UNI wrestling coach Doug Schwab signs contract extension

CEDAR FALLS — University of Northern Iowa announced Tuesday that head wrestling coach Doug Schwab agreed to terms for a contract extension through the 2027-28 season.

The news comes on the heels of Schwab’s interview for the head coach position at Illinois. He turned down the offer to replace longtime Illini Coach and fellow former University of Iowa wrestler Jim Heffernan.

"Doug has consistently and impressively improved the UNI Wrestling program during his 11-year tenure and has built a team that is among the best in the Big 12 and in the NCAA," UNI Athletics Director David Harris said in a release. "Along with his continued success on the mat, he, (his wife) Allyson and their family have ingrained themselves into the Cedar Valley and the UNI community. We are thrilled to continue to have Coach Schwab lead our program into the future."

Schwab owns a 90-58 dual record in 11 seasons as Panthers head coach after serving as an Iowa and Virginia Tech assistant to Tom Brands.

The 2020 Big 12 Coach of the Year has led UNI to top-three finishes and has coached multiple conference champions in three of the last four seasons. The Panthers have had at least one All-American in each of the last eight NCAA tournaments.

Overall, Schwab has coach 60 national qualifiers and 17 All-Americans, including NCAA champion Drew Foster, who won the 184-pound title in 2019. He was also named the Big 12 Wrestler of the Year. Taylor Lujan was the top-seeded 184-pounder in 2020 before the event was canceled due the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I am excited for the opportunity to continue to build this program and move it forward," Schwab said in the release. "We love our team and our community. UNI is home. We have a lot left that we want to achieve and there is no place I would rather do it than UNI. Our family has a great support system here and we are excited for the future."

Harris also noted Panther wrestlers’ academic efforts as well. UNI wrestlers combined for a team grade-point average of 3.38 in the spring of 2020 and 2.29 in the fall of that same calendar year. The program produced a school-record 18 wrestlers who earned Academic All-Big 12 honors in 2021.