In over 20 years of NCAA Division I coaching, head coach Tony Ersland and assistant coach Tyrel Todd have combined to guide nearly 100 NCAA Championships qualifiers, over 30 All-Americans and four national champions.
Together at Purdue, Ersland and Todd have…
- Their Class of 2016 is ranked No. 8 in WIN Magazine’s 2016 Early-Season Recruiting Rankings
- Coached Purdue’s first Midlands champion since 1963
- Tied program record with eight NCAA Championships qualifiers in 2015
- Five 2015 Big Ten Championships place winners
- Finished the 2014-15 season ranked 23rd in the USA Today/NWCA Division I Coaches Poll
- Coached the first two-time Big Ten Wrestler of the Week in Purdue history
- Coached their wrestlers to over 500 individual victories with 201 bonus point wins, including 99 pins, 69 major decisions and 33 technical falls
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Tony Ersland @tonyersland
During his 18 years as a Division I wrestling coach, Tony Ersland has played an integral role in developing student-athletes that are accomplished on the mat and nationally recognized. He has had 94 wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Championships, with 28 earning All-America honors and four finishing at the top of the podium. Two of his pupils, Jordan Burroughs and Jake Herbert, earned the highest honor a collegiate grappler can receive in the Dan Hodge Award. Ersland continued to develop Burroughs on the international stage as he claimed the 2011 and 2013 World titles at 74 kg. In 2012, Burroughs claimed Olympic gold in London.
In his first season at Purdue, Ersland was one of nine head coaches that were in their first season as a Division I head coach and one of 13 coaches that were in their first year at the helm of their respective program. His eight NCAA qualifiers were the most among both groups. Ersland was also the only coach among both groups to have his team in the final USA Today/NWCA Coaches Poll, checking in at No. 23.
On the mat, Ersland wrestled for the University of Iowa under legendary coach Dan Gable and was a part of three-straight NCAA team championships (1995-97) and four Big Ten Championships (1994-97). During his senior season in 1997, Ersland finished one match shy of All-America honors at 177 pounds.
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Tyrel Todd @Tyrel_Todd
A decorated collegiate career as a three-time All-American and 2009 B1G champion, combined with high caliber national and international freestyle experience, Tyrel Todd brings a standard of excellence.
A two-time team captain at Michigan, Todd made his mark on the Wolverine program wrestling at 184 and 197 pounds. In his first three seasons at 184, Todd posted an 82-24 record while placing fifth, third and second at the B1G Championships and earning as many trips to the NCAA Championships. Todd earned a spot on the podium his sophomore and junior campaigns, placing fifth and third, respectively.
Todd registered a 25-3 record en route to a B1G title and a fourth-place showing at 197 pounds in his final trip to the NCAA Championships. He finished with a career record of 121-30, with his 121 wins ranking 16th all-time at Michigan. In four NCAA appearances, Todd compiled a 16-7 mark, which ranks seventh in program history. He is also tied for third all-time with a 13-4 career record at the B1G Championships.
After graduating, Todd found success wrestling freestyle at 84 kg. He took fifth at the 2007 ASICS U.S. National Championships, eighth in 2008 and was seventh in 2011. In 2008, Todd placed fourth at the Olympic Trials, narrowly missing a bid for the Olympic Games in Beijing. He has spent extensive time training alongside the top freestyle wrestlers in the country and to tour and compete in Russia, Chechnya and Ukraine.