ALTOONA, Pa. -- Penn State Altoona Athletics announced the hiring of Brinton Simington to be the next head coach of its men's and women's wrestling program, which is entering its second season as an NCAA Division III sport at the college.

An Altoona native, Simington was a standout wrestler at Altoona Area High School from 2013-17 before moving on to compete collegiately at Lock Haven University and Hofstra University. His coaching experience most recently includes serving as the head varsity wrestling coach at Tussey Mountain High School.

“I'm excited to welcome Brinton Simington as our wrestling coach,” said Penn State Altoona Director of Athletics Brent Baird. “His enthusiasm and passion for the sport will serve our program well. It is also great to see him have the opportunity to build a new program in his hometown.”

Simington will take over a Penn State Altoona wrestling program in its early stages of development, as the men's and women's teams completed their first year as an NCAA sport in 2024-25.

“I'm grateful for the opportunity to build a college wrestling program in my own backyard, which isn't something that many people get a chance to do,” said Simington. “I'm confident that I, along with administration, can build something special here at Penn State Altoona, and I'm eager to get to work on developing the men's and women's wrestling teams.”

Simington was a four-year starter in wrestling at Altoona Area, winning over 100 matches in his high school career. He was a two-time District 6 AAA and NW Region champion and was twice a PIAA AAA state qualifier. Simington's individual recognition included being a first-team Altoona Mirror all-star selection two times while also earning CWC all-star status.

In college, Simington competed for a total of six years at the Division I level. For five years, he wrestled for Lock Haven, where he earned some time as a starter in his final two seasons and posted wins over nationally ranked opponents. Simington graduated from LHU in May 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education.

Simington moved on to wrestle for one injury-shortened season at Hofstra, where he earned a Master of Science degree in Sports Science S&C in August 2023.

Simington's coaching experience includes a stint at Altoona Area, where he was the varsity and elementary wrestling coach, and most recently Tussey Mountain, where he headed the 7th-12th grade varsity wrestling team. Simington has also worked numerous wrestling camps in various capacities, including operations and coaching duties.

The Penn State Altoona men's and women's wrestling teams will embark on their 2025-26 seasons beginning this fall. Each squad's schedule will be announced on Penn State Altoona's Athletics website later this summer.