"Nick will be an amazing addition to our coaching staff for a variety of reasons," head coach Chris Ayres said. "First, we have been in need of someone to work more closely with our bigger guys and Nick's wrestling and coaching experience should really allow him to elevate them. Secondly, Nick helped Ohio State win a national championship, and his experience through this process should allow him to inject some fresh perspective into the program.
"Finally, we are working to build a top Olympic Regional Training Center at Princeton, and Nick worked with the best one in the country, The Ohio RTC," Ayres added. "Currently, three of the eight U.S. world team members are from the Ohio RTC, including Kyle Snyder, who Coach Heflin worked with on a daily basis. Nick fits what we need right now incredibly well and I am thrilled to work with him throughout the year."
Heflin, the 2014 Big Ten champion at 197 pounds, had earned All-America honors as both a sophomore and junior. He defeated Minnesota's Scott Schiller to reach his first NCAA championship match, which he lost 2-1 in heartbreaking fashion; the match referee ruled his takedown occurred just after time expired.
Heflin moved into coaching immediately after his undergraduate career ended. Besides his work with the Ohio RTC, he worked as a strength coach with both the Ohio State football and wrestling teams; the former would go on to win the football championship this past January.
A human nutrition major, Heflin will work with both the Princeton wrestling team and the Regional Training Center.
"I am very excited to be a part of this program," Heflin said. "I am looking forward to aiding Princeton in its quest for championships at both the EIWA and NCAA levels."
He will replace Joe Jamison, the longest-tenured member of the Princeton coaching staff, as the volunteer assistant.
"With Nick moving into this position, Joe Jamison can focus more of his time and effort making PAWS and the Regional Training Center the best club in the country," Ayres said. "Joe has been amazing for the Princeton program and I know of no one who epitomizes the concept of being a team player more than Joe. He was here before I arrived and we have been through a lot together, so while the move strengthens the overall operations of the program, I will have a hard time not having Joe in the corner at dual meets.
"He has been such a huge force in the turnaround of the program and the program is forever indebted to him."
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