Brad Penrith accepted a three-year contract extension as Northern Iowa's head coach. His new deal runs through June 2012 (Photo/Northern Iowa Sports Information)"I am extremely excited for the Panther wrestling program because it shows a level of commitment from our administration to me and my coaching staff that they think we can get this done," Penrith said. "I love the idea that we have been given the challenge of taking Panther wrestling to the next level. Working together with the administration, we can make this happen."
The Panthers placed 22nd at the 2009 NCAA Championships, which was the seventh top-25 finish for Penrith during his nine-year reign. This past season also saw senior Moza Fay earn All-America honors at 165 pounds.
Penrith has coached 13 All-Americans and 68 national qualifiers during his nine-year stay as Panther head coach. The Panthers have tallied an 80-63-4 dual mark under Penrith and recently won the school's 24th straight regional team title. Penrith's wrestlers have earned 17 National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic team honors since 2001.
The Windsor, N.Y., native has been affiliated with the UNI wrestling program since 1997 when he began his stay in Cedar Falls as an assistant coach. Penrith has been instrumental in securing six top-25 recruiting classes, including his 2003 class (No. 4) and 2007 class (No. 9), which ranked among the best in the nation.
A 1988 graduate of the University of Iowa Iowa, Penrith was crowned the NCAA 126-pound champion as a sophomore in 1986. Penrith also garnered national runner-up honors in 1987 and 1988 for the Hawkeyes.
Penrith also made his mark at the international level before retiring in 1996. He captured a Silver Medal at the 1991 World Championships, was the Gold Medalist at the Pan American Games in 1991 and won the title at the Pan American Games Championship in 1989. Penrith has many accomplishments internationally, including placing third at the 1994 Goodwill Games, becoming a two-time Sunkist Open champion, taking the Roger Coulon title in France in 1992 and '96, being a member of the 1989 U.S. World Team, and taking third at the World Cup in 1990 and 1991. Closer to home, he placed third at the 1996 Olympic Team Trials, won the U.S. Nationals three times--1989, '91 and '93 - and was second at the '92 final Olympic wrestle-off.
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