J Jaggers coaching at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors)COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Like any leader of a championship caliber program, Ohio State head coach Tom Ryan has surrounded himself with elite-level talent - both on the mat and on his coaching staff. One of those talents - associate head coach Lou Rosselli - will now have the opportunity to guide his own program. Rosselli was announced today as the head coach at the University of Oklahoma, prompting Ryan to tab J Jaggers as his top and longest-tenured assistant and promote Tervel Dlagnev to assistant coach and head of the renowned Ohio Regional Training Center. Dlagnev had previously been announced as the programs volunteer assistant coach.
Rosselli and Ryan worked together for 10 seasons and led the Buckeyes to four top-three finishes at the NCAA Championships, culminating in 2015 when Ohio State won the programs first-ever national championship. He also led the Ohio RTC, which produced 1/3 of this year's US men's freestyle Olympic team and is also the training home of four-time NCAA champion Logan Stieber.
"I couldn't be more proud and excited for Lou," said Ryan. "Oklahoma is getting a special coach, but an even better man. He pours himself into a few things; family and those whom he coaches. We came to Ohio State together because we had the same big vision - and we have had plenty of success. We have both grown as leaders and coaches. It's his time to shine."
Jaggers, who will retain the title of assistant coach, made a seamless transition from student-athlete to coach in 2009-10 as the volunteer assistant coach and recently completed his sixth year as a full-time assistant and seventh overall. In addition to his integral role in the gym and his coaching duties during matches, Jaggers has been a key piece in bringing in numerous nationally-ranked recruiting classes. His work on the recruiting trail, and on the mat, helped guide the Buckeyes to the 2015 Big Ten and NCAA championships. As a student-athlete, Jaggers won back to back national titles and was inducted last fall into the university's Athletics Hall of Fame.
"When an organization is built on a strong foundation, it attracts the right people," said Ryan. "J will move into the head assistant position. He has done a great job helping all of the student-athletes here across all the weight classes. He's a Buckeye through and through and will help us continue to remain as one of the nation's elite programs."
Dlagnev recently completed competition in his second Olympic Games, taking fifth place at 125kg. He was a two-time NCAA Division II national champion for the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2007 and 2008; in 2008, Dlagnev led the Lopers to their first-ever team title. Following graduation, he moved to Columbus in order to be trained at the Ohio RTC. Since then, he has made eight national teams, winning the World Team Trials seven times.
In international competitions, Dlagnev has won two bronze medals at the World Wrestling Championships (2009 and 2014) and has wrestled for a least a bronze in every tournament he's entered. Other tournaments won by Dlagnev include the US Open (2011-2015), World University Games in 2008, Pan American Games in 2011, Alexander Medved International (2010, 2013), Cerro Pelado International in 2012, and the New York AC International Open (2008-2010, 2012).
"Equally as exciting for us is the opportunity to move Tervel Dlagnev into the critical role of assistant coach and head coach of the Ohio Regional Training Center," said Ryan. "Coming off his second Olympic Games, he is one of the most respected men in the sport. His mental approach and teaching skills are as good as any I have been around. He, like all of our staff, believes in the same fundamentals of life that allow organizations to experience prolonged sustained success; talent and hard work will get you there, but character will keep us there."
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