Eric Van Kley took over as Central’s head wrestling coach in 2007 and is returning the program to national prominence.
Van Kley, who also became Central’s athletics director in 2012, has guided the Dutch to four 10-dual win seasons since 2010. His 2015-16 squad sent four wrestlers to the NCAA Division III Championships for the first time since 1995 and finished 20th, its best national showing since 1994. Central received the NCAA Central Region Coaching Staff of the Year Award.
He’s serving a two-year term as president of the National Wrestling Coaches Association after spending a year as president-elect, and is in the first year of a four-year term as one of four members of the NCAA Division III Wrestling Committee.
In 2014-15, Van Kley propelled the Dutch into the NCAA Division III rankings for the first time in 20 years. His 2015-16 squad’s 9-3 mark was the program’s highest winning percentage since 1993-94. The Dutch have sent at least one wrestler to the NCAA Division III national tournament each of the last five years. Central wrestlers have also earned NWCA Scholar All-America distinction eight times in the past two seasons.
Van Kley has compiled a 72-80-1 record, largely against some of the fiercest competition in Division III, despite inheriting a squad that compiled a 3-27-1 record in his first two seasons He’s 4934 over the past five campaigns.
Van Kley was named the co-winner of the league coach of the year award in 2009-10 after piloting Central to its first winning season since 2000-01.
A Rock Valley, Iowa native, Van Kley started the wrestling program at the University of Great Falls (Mont.) in 2004 and turned it into an NAIA title contender. He compiled a 28-13 dual meet record over three seasons and wrestlers earned NAIA all-America distinction 13 times with three top-10 national team finishes. In 2006-07 the Argos won the West Region championship and finished sixth at the NAIA national tournament. Van Kley was named the NAIA West Region coach of the year. His 2005-06 team received NAIA Top 10 academic distinction. Van Kley also served as the Great Falls athletics director in 2006-07, overseeing an 11-sport program, and was named the university's staff employee of the year.
Van Kley served three seasons as an assistant wrestling coach at The Dalles High School in Oregon before he spent a year as assistant coach for Division I Millersville University ( Pa.) while also serving as Leadership Program Coordinator for the National Wrestling Coaches Association. He worked with a Millersville squad that won the Eastern Regional dual meet title and placed second at the Virginia Duals.
An honors graduate of Minnesota State-Mankato, Van Kley was a three-time letterwinner for the NCAA Division II program. He served as captain for the 2000 team which placed sixth at the national meet and was a two-time Scholastic All-America honoree, while receiving the team's Maverick Achievement Award. Van Kley earned a master's degree from Duquesne University (Pa.).
Van Kley is also heavily involved in the U.S. Cadet & Junior National Greco-Roman tournament. He served as head coach of the Iowa team in 2010-11, guiding the squad to a sixth-place finish, after previously serving as an assistant. He's coached in the tourney for seven years, including his time as a team director in Montana.
Van Kley and his wife Sarah are the parents of two sons and a daughter.
