2011-2012 South Dakota State Wrestling Coaching Staff Jason Liles Head Coach Bowling Green ‘79, Miami (Ohio) ‘82 19th Season
Résumé
• Ranks first on SDSU’s career victories list with a 144-134-5 record in 18 seasons • Led SDSU to nine-straight top-five finishes and 10 top-10 finishes at the NCAA Division II Championships • Enters 2011-12 season with 233-162-6 career dual record • 2000-01 NCAA Division II National Wrestling Coach of the Year
South Dakota State University wrestling coach Jason Liles enters his 19th season for the Jackrabbits, his third since becoming the alltime wins leader at the university. His record currently stands at 144-134-5. Liles overtook the late Warren Williamson, who compiled a 134-74-9 dual record over 16 seasons from 1957-68 and 1970-73. Overall, Liles holds a career record of 233-162-6 over a decorated 27 seasons. Starting with the 2004-05 season, the Jackrabbits competed at the NCAA Division I level. SDSU wrestled as an independent the first two seasons in the D-I ranks, then joined seven other schools in forming the Western Wrestling Conference in time for the 2006-07 season. SDSU completed a fast-tracked transition to Division I prior to the 2006-07 season, making the Jackrabbits eligible for postseason consideration. Under Liles’ guidance, redshirt freshman Ryan Meyer became the first SDSU wrestler in the D-I era to qualify for the national meet following a runner-up effort in the 165-pound weight class at the 2007 West Regional. In 2009, Tyler Sorenson represented the Jacks at the national tournament after a second-place finish at the West Regional.
Sorenson was hampered by injury to start the season but bounced back to a 14-4 record, with all losses to wrestlers at the national meet. In 2010, Sorenson finished first at the West Regional and made a repeat appearance at the national tournament. As a team, the Jackrabbits placed fifth at the 2007 and 2009 West Regional and sixth in 2008 and 2010. Liles led SDSU to a winning dual record nine times, including a streak of eight consecutive winning seasons from 1996-2003. As part of that streak, the Jackrabbits tied a school record with 17 dual victories during the 1997-98 season. SDSU won the National Wrestling Coaches Association National Duals that season and repeated the feat during the 1999-2000 season. In 1993-94, Liles took over the South Dakota State wrestling program and guided the Jackrabbits to a fourth-place finish in the NCAA Division II tournament. That marked the highest national finish for the Jackrabbits in 25 years and was the first time that SDSU had two individual national champions — Chad Lamer at 177 and Justin Blasius at 190 — in the same season.
• 1997-98 and 2000-01 squads finished as NCAA Division II runner-up • Coached 47 All-Americans and 11 national champions at SDSU • Wrestlers have combined to earn NWCA Academics Team recognition 37 times • Coached team to NWCA Division II National Dual titles in 1998 and 2000 • Ranked 13th highest GPA in the nation in 2009 2011-2012 South Dakota State Wrestling
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