ASHLAND — In his heyday at Purdue, Tim Dernlan wrestled at 125 pounds. In wrestling terms, he was a lightweight.
Dernlan’s resume is not like that. It includes three-time state championships and All-America honors as a wrestler and proven success as an assistant coach with some of the most accomplished Division I programs in the country.
Dernlan was introduced as Ashland University’s new wrestling coach on Tuesday.
“I was flattered and overwhelmed with the interest level in our head coaching position,” AU athletics director Bill Goldring said. “It was clear that Tim Dernlan’s background and personal integrity stood out. He is absolutely the right person at the right time to lead our program.
“I know he'll do well,” said Purdue head coach Scott Hinkel, Dernlan’s college head coach. “It’s a great fit. We’re very proud of him, being an alumnus. We wish him the best, except when Ashland wrestles us.”
Dernlan, a native of West Liberty, Ohio, comes to the Eagles from Lehigh (Pa.) University, where he has served as the lead assistant coach since 2006. In that role, he coordinated all of Lehigh’s recruiting efforts and co-directed a summer wrestling camp that attracted over 950 participants.
“Passion, drive, a lot of energy, that describes Tim,” said Lehigh head coach Greg Strobel. “He’s the kind of kid who works, works, works. You have to tell him to go home.
“I put a lot of pressure on him in recruiting. It wasn’t easy for him to pick up right away. He comes to Ashland with a lot of experience, especially with a private institution. There were a lot of challenges here in recruiting and Tim did a great job.
Tim’s class last year was really a Top 10 class and this year we have nine top wrestlers. I gave him the lead with that.”
Dernlan was selected from a field of over 40 applicants.
“Ashland University has a great tradition in wrestling,” Dernlan said. “It’s located in the greatest wrestling state in the nation. Ashland is a place with great support for wrestling. I’m looking forward to the future at Ashland University.”
Dernlan was an assistant wrestling coach at Penn State from 2003-2006. With the Nittany Lions, he developed and implemented an individual and team system of training.
Prior to his stop at Penn State, Dernlan was an assistant coach at Ohio State from 1999-2000 and an assistant at Purdue from 1998-99. He was the owner and operator of Victory Wrestling Camps from 1998-2007. In that role, he managed a budget of over $100,000 and coordinated and directed 14 camps at 12 locations throughout Ohio.
In seven years of coaching, Dernlan has coached 42 NCAA Division I qualifiers and 11 All-Americas. His 2007 recruiting class ranked sixth in the country. His 2006 recruiting class was ranked third in the country and in 2005 the class he helped recruit was ranked fourth nationally.
__________________ BRUTUS BUCKEYE WILL TAKE YOU DOWN...
Ashland University names Dernlan wrestling coach 
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