Those are just some of the best-known highlights of Ken Chertow's career in wrestling. Now the West Virginia native long associated with the sport throughout the nation can add another element to his already impressive wrestling resume as he launches a brand-new wrestling program as inaugural head coach at Queens University in Charlotte.
Located in North Carolina's largest city, Queens is a private, four-year university founded in 1857 as a school for women. Queens is now coed, and has a student enrollment of 2,300. The school boasts of an average class size of 14 students, and a student/teacher ratio of 9:1, according to its official website. Queens' sports teams -- now numbering 24 with the addition of wrestling -- compete in NCAA Division II under the name Royals.
Wrestling comes to Queens
In March, Queens University announced that it was launching an intercollegiate wrestling program ... and had selected Ken Chertow to head up that new program which would take to the mats during the 2017-18 school year.
"Ken will make an immediate impact on our new wrestling program," said Queens Director of Athletics Cherie Swarthout in the announcement issued by the school in March. "There is not a better person to start this effort and to foster an environment of excellence. Ken has been successful in all of his endeavors and we look forward to him leading our program and building a strong foundation."
Ken ChertowIn a recent interview with InterMat, Chertow offered further explanation about the birth of wrestling at Queens University.
"The idea of starting a wrestling program at Queens got great support from school administrators," Chertow said in June. "The vice president wrestled in high school."
"He reached out to the NWCA and Mike Moyer (chairman of the National Wrestling Coaches Association) to help them establish a program," Chertow continued. "Moyer recommended they talk to me."
Making the move to Queens
How did Chertow come to take on this new challenge of building a wrestling program at Queens?
"I've long considered returning to college coaching," the former assistant coach at Penn State and Ohio State told InterMat. "I had thought about heading up an existing program but liked the idea of starting a new program, building it from scratch."
"My wife (Laurie) and I thought it was a good fit," Chertow continued. "Our kids are in college, and we've been talking about moving to the South."
"In fact, taking the head coaching job at Queens takes care of at least three things on my 'bucket list': 1. Move to the South; 2. Return to college coaching; 3. Start a new program."
Beyond answering three elements on Ken Chertow's ultimate "to do" list, what makes Queens University so attractive?
Chertow pointed out to InterMat that ten schools in the state of North Carolina offer intercollegiate wrestling. Yet he brought up a number of aspects that help differentiate Queens University and its new wrestling program from other schools -- public and private -- within the Tar Heel State.
"It's a school with high-quality academics," said Chertow. "It's comparable to Davidson, Duke, Northwestern." (Davidson is a private university in North Carolina, located just outside Charlotte. Its wrestling program competes in NCAA Division I.)
"Queens has a paid internship program, that offers students hands-on learning opportunities in a real-world environment. Over 95 percent of students get jobs in their chosen fields."
"There are incredible cultural opportunities in Charlotte."
Chertow also cited Queens University's rich tradition of successfully bringing together athletics and academics.
"Thirty percent of students at Queens are athletes," Chertow continued. "There's a focus on Olympic sports. There's no football program."
"The school prides itself on offering students the opportunity to excel in academics and athletics. It offers personalized instruction in the classroom, and I plan to offer the same attention to our wrestlers."
Chertow is already reaching out to potential athletes from across the country.
"Because Queens is a private school, we have a national recruiting reach."
"We already have at least 15 scholarship-athletes signed up."
"I'm excited to work with top-notch guys," Chertow told InterMat. "Guys focused on a clean lifestyle and academic success."
"I want to recruit clean-cut, hard-working and smart young men who want to be a part of a very special culture," Chertow said in a feature article in the June 15, 2017 issue of Amateur Wrestling News. "We've already signed some state champions and several guys who placed at their respective state tournaments."
Chertow to continue with wrestling camps
Ken Chertow has earned a nationwide reputation for his wrestling camps which he established two decades ago ... and plans to continue those ventures in his new capacity as Queens University head wrestling coach.
In late April, Queens hosted a Brawl on the Border freestyle and Greco-Roman tournament in Fort Mill, S.C., where Chertow conducted a training session prior to the tournament.
For young wrestlers who want to experience Queens University in person, Chertow will be holding his Gold Medal Training Camp at Queens the week of July 2-6, with 2-5 day camp options available for this event as well as group discounts and team camps.
Chertow will also conduct additional wrestling camps this summer, starting with a Gold Medal Training Camp at West Liberty University in West Virginia on June 21-24 ... in State College, Pa. at the Ramada Inn Convention Center July 16-29 ... and Shore Regional High School in West Long Branch, N.J. July 29-30. Details on Chertow's camps available at his official camps website. www.kenchertow.com
Queens = beginning of a new chapter
Ken Chertow being named first-ever head coach of the brand-new wrestling program at Queens University is the beginning of a new chapter in his life and career ... and, hopefully, help to fuel growth of the sport, especially in smaller schools and in regions of the country with few options for student-athletes to continue their educational and wrestling careers.
Ken Chertow working as a broadcaster for the Pac-12 Network at the 2017 Pac-12 Wrestling Championships in Palo Alto, Calif. (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)"This is a special and exciting opportunity for me to give back to the wrestling community and the sport that I have dedicated my life to," Chertow added. "I am excited to be able to give more wrestlers the opportunity to compete and help them live their dreams."
"There's an effort to get more Division II and III programs added," Chertow told InterMat. "There's more momentum in smaller schools to add the sport."
"If I can do well here, it can serve as a model for other schools to add wrestling."
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