WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. - Head Wrestling Coach Danny Irwin has announced additions to the staff that will help him lead the Hilltoppers this season. Christian Rivera, Kyle Hatch, Daniel Radcliffe, and Marcus Jean-Baptiste join the staff alongside Cam Timok, Mike Carpenter, and Chase Logan, who return to the program.

"One of our mantras we use is "it takes what it takes!" and I believe that our coaching staff is assembled in a way to take it to all areas of the program like we have never done before especially with serving our student-athletes," said Coach Irwin. "Thank you to our administration, alumni and friends of the program for your support to assemble such an amazing staff. "

Christian Rivera (Assistant Coach)

Christian Rivera stays on the hilltop after spending the past two seasons competing for the Black and Gold, after an undergraduate stint at Wheeling, where he was a successful wrestler for the Cardinals and earned a degree in Engineering. "Coach Rivera was the first person to buy into me when I moved to the Ohio Valley and knows my system as well as anyone," remarked Coach Irwin. "He has really built himself on and off the mat which will help him guide our team at a high level." The Orlando, Fla. native came up just short of a trip to nationals both years for the Hilltoppers with deep runs at the NCAA DII Super Region 3 Championships. Rivera also placed fourth each season at the MEC Championships for West Liberty. He completed a Master's of Business Administration at WLU.

"I'm incredibly excited to join the West Liberty Wrestling staff," said Coach Rivera. "Wrestling has provided me with incredible relationships and opportunities both on and off the mat. The amount of effort people have put into my wrestling career and me as a person is boundless, and when the opportunity presented itself to share what I've learned from my experiences, I jumped on it. Being able to give back to the next group of wrestlers and steer them to a path of greatness is a gift in itself. I believe in what I can give to West Liberty and what West Liberty Wrestling can do on the mat and within the surrounding community. Again I can't thank Coach Irwin and Coach Timok enough for their support, Climb the Hill!"

Kyle Hatch (Graduate Assistant Coach)

Four-time NCAA Division III All-American Kyle Hatch will begin his first season as a graduate assistant coach with the nationally-ranked West Liberty University wrestling program. "I am extremely excited to be a new part of this successful coaching staff and very talented team," said Hatch. "I look forward to bringing all I have to the table in order to help this team make history and bring West Liberty University a National Title." Hatch comes to the hilltop following a stellar career at Wabash (Ind.) University. The veteran middleweight helped lead the Little Giants to a runner-up finish at the 2022 NCAA Division III Nationals in Cedar Rapids, Iowa with a runner-up finish in the 165-pound weight class. The No. 3 seed in the bracket, Hatch pinned his way through the tournament before coming up short in the championship match against top-seeded Bradan Birt of Millikin. One of only two four-time All-Americans in the history of the Wabash wrestling program, Hatch posted a sparkling 31-2 record during his senior season with 19 of his wins by fall. A native of Pierceton, Ind. who won 168 matches in four years at Warsaw High School, the Wabash College graduate is pursuing his master's degree at West Liberty.

"Adding Coach Hatch to staff is huge for me, I was part of the recruiting process to land Coach Hatch to Wabash College as an athlete where he had an amazing career as a competitor! I believe he can be an even better coach because his love for the sport is unmatched. That love along with his sincerity for others will be huge for our student-athletes," noted Coach Irwin.

Daniel Radcliffe (Graduate Assistant Coach)

A four-time All-Conference wrestler and NCAA Division III national tournament qualifier, Daniel Radcliffe is set for his first season with the Hilltopper wrestling program as a graduate assistant coach. "As a coach, I never imagined myself leaving the midwest.  However, the opportunity to learn under Coach Irwin and Coach Timok inspired me to do so.  The culture and commitment at West Liberty is stronger than I have ever experienced, and I am extremely excited for this upcoming season," said Radcliffe. He spent the 2021 season as an assistant wrestling coach at his alma mater, Central (Iowa) College, following an outstanding career on the mat with the Dutch. One of only 14 wrestlers to win 100 or more matches at Central, Radcliffe posted a 101-33 mark with 25 falls during his four-year career. He qualified for the NCAA Division III Nationals as a redshirt freshman in 2017 and was an NWCA Scholar All-American as a senior in 2020. Radcliffe was honored with the Dutch's Outstanding Freshman Award in 2017 and won the Lawrence Award as the team's hardest worker when he rolled to a 29-6 record with 8 falls during his senior year. The Lockport, Ill. native was a four-year letterman at Lockport Township High School, where he was a two-time All-Illinois honoree. A five-time Freestyle National Qualifier, he was the 2014 Illinois Freestyle state champion. Radcliffe redshirted at the University of Illinois in 2016 before transferring to Central. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in English and is currently working toward his master's degree at West Liberty.

"From our first conversation with Coach Radcliffe we knew he was a perfect fit for us, he looks to serve student-athletes which is at the core of who we are as a coaching staff. Along with wanting to serve others he has a strong thirst to learn and develop that will help push our staff to be the best we can be," said Coach Irwin on the addition.
 

Marcus Jean-Baptiste (Graduate Assistant for Strength & Conditioning)

Marcus Jean-Baptiste remains on the hilltop after competing for the Black and Gold the past three seasons and will serve as the Graduate Assistant for Strength and Conditioning. "I'm grateful for the opportunity given to me by the University and staff to work with some amazing young men and women," said Jean-Baptiste. "My purpose is to bring value towards the university and athletic program and do it at a high level. Spending time as an athlete here, I know how much it matters to have a positive experience here on campus and I look forward to trying to create that for others." Jean-Baptiste's competing career on the hilltop featured a runner-up finish in the Mountain East Conference Championships and a fourth place finish in the NCAA DII Super Region 3 Championships in 2020-21. The Orlando, Fla. native earned an Exercise Science degree and is currently pursuing his masters.

"Proud is an understatement of my emotions for Coach Jean-Baptiste," said Coach Irwin. "We both came to the Ohio Valley not quite knowing what would happen and we have accomplished some amazing things together. The impact he will make on the entire university as a strength coach will be far from everyone just setting personal best with a bar in their hands because he is a strong motivator. He has so much guidance to offer in life, in the weight room and on the mat which will really balance our staff out in a perfect way."