Tech Hires Dresser as Wrestling Coach

Virginia Tech announced the hiring of Kevin Dresser as the school’s new wrestling coach on Friday. Dresser replaces Tom Brands, who left Blacksburg to become head coach at Iowa after just two seasons at Tech. He brings a background of winning wrestling to the table, and his name is very familiar throughout the New River Valley.

Like Brands, Dresser wrestled at Iowa, where he won the national title at 142-lbs. in 1986. He was a two-time Big 10 champion and a two-time All-American. Since graduating from Iowa, he has coaches wrestling in the Commonwealth of Virginia. For the past ten seasons he has been head coach at Christiansburg High School, where he has won the last five Group AA state championships. He also has three 2nd-place finishes in the state at Christiansburg.

Before moving to Christiansburg, Dresser won eight state championships in eight years as the head coach at Grundy High School.

Three wrestlers from Christiansburg High School, Matt Epperly, Jantzen Minton and Cody Gardner, committed to Virginia Tech with Brands as head coach, but were reportedly wavering on their commitments when he left for Iowa. With their high school coach now the head coach at Tech, the Hokies have a much greater chance of gaining their services.

Dresser’s hire puts to rest rumors that athletic director Jim Weaver was planning on dropping the wrestling program in favor of women’s golf. Dresser has been given word that Virginia Tech remains committed to the wrestling program.

At this point it is unknown how many of Tech’s wrestlers will follow Brands to Iowa, although it is a good bet that the three Iowans on the roster, Jay Borschel, Dan LeClere and Joe Slaton, will make the move with Brands.