Commitment to excellence while maintaining tradition is the goal for Michigan State wrestling.  Michigan State head wrestling coach Tom Minkel enters his 16th season in East Lansing following this credo as he continues to dedicate himself to producing quality student-athletes in conjunction with upholding the prestigious Spartan wrestling tradition. Minkel won his 100th career dual with a 33-7 victory over Northwestern on Jan. 24, 2003, becoming just the third coach in Spartan history to collect 100 wins.

During his tenure, Minkel has produced 32 All-Americans, 10 Big Ten Champions and one NCAA Champion, building on the success of the program that has generated 13 NCAA Champions, 63 Big Ten Champions and eight Big Ten Championships.  His direction has also led to team success as his squads have finished in the Top 25 at the NCAA Championships 11 out of the last 12 years.  Last season, four Spartans qualified for the NCAA Championships, including Big Ten Champions Nick and Andy Simmons. Nick Simmons earned All-American honors for the third time, claiming fourth at 125 pounds for the second straight year, while Andy Simmons became a two-time All-American, improving on his 2005 finish of sixth by claiming fifth at 141 pounds.  It marked the 11th time and the second straight season in Minkel’s MSU tenure that he produced multiple All-Americans in the same season.

The ascent of the Spartan wrestling program took center stage in 1995. Minkel, who was in the fourth year of rebuilding the program to its storied past, led the Spartans to a third-place finish at the NCAA Championships, the highest place of any MSU team since 1972.  Kelvin Jackson claimed the 118-pound title, the first Spartan to win a national title in 21 years.  The following year, Minkel proved that the Spartan program would be a model for consistency, guiding MSU to a seventh-place NCAA finish.  The back-to-back top eight finishes at the NCAA Championships hadn’t been accomplished at Michigan State since the 1971-72 seasons, when the Spartans placed in the top five for six consecutive years.

Minkel’s resume is one of the most impressive in the country, highlighted by numerous international coaching experiences.  After serving as head coach for three U.S. World Teams and one U.S. Pan-American team, Minkel was named the head coach for the U.S. Team at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain.  Minkel made the most of his opportunity while creating U.S. wrestling history – he led the USA to a bronze medal, the highest finish ever by a U.S. team in Greco-Roman competition.  Overall, Minkel’s travels have taken him to more than 40 countries and have cemented his reputation as one of the top coaches in the sport.

While Minkel has been all over the world coaching for the United States, his main focus continues to be the Spartan wrestling program.  The program has made vast strides since his arrival in 1991 as he continues to create a first-class environment for wrestling at Michigan State.  His efforts led to the improvement of Jenison Field House, which now features one of the nation’s only dual meet platforms and a 20 x 25 foot mural highlighting the Spartan team.  Minkel has also introduced the team’s own comprehensive website and has fostered the growth of Takedown Club, increasing exposure and fund raising for the program enabling it to make $80,000 in renovations to its locker rooms two years ago.

For all of Minkel’s coaching credentials, his career as a wrestler is just as impressive. His vast knowledge of the sport stems from his own career as a world-class wrestler. Minkel, a three-time U.S. National Greco-Roman Champion at 149 pounds, was a member of the 1980 Olympic Team and wrestled for seven U.S. teams that competed internationally.

As a collegiate wrestler at Central Michigan, Minkel was a three-time All-American – twice in Division II and once in Division I – and is the only wrestler in school history to go through an entire career undefeated in dual meets (35-0-1).  He was the conference champion in 1969 and 1970, and earned the conference’s Outstanding Wrestler Award in 1970.  His overall career mark was 73-13-1, and his accomplishments landed him in Central Michigan’s Hall of Fame in 1985.  Minkel was also a Michigan High School State Champion at Williamston High School in 1967.

Minkel arrived at Michigan State in 1991 from his alma mater, where he was the head coach for two seasons and served as an assistant coach for 12 years (1977-89).

In addition to his coaching duties, Minkel has been on several wrestling committees.  He was the second vice president for USA Wrestling from 1984-86 and the group’s president from 1986-90.  Minkel was also an athlete’s representative to the U.S. Olympic Committee from 1984-86.

Minkel and his wife, Jackie, reside in Haslett.

Roger Chandler begins his ninth year as assistant coach at Michigan State.

“Roger is an outstanding all-around college coach,” head coach Tom Minkel said.  “In addition to being an exceptional wrestler himself, he is an excellent coach as well as a very organized administrator.  He’s just invaluable to our program.”

The Indiana University Male Athlete of the Year in 1996-97, Chandler was a three-time All-America wrestler at Indiana from 1995-97, finishing eighth in 1995, third in 1996 and second in 1997 at the NCAA Championships.  His only loss at the 1997 NCAA tournament came against Cary Kolat of Lock Haven, a two-time NCAA champion and 1997 World Championship runner-up.  The Big Ten Champion at 142 pounds in 1997, Chandler finished his Indiana career with a 134-25 record.

Chandler graduated from Indiana in 1997 with a degree in sport management.

In high school, Chandler was the 1992 Ohio state champion, wrestling on a team that produced 12 state champions and eight national champions.  He ended his prep career with a 112-12 mark.  

While at Michigan State, Chandler has helped produced eight different All-Americans for a total of 16 selections.  He served has also served as head coach of the Ohio Junior National Freestyle team in 1998 and 1999.

Chandler is a native of Sheffield Lake, Ohio. His wife, Mandy, is an academic coordinator for Michigan State in the Student-Athlete Academic Services.  The couple have two daughters, Kira (6) and Kylee (3).

Chris Williams begins his second campaign as a Spartan assistant coach in 2006- 07.

“Chris is non-stop enthusiasm!” head coach Tom Minkel exclaimed. “He loves to coach and it shows in everything he does.  He relates very well to the wrestlers on our team and I’m thrilled to have him on my staff.”

A native of Fowlerville, Mich., Williams wrestled at MSU from 1997-2002, earning All-American honors in 2001 and recording 102 career wins at 125 pounds.  He was also a two-time Michigan high school state champion at Fowlerville High School, compiling a 195- 10 record.

Williams has had extensive success in the freestyle and Greco-Roman ranks as well.  He was a Greco-Roman Junior Fila national champion in 1998, and took Greco-Roman University national champion honors in 2001.  Williams went on to place third at U.S. nationals that year.

In 2003, Williams established Spartan Lightning, an elite youth wrestling club consisting of approximately 60 wrestlers ages 8-14 from around the state.  He has also helped coach Team Michigan.

Williams graduated from Michigan State in 2002, earning a bachelor’s degree in business, and later serving as a bank manager in East Lansing.

He and his wife Nicolette reside in Holt.
 

Rashad Evans enters his second year on the Michigan State wrestling staff in 2006 as volunteer assistant coach.

“We are excited about Rashad being with our team again this season,” head coach Tom Minkel said. “He is a marvelous athlete and we look forward to him bringing the same as an integral part of our coaching staff.”

Evans wrestled in East Lansing from 2000-03 after spending a year at Niagara Junior College. He was a two-time NCAA qualifier for the Green and White, taking fourth at the 2002 Big Ten Championships and third at the Big Ten tournament in 2003. Evans finished his career at State with a 48-34 record.

The Niagara Falls, N.Y., native is best known throughout the collegiate wrestling world for eliminating three-time national champion Greg Jones of West Virginia from the NCAA Championships in 2003.

In the fall of 2005, Evans won the heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighter 2 competition, earning him a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championships.