escobedo. "It's a huge opportunity and I'm really grateful for it. I'm excited to build this program off of what Duane established and continue to raise the bar."
After his three-year stint in Ames, Iowa, Escobedo returned to Bloomington last April to serve as the Hoosiers' associate head coach under Goldman. He now takes the reins from his former coach, becoming just the eighth head coach in the program's 97-year history.
"One of the outstanding wrestlers that Duane brought to IU was Angel, and we are very excited about the future of Indiana Wrestling under his leadership," Glass said. "As a wrestler, he excelled at the high school, collegiate and international levels. As a coach, he has mentored All-Americans and NCAA qualifiers. With a new state-of-the-art $17 million facility set to open, Angel is the right person to lead the program into this new, exciting era."
In addition to his 2008 NCAA title at 125 pounds, Escobedo was also a three-time Big Ten champion (2008, 2009, 2010) for the Hoosiers. He's the program's only four-time All-American, and his 137 career wins (second) and 42 pins (third) rank among the best in IU history.
After wrapping up his IU career in 2010, Escobedo competed internationally and was a member of Team USA. Among his top performances was a fifth-place finish at the 2013 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary, and a second-place finish at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto.
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