COLUMBIA, Mo. -- University of Missouri wrestling head coach Brian Smith has announced the hiring of Keegan O'Toole as an assistant coach on Monday, May 12. O'Toole recently finished his collegiate career and will now serve in his first full-time coaching role.

"Keegan is an exceptional individual with a deep passion for wrestling and coaching," said Smith. "His dedication to Tiger Style and commitment to training for the Olympics will be incredibly inspiring for the wrestlers around him. Having someone with such a high wrestling IQ and loyalty on our staff will surely be a huge asset."

"I am so thankful for this opportunity to be able to give back to the program that gave me so much," said O'Toole. "I can't wait to be in these guys' corners pushing them to be great wrestlers, but even more important, great people. Tiger Style is a lifestyle, and I want to help young men embody that."

O'Toole recently concluded a legendary Tiger Style career as the program's first five-time All-American and third two-time NCAA champion. In addition to his individual titles, which he won in 2022 and 2023 at 165 pounds, he claimed four conference championships, one in the Mid-American Conference and three in the Big 12.

Over his five seasons, O'Toole totaled 108 wins, putting him 19th on the all-time wins list for Mizzou, and tallied 20 or more wins in four out of five seasons. His .955 (108-5) career win percentage is second in program history, passing longtime club coach and mentor Ben Askren. Moreover, the Tiger's 22 career technical falls land first in program history.

The two-time national champion has plenty of awards and honors in his trophy case throughout his collegiate career. He earned Big 12 Wrestler of the Year in 2022, followed by the Amateur Wrestling News Hammer Award after his first individual national title. He won the 2024 Gorriaran Award at the NCAA Championships for most falls in the shortest amount of time, with three pins in 12:59. The grappler has also earned weekly honors six times, including USA Wrestling's Athlete of the Week in March of 2022.

O'Toole has proven to be a threat on the international scene as well, winning two age-level world titles for the USA: 2021 U20 Freestyle (74kg) in Ufa, Russia, and 2023 U23 Freestyle (74kg) in Tirana, Albania. Staying in Columbia, he intends to continue training out of the Tiger Style Wrestling Club and compete for future Senior World Championships and a run at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

In addition to his success on the mat, O'Toole has also been a recognized hammer in the classroom. He was named an NWCA Scholar All-American five times, 2021-2025. He was honored as Academic All-Big 12 thrice in 2022, 2023 and 2024. O'Toole was also named a College Sports Communicator Academic All-American twice.

As a native of Hartland, Wisconsin, O'Toole claimed four state titles for Arrowhead High School, making him only the 18th wrestler from the state to accomplish such a feat and the first Warhawk to do so. His prep record of 110-5 remains one of the best in Wisconsin's history, earning him the Junior Dan Hodge Award and Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award.

O'Toole graduated from the University of Missouri with a bachelor's in personal finance planning in 2024 and is a self-proclaimed lover of business and taxes. He and his wife, Ellianna, were married in November 2024.