The 2018-19 wrestling season marks Pat Popolizio’s seventh at the helm of the NC State wrestling program, as he was named head wrestling coach of the Wolfpack on April 10, 2012.

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Over the last five seasons, NC State has had three national champions and four of the last five ACC Wrestlers of the Year were members of the Wolfpack.

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Pat has led NC State to five straight top-20 finishes at the NCAA Championships, tied for most top-20 finishes in a row in school history (1980-84). Over the last five seasons, NC State has finished 19th in 2014, 16th in 2015, 11th in 2016, 17th in 2017, and 4th in 2018.

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In his six seasons overall, Popolizio has had 40 NCAA qualifiers, highlighted by a school record 10 in 2017. In the last three seasons, NC State has qualified 27 of its 30 starters.

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In May of 2018, Popolizio served as the head coach for the USA at the Cadet Pan American Championships in Guatemala City, Guatemala. The U.S. dominated, winning the team title with 9 of the 10 wrestlers winning Gold.

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In 2017-18, NC State brought home its first-ever team trophy, as the Wolfpack finished a school and ACC-best fourth at the 2018 NCAA Championships. R-Sr. Michael Macchiavello won a national title at 197 pounds, and R-Fr. Hayden Hidlay placed second at 157 pounds. NC State became the first ACC school with two NCAA Finalists. The Wolfpack also had a school record four All-Americans with R-Fr. Tariq Wilson placing third and Sr. Kevin Jack taking sixth.

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“Pat is a builder of programs and of young men,” said NC State AD Debbie Yow at the time of his hire. “He was an outstanding collegiate performer at Oklahoma State and is a proven teacher and mentor as a head coach. He will lead Wolfpack Wrestling to compete for ACC titles and, eventually, the national championship.”

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Prior to coming to NC State, in six seasons at Binghamton University (2007-12), Popolizio transformed the Bearcats into a national contender after inheriting the program that went 0-12 following its reinstatement in 2005-06.

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