Mike Mendoza coaching at the Pac-12 Championships (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. -- Colorado Mesa University wrestling coach Chuck Pipher along with Co-Directors of Athletics Bryan Rooks and Kris Mort are excited to announce the hiring of Mike Mendoza as an assistant wrestling coach.
"I am really looking forward to working with Coach Mendoza as he brings over 20 years of coaching experience, mostly at Division I, to our staff," Pipher said. "Coach Mendoza has a reputation for helping kids not only succeed on the mat, but in the classroom as well."
Mendoza was most recently the head coach at Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, Colorado and made an immediate impact on the program. He took the team from an 0-6 dual record in 2018 to an 11-3 mark this past season. He had nine NJCAA National Qualifiers in 2019 and guided the program to an 11th place finish at the National Tournament.
"I am excited to be joining Colorado Mesa University and working with Coach Pipher to continue to grow the success of the wrestling program," Mendoza said. "I want to thank President Foster, Bryan Rooks and Kris Mort for this opportunity."
Prior to his stint at Northeastern, Mendoza was the head coach at Division I Boise State University for one season where he led the Broncos to the highest team GPA in 16 years and made the NWCA Top 30 Academic Programs list. The wrestling program at Boise State was cut following the 2017 season.
From 2002-2016, Mendoza spent time as either an assistant or the head coach at Division I CSU Bakersfield, his alma mater. There, he guided 17 NCAA Division I National Qualifiers, four Pac-12 Champions, and an all-American (Bryce Hammond, 2014) in his seven years as the head coach. He also had 23 Pac-12 All-Academic selections, two Pac-12 Scholar Athlete of the Year recipients, and a Capital One CoSIDA Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Mendoza is no stranger to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference as he served as a graduate assistant at Adams State from 1999-2001. There he coached four Division II all-Americans including a National Champion (Adam Mars, 2001).
As a wrestler for the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners, Mendoza was a three-time NCAA Division I National Qualifier and a three-time Pac-10 place winner, earning second place in 1998. He helped lead the Roadrunners to a third place NCAA finish in 1996 and was a member of two Pac-10 Championship teams.
Mendoza will begin his role with the Mavericks on Monday, April 1.
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