Slippery Rock University Athletics

Former Army West Point director of wrestling development Jeff Breese was named head coach of the Slippery Rock wrestling program in July of 2026 and was tasked with restarting the program to begin competing at the NCAA Division II level in 2027-28. 
 
CAREER AT A GLANCE
• 20 years working in collegiate wrestling after a Division I wrestling career at North Carolina State University.
• Former head coach at three different institutions, including Lake Erie College, Buena Vista University and Penn State New Kensington.
• Has coached more than 30 NCAA national qualifiers, 34 EIWA medalists, multiple NCAA All-Americans and numerous U23 Pan-American champions during his career. 
• Has established USA Wrestling Regional Training Centers on mutliple college campuses. 
• Has coached more than 50 Scholar All-Americans during his coaching tenure. 
 
COACHING TIMELINE
• 2026-Present: Slippery Rock (head coach)
• 2022-26: Army West Point (director of wrestling development)
• 2018-22: Lake Erie College (head coach)
• 2014-18: Buena Vista University (head coach)
• 2012-14: North Carolina State University (director of operations)
• 2010-12: Northern Illinois University (assistant coach)
• 2009-10: Penn State University New Kensington (head coach)
• 2008-09: National Wrestling Coaches Association (director of media relations)
• 2006-08: Seton Hill University (assistant coach)

CAREER PATH
• Spent four seasons (2022-26) before joining SRU working at Army West Point, where he was the director of wrestling development as well as the head coach of the Army Prep team and the West Point Wrestling Club.
• Sent 20 wrestlers to the NCAA Division I National Championships during his tenure at Army.
• Also spent four seasons as Division II head coach at Lake Erie College, where he led the team to a Great Midwest Athletic Conference title and three trips to the GMAC finals. 
• Coached 40 Scholar All-Americans, 10 NCAA qualifiers and three NCAA All-Americans in his tenure at Lake Erie. 
• Also served four years as head coach at Buena Vista University in Iowa from 2014-18. Coached two IIAC Freshman of the Year honorees and established a USA Wrestling Regional Training Center on campus. 
• Also had brief stints early in his career as head coach at Penn State New Kensington, assistant coach at Northern Illinois, assistant coach at Seton Hill, director of operations at North Carolina State and working with the National Wrestling Coaches Association. 
 
ATHLETIC CAREER
• Three-year starter on the Division I team at North Carolina State from 2004-06. Helped guide the Wolfpack to the 2004 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) title. 
• Two-time Pennsylvania state champion in high school wrestling at McGuffey High School in Washington County. 

PERSONAL
• Native of Claysville, Pennsylvania
• Earned a bachelor's degree from North Carolina State University in 2006.