BLOOMSBURG, Pa. -- Bloomsburg director of athletics, Dr. Michael McFarland, has announced John Stutzman as the next head coach of the Bloomsburg wrestling program.

"We are pleased that Coach Stutzman is returning to Bloomsburg and look forward to supporting him as head coach of Husky wrestling. Coach Stutzman has a remarkable record of success, and we look forward to him continuing his winning ways as he leads the Huskies. Most importantly, Coach Stutzman is a proven mentor for his student-athletes, leading them to greatness on and off the mat. We look forward to all he will accomplish at Bloomsburg," said President Hanna.

"We are thrilled to welcome back Coach Stutzman to Bloomsburg and the Husky wrestling program," remarked director of athletics Dr. Michael McFarland. "Coach Stutzman is a proven winner and I have full confidence that he will restore Bloomsburg to its rightful place atop not only Pennsylvania wrestling but in the Mid-American Conference and in the NCAA."

Coach Stutzman returns to Bloomsburg after a successful 11-year stint at his alma mater, the University of Buffalo. While with the Bulls, Stutzman led the team to an 89-107 record in dual meets and a 36-50 slate in MAC matches. Stutzman sent 25 wrestlers to the NCAA Championships during his time at Buffalo.

"We are excited to welcome Coach Stutzman back to Bloomsburg," remarked Vice President for Advancement Erik Evans. "Coach Stutzman has a wealth of knowledge in college wrestling and among the wrestling landscape in Pennsylvania. He has demonstrated a remarkable talent for inspiring growth from his student-athletes, both on and off the mat!"

"My family and I are extremely excited to return to Bloomsburg University. I want to thank President Hanna, Dr. McFarland, Erik Evans, and the entire search committee for this unbelievable opportunity," remarked Coach Stutzman.

Before taking over the University of Buffalo program in 2013, Stutzman enjoyed a standout career at Bloomsburg. During his eight seasons with the Huskies, Stutzman posted a 97-56-1 record in duals and a 27-20 slate in EWL matches.

The team finished with double-digit wins in six of his eight seasons as head coach. He coached three NCAA Division I All-Americans, eight Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) champions, 76 EWL place winners, and 33 NCAA Division I national qualifiers for the Huskies during his first tenure.

The Huskies finished as high as second in seven PSAC Tournaments and third in three EWL tournaments. Bloomsburg finished as high as 26th at the NCAA Championships during the 2007-08 season.

Personally, Stutzman has earned the EWL Coach of the Year honors in 2007, 2010, and 2013, as well as producing the 2007 EWL and PSAC Freshman of the Year; the 2009 EWL Championship's Outstanding Wrestler, and the 2011 PSAC Freshman of the Year.

In 2012-13, Stutzman's Huskies posted a record of 17-3 claiming the first outright EWL Dual Meet Championships in program history while beating three nationally ranked teams in Maryland, Pittsburgh, and Edinboro. The 17 wins are tied for the most in the program's history. As a team, the Huskies ranked 15th in the country by the NWCA. At the EWL Championships, Stutzman led the Huskies to a third-place finish overall, with two EWL Champions, while qualifying six wrestlers for the NCAA Championships.

In the 2008-09 season, Bloomsburg was third at the EWL championships and had the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler in Matt Moley. At the NCAA Championships, Moley earned All-American honors for the second straight year, the first time since the 1988-89 season that a BU wrestler was All-American in consecutive seasons.

During the 2006-07 season, Stutzman earned EWL Coach of the Year honors, after helping Moley earn the EWL and PSAC Rookie of the Year Award and heavyweight Mike Spaid becoming the school's first All-American since the 1993 season.

In his first eight seasons at UB, Stutzman led the program to 71 dual wins and was named the MAC Coach of the Year in 2019. This past season, Stutzman posted a 10-12 record and finished 5-3 in MAC duals while sending a pair of wrestlers to the NCAA Championships -- Sam Mitchell (197 pounds) and Nick Stampoulos (157 pounds).

In arguably one of his most successful seasons at UB, Stutzman led the Bulls to a 12-6 dual record in 2021-22. The 12 wins tied the program's most wins since 2018 and 2004 and UB went 7-2 in MAC duals, their best record since joining the conference. They placed fourth at the MAC Championships after putting eight on the podium. Three wrestlers qualified for the NCAA Championships, including John Arceri (149), Michael Petite (157), and Jay Nivison (174). The Bulls finished 14th in the final NWCA Mid-Major Poll.

In 2018-19, Stutzman led the Bulls to their most successful season since joining the Mid-American Conference in 1998. UB's 12 dual wins tied the most since 2004 and its five conference wins were the most since joining the Mid-American Conference in 1998. Two Bulls, Troy Keller (165) and Brett Perry (197) were MAC champions. Buffalo produced six national qualifiers, its most since 2011, including Bryan Lantry, UB's first four-time national qualifier.


Buffalo finished second at the 2019 MAC Championships, its highest finish in program history. Stutzman was named the 2019 Mid-American Conference Coach of the Year.

Bryan Lantry (133) and Jake Gunning (285) each qualified for the 2018 NCAA Championships. Lantry also became the first wrestler in school history to advance to the championship match at Midlands, beating the nation's second and third-ranked wrestlers along the way.

Before becoming Bloomsburg University's head wrestling coach, he was an assistant coach for seven years at the Division I level. During those seven seasons, he worked at UB, and at MAC-rival Northern Illinois University before joining Bloomsburg as an assistant.

A 1998 graduate of UB, Stutzman was 95-27 in a three-year career for the Bulls and left as the school's all-time leader in career wins. His best year for the Bulls was the 1996-97 season when he posted a mark of 35-4, the fourth-best single-season winning percentage in program history. Statistically, he is tied with recent graduate John-Martin Cannon for fourth in career takedowns, with 135. He also was a three-time East Coast Wrestling Association place winner.

In addition to his college coaching duties, Stutzman has coached with the New York Athletic Club at the 2004, 2008, and 2012 USA Olympic Freestyle Trials, as well as the 2006, 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011 Senior World Team Trials where he has coached Six World Team Trials participants, three Olympic Team Trials participants, and one USA National Team Member. He was also an assistant wrestling coach for the 2009 NWCA All-American tour in Seoul, South Korea.

Stutzman is also a member of the USA Wrestling coaching staff since 2009. He has served as the head coach of the University World Team in Warsaw, Poland; the Ziolkowski International in Spala, Poland; the Stephen Sargsyan International in Armenia; the 2011 Fila Junior World Championships; the Dimtry Korkin International in Yakutsk, Russia and the Ramzan Kadirov Cup in Chechnya, Russia. He also served as an assistant wrestling coach for Team USA for the University Team Championships in Poland in 2009.

Stutzman, a native of New Castle, DE. He and his wife, Annette, have two daughters, Alexa Bryanna and Torin Valera, and one son, Paxton.

"I look forward to working alongside our strong alumni base and reestablishing our wrestling culture and producing All-American student-athletes both on and off the mat and in the classroom," Stutzman added. "Time to get to work."