North Central College athletic director Jim Miller '86 has announced the promotion of Grant Zamin M'23 as the 24th head coach of the Cardinals' men's wrestling program while staying on as the assistant coach for the women's wrestling team.

Zamin joined the wrestling coaching staff as a graduate assistant in the fall of 2021 before being promoted to a full-time assistant coach role. Since his time at North Central, both the men's and women's teams have had their best seasons in school history with the women winning the 2022-23 NCWWC National Championship while the men were ranked No. 1 in the nation before earning a team trophy with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA DIII National Championships in 2022-23.

"Coach Zamin has done an excellent job working with both of our wrestling programs since 2021," said Miller. "His knowledge and passion for the sport of wrestling make him the ideal person to take over a successful wrestling program for the men while still being able to work with the nationally recognized women's team."

Between both the men's and women's programs, North Central has tallied six individual national champions and 50 All-American honors since Zamin's arrival.

"I am excited to lead a program with a rich tradition of success and to mentor student-athletes both on and off the mat, "Zamin said. "I am excited to build on the strong foundation laid by those before me and to contribute to the continued excellence of NCC wrestling."

The Cardinals have won double-digit matches in five of the six seasons while finishing in the top eight at the NCAA Championships in 2023 and 2024. North Central finished in fourth place at the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals the past two years as well.

"Having been part of a successful program as an assistant coach provides invaluable experience and insight into what it takes to maintain high standards. I've had the privilege of learning from exceptional coaches, one being Coach Joe Norton, and working alongside talented athletes who have achieved great success. This experience will guide me in the transition to head coach, ensuring continuity while also bringing new perspectives and strategies to further elevate the program," said Zamin.

Prior to North Central, Zamin had an impressive career on the mat at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse where he was a two-time All-American. After finishing eighth at the NCAA Division III Championships in 2019, Zamin was the No. 1 seed at 157 pounds at the 2020 NCAA Division III Championships that were canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He was ranked No. 2 by the NWCA at 165 pounds in 2021 when the Championships were again canceled, taking away his opportunity to become a three-time All-American. Zamin was a three-time WIAC tournament Champion and four-time finalist at UW-La Crosse, leading his team to the conference championship all four years.

"I want to express my gratitude to Jim Miller for entrusting me with this leadership role," said Zamin. "I am thankful for the support of my family, friends, colleagues, and mentors who have guided and encouraged me throughout my coaching career. I am very excited to continue working alongside Coach Norton who has been an awesome person to lean on the past few years as an assistant coach. Let's keep this thing rolling!"