HIRAM, Ohio -- Hiram Athletics announced the promotion of Dustin Porter to head coach of the men's wrestling program on Saturday morning. Porter had served as the team's assistant coach in each of the last two seasons and officially becomes the fifth head coach in program history.

"I'm excited to be back in my hometown working to build the local wrestling community back to its former prominence," Porter said. "I'm also excited to be able to draw on my past experience of starting a relatively new wrestling program to continue to build upon the success of Hiram's wrestling team."

Porter hails from Burton, Ohio, where he began his wrestling career as a two-time state qualifier at Berkshire High School. He went on to compete at Division I Gardner-Webb University (Boiling Springs, NC) beginning in 2006, where he was a four-time Division I National Qualifier and a four-time East Regional Champion with the Runnin' Bulldogs.

"Dustin's experience as a premier Division I wrestler and nearly 10 years as an assistant coach made him an ideal candidate to be the next head coach of our men's wrestling program," Director of Athletics Scott Pohlman said. "We are looking forward to seeing him take this next step in his coaching career, while also lifting the program to a new level in the PAC."

In addition to coaching at Hiram (2022-present), Porter also served as an assistant coach with Gardner-Webb University (2010), Tiffin University (2011-17) and Lake Erie College (2017-22). Tiffin had 18 NCAA Division II National Qualifiers while Porter was on its men's wrestling staff.

It marks an exciting time for both Porter and the Terriers men's wrestling program, with Hiram set to compete in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) beginning in 2024-25 after two successful seasons as an affiliate member in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC). Hiram had 30 individual PAC Champions in men's wrestling throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, while also placing second in the conference in nine different seasons.

Hiram's full schedule will be unveiled in the coming months, as it now prepares for the 2024-25 season with a talented roster set to return to campus beginning in August.