Aug 18, 2022 2 min read

After serving as head wrestling coach at Washington & Jefferson College since April of 2011, Tommy Prairie has announced his resignation to pursue other coaching opportunities.

“We wish Coach Prairie and his family good luck with the new position,” said W&H athletic director Scott McGuinness. “Coach Prairie helped Nick Carr win our first NCAA wrestling individual championship and also guided the 2020 Presidents to our first PAC team title in two decades.

“W&J wrestlers have celebrated many successful moments under his leadership and we will work hard to identify the next head coach to continue the upward trajectory of this program.”

In his 11 seasons as head coach, Prairie’s wrestlers made 19 NCAA Division III national championship appearances, and Nick Carr became the first wrestling national champion in W&J history when he won the 157-pound championship in 2015. Carr finished his career as a President with a 41-1 record, the best winning percentage in program history. Seven different Presidents earned All-America status during Prairie’s tenure.

W&J had three individual conference champions, as Datz joined Alex Donahue and Raheem Clemons as Presidents’ Athletic Conference champions at the 2022 meet. Datz went on to qualify for the NCAA Division III Championships.

Prairie helped lead the 2019-20 squad to its first PAC team title in two decades. For his efforts, Prairie was honored as 2020 PAC Coach of the Year. The Presidents edged rival Waynesburg by the slimmest of margins to claim the championship. Five Presidents secured individual titles at the event. W&J finished fourth among the 20 teams competing at the 2020 NCAA Southeast Regional.

W&J has started its search for Prairie’s replacement. The next head coach will be the 12th in program history, which dates back to 1932.