American University Wrestling Americans. In addition, the squad earned recognition from the NWCA as a top-25 academic team, and two were named Academic All-America by the NWCA. Nine were also named to the Academic All-Big 12 team. Before joining Oklahoma State, Cody served as the upperweights coach for 12 years at the University of Nebraska. During his time in Lincoln, he was responsible for bringing in some of the nation’s best recruiting classes, including two National Champions, 1995 heavyweight champion Tolly Thompson and 2000 197 lbs. champion Brad Vering. Vering later became a two-time Olympian with Cody in his corner at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials when he qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. While at Nebraska, 23 Cornhuskers were named All-America. to earn honors with his fourth-place finish at 184 lbs. The pair’s performances coupled with Adam LoPiccolo’s one win by fall earned the team a 17th-place finish. At the EIWA Championships, Abdurakhmanov was named Most Outstanding Wrestler as he and Glenn each won individual titles. In the classroom, Abdurakhmanov and Matt Morkel earned NWCA Academic All-America honors and the team earned the NWCA Team Academic All-America Award. In addition, the Eagles won 13 of their 19 dual matches and placed three wrestlers in the top-10 during the year. In the 2004-05 season, American earned its first ever AllAmerican award when senior Daniel Waters placed eighth at the NCAA Championships. Joining Waters at the NCAA Championships that year was a then school-record three teammates, including American first-ever EIWA champion, fourth-ranked Abdurakhmanov. The 2004 EIWA Freshman of the Year and runner-up at 184 lbs., Glenn, and heavyweight LoPiccolo also qualified for the big stage by way of their high placings at EIWAs. As a team the Eagles had their highest finish at EIWAs, placing sixth out of 13 teams. A year earlier, Cody led a team which continued to show improvement. Waters recorded the most wins in Division I that year, with a 32-5 overall record. Senior Jared Hyman finished his season with 24 wins, winning 10 of 11 dual meet matches.
Cody spent the 1986-87 season as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State. He was also an assistant at Bloomsburg University during the 1985-86 season and for the University of Missouri in 1984-85 where he helped develop Rulon Gardner, who later captured the heavyweight gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, and trained with 2000 Olympic silver medalist Matt Lindland. As a student-athlete, Cody was a three-time All-American. He spent two years at the State University of New York at Delhi before transferring to Missouri in 1983. His greatest success came during his senior season, 1984-85, when he earned All-America status and was named the team’s Most Outstanding Wrestler. Cody still ranks in Missouri’s single season top-10 for falls (17) and winning percentage (.875). He graduated from Bellevue University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business. A member of the New York Athletic Club, he was a 198 lbs. finalist at the 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials. A native of Binghamton, N.Y., Cody and his wife Holly now reside in the Washington, D.C., metro area, with their sons George, Charlie and Henry.
In his first year, Cody led American to the EIWA Tournament and was also a coach for the 2003 U.C. National Championship Gator Club team. That same year Cody introduced the highly successful Mark Cody Wrestling Camp, providing a series of individualized workouts for athletes of all ages and abilities. Cody came to American after spending two seasons as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State, a national powerhouse and owner of more NCAA Championships than any other school. Cody helped Oklahoma State to a Big 12 Championship and a fifth-place finish at the 2002 NCAA Championships, where they crowned an individual national champion and four All-
2-Time Champions of the Classroom
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