Rob Koll is an American college

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

coach. He is currently head wrestling coach at

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

. He is the son of Wrestling Hall of Fame member and three-time NCAA wrestling champion

Bill Koll William H. Koll (August 12, 1923 – September 27, 2003) was an American wrestler and coach. Biography Born in Fort Dodge, Iowa in 1923, Koll was a wrestler at Iowa State Teachers College (now the University of Northern Iowa) and later became ...

Wrestling career

As a wrestler for the

University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...

, Koll was a four-time All American, three-time ACC champion, and in 1988 NCAA champion at 158 pounds. After college, he competed internationally in

freestyle wrestling Freestyle wrestling is a style of wrestling originated from Great Britain and the United States. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic Games. American high school and men's college wrestling ...

. In 1989 he won the Pan-Am Games and was runner-up at the Olympic Festival; he won the U.S. national freestyle championship in 1990 and 1991; took first in the 1990 and 1993 World Cup; placed fifth in the 1991 World Championships; won the 1992 World Cup Grand Prix; and was the alternate for the 1992 Olympic Games.

Coaching career

Koll joined

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

as an assistant wrestling coach in 1989. He became head wrestling coach at the school in 1993. He led Cornell to six top-five finishes in the NCAA Division I wrestling tournament, including second-place finishes in 2010 and 2011. The 2010 and 2011 finishes were the best ever for an Ivy League team. The 2011 team was ranked first for much of the season, but lost in the NCAA tournament to

Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...

, which surged under its coach

Cael Sanderson Cael Norman Sanderson ( ; born June 20, 1979) is an American former folkstyle and freestyle wrestler who is the current head coach of Penn State University's wrestling team. As a wrestler, he won an Olympic Gold medal and was undefeated in four ...

, who was in his second year at Penn State. Koll has coached NCAA champions Yianni Diakomihalis (2018 (141)), Gabe Dean (2015 (184) & 2016 (184)), Nahshon Garrett (2016 (133)),

Kyle Dake Kyle Douglas Dake (born February 25, 1991) is an American freestyle wrestler and graduated folkstyle wrestler who currently competes at 74 kilograms. Dake is a four-time and the reigning World Champion, winning back-to-back titles twice, at ...

(2010 (141), 2011 (149), 2012 (157) & 2013 (165)), Steve Bosak (2012 (184)), Cam Simaz (2012 (197)),

Troy Nickerson Troy Nickerson (born January 7, 1987) is a former wrestler and NCAA champion out of Cornell University. He is the current head wrestling coach at the University of Northern Colorado. High school career Nickerson attended Chenango Forks High Scho ...

(2009 (125)), Jordan Leen (2008 (157)),

Travis Lee Travis Reynolds Lee (born May 26, 1975) is an American former professional first baseman and outfielder who played in Major League Baseball. Amateur career Lee graduated from Capital High School in Olympia, Washington in 1993, where he also p ...

(2003 (125) & 2005 (133)), and David Hirsch (1994 (126)). Koll has been won multiple coaching awards including Ivy League Coach of the Year (2015, 2016, 2017) and

EIWA was a Japanese era name (年号, ''nengō'', lit. year name) of the Northern Court during the Era of Northern and Southern Courts after Ōan and before Kōryaku. This period spanned the years from February 1375 through March 1379. The emperor ...

Coach of the Year (2007, 2010, 2011, 2017) and NWCA National Coach of the Year (2005). He became head wrestling coach at Stanford University in 2021.

Personal life

Rob Koll was raised in

State College, Pennsylvania State College is a home rule municipality in Centre County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is a college town, dominated economically, culturally and demographically by the presence of the University Park campus of the Pennsylvania Sta ...

. His father,

, was a legendary three-time NCAA wrestling champion for

Iowa State Teachers College The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) is a public university in Cedar Falls, Iowa. UNI offers more than 90 majors across the colleges of Business Administration, Education, Humanities, Arts, and Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences and gra ...

(now the

University of Northern Iowa The University of Northern Iowa (UNI) is a public university in Cedar Falls, Iowa. UNI offers more than 90 majors across the colleges of Business Administration, Education, Humanities, Arts, and Sciences, Social and Behavioral Sciences and grad ...

), and a fifth-place finisher at the 1948 London Olympics. Bill later became the head coach at

Penn State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State became ...

, and from 1965-1978 he led the team to a 127-22-7 record.

References

External links

Cornell University Profile of Rob Koll

Stanford University Profile of Rob Koll
{{DEFAULTSORT:Koll, Rob Living people American wrestlers Cornell University faculty American wrestling coaches College wrestling coaches in the United States Year of birth missing (living people)