TRAVIS PATRICK RESIGNS AS ACU WRESTLING COACH
ACU Sports Information
GLENDALE, Ariz. - Yesterday afternoon, ACU Director of Athletics, Dr. Peter Dryer, announced the resignation and departure of ACU wrestling head coach, Travis Patrick. Patrick leaves ACU to accept a head-coaching job at Southeastern University (Fla.).
Patrick, who started the wrestling program at ACU after being hired in December, 2018, has led the young team through two full seasons. His departure comes after overseeing five wrestlers qualifying for the NAIA National Championships last month, including coaching the program's first-ever All-American.
"We are grateful for Coach Patrick's work to get the wrestling program up and running with some early success," said Dr. Dryer, "and we certainly wish him well as he takes on new challenges. We will continue to move the ACU wrestling program in a positive direction as we immediately move forward in our search for the next ACU head wrestling coach."
Prior to his arrival at ACU, Patrick had coached at Menlo College since 2015, when he was hired as an assistant wrestling coach and sports performance coach. In 2017 he was promoted to associate head wrestling coach while also serving as Fellowship of Christian Athletes Advisor.
During his time at Menlo he coached 18 NAIA National qualifiers, seven All-Americans, and his teams were ranked as high as No. 3 in the NAIA. In 2017 he coached Menlo's first national champion since 2008. In 2018, the team won the Cascade Collegiate Conference championship, had seven All-Cascade Conference wrestlers, and won the NAIA Buffalo Funds Five-Star Champions of Character Team Award. The Oaks also had three Academic All-Americans and ten Academic All-Conference honors.
As an athlete, Patrick wrestled four years while at Southern Oregon and helped the team earn four top five finishes at the NAIA National Tournament (2nd in 2012, 2013, and 2015, 4th in 2014). He was an NAIA National Qualifier, Western Regional Qualifier, and Academic All-American. While in high school, Coach Patrick was a four-time Washington State wrestling qualifier, and was state runner-up in 2010.
When asked to comment on his departure and new opportunity, Patrick stated, "I am extremely grateful for my time at ACU and especially to Dr. Peter Dryer for entrusting me with the task of building a brand new wrestling program at the University. My wife and I will miss the community we have built and the Firestorm family as a whole, but we are excited for the new direction that God has called us in!"
Along with Patrick, Assistant Coach, Koby Reyes also leaves ACU to join Patrick's coaching staff at Southeastern. Reyes joined the ACU coaching staff ahead of the 2020-21 season, helping Patrick to lead a successful team to Nationals.
A Billings, Mont. native, Reyes was a four-time state qualifier and state finalist at West High School. After high school he continued his education and wrestling career at Purdue University. He wrestled for Purdue in the 149 weight class and concluded his career after the 2017-18 athletic year. The Boilermakers were ranked as high as No. 19 in the country at the NCAA Division I level during that season.