Wrestling Head Coach Morin Retires After 20 Years

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MILWAUKEE, WI (03/22/2013)(readMedia)-- Since 1993, Kevin Morin has been the leader, communicator and educator of the MSOE wrestling program, but it all ended today as he officially announced his retirement from coaching to his team and the university.

Morin was only the second coach in the history of the MSOE wrestling program. In 20 years of coaching at MSOE,

Morin's athletes have succeeded both on the mat and in the classroom. Morin has celebrated two NCAA All Americans, eight NCAA Championship Qualifiers, 28 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Academic All-Americans, and three College of Sports Information Directors Association (CoSida) Academic All-Americans. Morin has coached ten teams that were ranked in the top ten in the nation for academic excellence, including four team awards for having the highest GPA in the nation (2002-2005) among NCAA Division III wrestling programs.

Morin and the Raiders achieved a feat many programs on a national level never achieve: 100 dual meet victories. Coach Morin will end his college coaching career with 101 dual wins. His teams have been successful in conference, winning six team titles and crowning 45 individual champions.

Although a coach that does not seek attention, he has been honored many times by his peers over the past 20 years. Morin was named Conference Coach of the Year seven times as well as a four time recipient of the Wisconsin Wrestling Coaches Association (WWCA) Coach of the Year Award. Regionally, he was chosen as the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year in 2002. The National Wrestling Coaches Association honored Morin in 2004 with the Bob Bubb Coaching Excellence Award, presented annually to one coach across each division of collegiate wrestling. The award is intended to recognize an outstanding coach who epitomizes the qualities and characteristics of a role model and mentor for developing young student-athletes. His 100% graduation rate among active seniors is one stat that coach Morin is most proud of.

Morin has been an active wrestler himself, growing up in a wrestling family with his brothers Keith and Kent. Kevin started wrestling competitively in sixth grade. Before coaching at MSOE, Morin wrestled at Greenfield High School where he was a high school All American. He was a scholarship wrestler at Marquette University, where he was a two-time champion at the National Catholic Tournament and placed in NCAA regional competition.

Graduating from Marquette in 1978, Morin accepted a position at MSOE as an admissions counselor. Morin was interim head coach of the newly established wrestling team, taking over the reins mid-season in 1993-94 when the head coach resigned. Although he planned on stepping down at the end of the season, Morin was convinced to serve as the head coach of the team and has for the past 20 years. "In my first year of coaching there were four guys on the team," said Morin. "I called them the Faithful Four because they were so dedicated."

Morin's student-athletes were not the only dedicated ones. Morin's dedication to wrestling and MSOE runs deep. He serves the university as Human Resource Director as well as spending countless hours on the mat with his team.

Director of Athletics Dan Harris comments on Morin's desire for success and his exceptional qualities, both as a coach and as a person. "Coach Kevin Morin has been the heart and soul of MSOE wrestling. He was a great example of integrity, caring for others, dedication and gentlemanly conduct to all his athletes. His teams excelled on the mat and in the classroom. That is no surprise, given the high expectations he set and his thoughtful approach to creating excellence from anything he touched. I have met no better coach and teacher of sport fundamentals and lessons of life experience. I am pleased that Coach Morin will remain in an advisory capacity but it will not be the same. I am certain that every athlete coached by him is a better man today."

Former star wrestler and Senior Scholar Athlete of MSOE Athletics, Joel Vandeboom, class of 2009, confirms Harris' sentiments: "I have always respected his ways of not only being a great coach, but also a great family man. Coach is someone that will always be there for you if you need anything, and this is an important trait I would like to carry on with the rest of my life."

Morin will be involved with the wrestling team as an associate coach as the program prepares for the 2013-14 season.