COACHING STAFF Centennial celebration. His wrestling career culminated in 2004 when the Heber City, Utah, native won the 84 kg Olympic Gold Medal in Athens, Greece.
THE SANDERSON FILE
A freestyle return to the world stage...
Full Name: Birthday: Birthplace: Hometown: Alma Mater: Spouse: Children:
Sanderson surprised the wrestling world in late March of 2011, just a week after guiding Penn State to the 2011 NCAA Championship, when the Nittany Lion mentor returned to freestyle competition at the Brockport Open in Brockport, N.Y. Sanderson had promised his Penn State team prior to the 2011 Big Ten Championships that if his squad won the school’s first-ever Big Ten crown, he’d make the drive north to Brockport and wrestle in the tournament. The Lions obliged by winning the 2011 title and Sanderson returned to the mat as a competitor for the first time since winning the 2004 84 kg Gold Medal in Athens. But Sanderson’s freestyle summer was not done. He ended weeks of national speculation in early June when, just days after being inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla., he took to the mats in Oklahoma City at the 2011 USA Wrestling World Team Trials. Sanderson first won the challenge bracket at 84 kg and then won two straight in the finals over former Northwestern champ Jake Herbert. Sanderson’s win in Oklahoma City earned him one of seven spots on Team USA’s roster for the 2011 World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, in September. He was joined on that roster by two other Nittany Lion Wrestling Club champions, Teyon Ware and Jake Varner (giving the vaunted NLWC three of the United States’ seven entries at the World Championships).
Cael Norman Sanderson June 20, 1979 Provo, Utah Heber City, Utah Iowa State, 2002 Kelly Tate, Teag
COACHING HONORS * 2007 NWCA Coach of the Year * 2007 Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year * 2007 Amateur Wrestling News Rookie Coach of the Year * 2007 RevWrestling.com Coach of the Year * 2011 Big Ten Coach of the Year * 2012 Big Ten Coach of the Year * 2012 Intermat National Coach of the Year * Only man in NCAA history to earn both Big Ten and Big 12 Coach of the Year honors * Coached 6 National Champions (4 in 3 years at PSU) * 29 All-Americans in just 6 years (14 in 3 years at PSU) * 53 of 60 of his wrestlers qualified for NCAAs * Coached 9 Big Ten Champions in three years in the conference
AS A WRESTLER... * The only wrestler in NCAA history to never lose a bout * Four-time NCAA National Champion * Four-time NCAA Most Outstanding Wrestler * 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist * 159-0 as collegiate wrestler * Four-time Big 12 Champion * Sports Illustrated called unbeaten streak #2 most outstanding achievement in collegiate history * Three-time Hodge Trophy winner * Final NCAA win named one of 25 Defining Moments by NCAA * ESPY Award for Best Male Collegiate Athlete * ESPN Sports Century special on his career * One-time appearance on Wheaties cereal box
Sanderson’s Career Coaching Record Season 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 Career
Record 13-3-0 16-4-0 15-3-0 13-6-1 17-1-1 13-1-0 87-18-2
% .813 .800 .833 .675 .921 .929 .822
B10 Dual ------5-3-0 6-1-1 7-1 18-5-1
Conf. 1st 1st 1st 5th 1st 1st ---
NCAA 2nd 5th 3rd 9th 1st 1st ---
Qual. 10 10 10 6 8 9 53
AA 4 7 4 3 5 6 29
NC 1 0 1 0 1 3 6
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