This page is hosted by the Clarion University Wrestling Pin Club.
Clarion University Wrestling
Head Coach: Matt Dernlan
Associate Head Coach: Troy Letters
Volunteer Coach: Jim Gibson
Wrestling Office Phone: 814-393-2455
Home Arena: Tippin Gym
Conference: Eastern Wrestling League...Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
Affiliation: NCAA-D1
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Associate Head Coach: Troy Letters
Volunteer Coach: Jim Gibson
Wrestling Office Phone: 814-393-2455
Home Arena: Tippin Gym
Conference: Eastern Wrestling League...Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
Affiliation: NCAA-D1
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CLARION NAMES PSU ASSISTANT MATT DERNLAN HEAD WRESTLING COACH
July 25, 2011
Matt Dernlan, 39, who grew up in West Liberty, Ohio and who has been an assistant wrestling coach at Penn State (2011 NCAA Div. I National Champions) for the past seven seasons, was named today as Clarion University’s head wrestling coach, it was announced by athletic director Dave Katis.
Dernlan replaces Teague Moore, who was the Golden Eagles head coach for the past five seasons and was recently named head wrestling coach at American University.
Matt comes to Clarion from Penn State where he was director of operations from 2009 – 2011 under head coach Cael Sanderson and part of the Nittany Lion staff that brought an NCAA D-I National Championship home in 2011. He was the first assistant and recruiting coordinator at PSU from 2005-2009 and helped lead the Lions to a third place team finish in 2008. He was directly responsible three top 4 national recruiting classes in 2005, 2006, 2007 and also a top contributor in the outstanding 2010 class. He was also director of operations at PSU in 2004-2005.
Prior to his coaching experience at Penn State, Dernlan was the assistant coach at Ohio Northern University from 2001 – 2004, was assistant director of the Jeff Jordan Champ Camps from 1999-2000 and 1995-98 and assistant wrestling coach at St. Paris Graham High School in Ohio from 1997-99.
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Matt Dernlan, 39, who grew up in West Liberty, Ohio and who has been an assistant wrestling coach at Penn State (2011 NCAA Div. I National Champions) for the past seven seasons, was named today as Clarion University’s head wrestling coach, it was announced by athletic director Dave Katis.
Dernlan replaces Teague Moore, who was the Golden Eagles head coach for the past five seasons and was recently named head wrestling coach at American University.
Matt comes to Clarion from Penn State where he was director of operations from 2009 – 2011 under head coach Cael Sanderson and part of the Nittany Lion staff that brought an NCAA D-I National Championship home in 2011. He was the first assistant and recruiting coordinator at PSU from 2005-2009 and helped lead the Lions to a third place team finish in 2008. He was directly responsible three top 4 national recruiting classes in 2005, 2006, 2007 and also a top contributor in the outstanding 2010 class. He was also director of operations at PSU in 2004-2005.
Prior to his coaching experience at Penn State, Dernlan was the assistant coach at Ohio Northern University from 2001 – 2004, was assistant director of the Jeff Jordan Champ Camps from 1999-2000 and 1995-98 and assistant wrestling coach at St. Paris Graham High School in Ohio from 1997-99.
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CLARION NAMES TROY LETTERS ASSISTANT WRESTLING COACH
September 14, 2011
Troy Letters, 29, a former PIAA & NCAA Division I Champion who spent the last three years at Penn State as an assistant coach, was named Clarion University’s first assistant wrestling coach today by Athletic Director Dave Katis.
Letters joins new Clarion Head Wrestling coach Matt Dernlan to form the new Golden Eagles wrestling staff. Dernlan, who also came to Clarion from Penn State, was named head coach on July 25 and replaced former head coach Teague Moore who took the top position at American University.
“I am very happy to announce the hiring of Troy Letters as our assistant wrestling coach at Clarion,” said Katis. “We are impressed with Troy as a person and a coach and believe he brings a strong wrestling expertise to the program. We feel very fortunate to have him on our staff and feel it shows Clarion’s commitment to a strong, competitive NCAA Division I Wrestling program.”
Letters comes to Clarion from Penn State, where he spent the last three years helping develop Nittany Lion wrestlers. In 2008-09 he was the Director of Wrestling Operations, and the last two years as an assistant coach. Penn State won the NCAA Division I National Championship in 2011 with Cael Sanderson as head coach.
“I am thrilled to have Troy Letters as my assistant coach,” said Clarion mentor Matt Dernlan. “Troy knows what it takes to be the best in the country because he has been there personally. He also knows what it takes to develop and lead others and that’s a trait that will serve him well as we move the Clarion program forward. We share a common belief of what clarion wrestling can be again, and have a unified vision on what it will take to lead Clarion back to national prominence. That’s our goal,” added Dernlan.
A native of Pittsburgh and a 2001 graduate of Shaler High School, Letters wrestled under coach Rick Laferriere and compiled a 145-5 record at Shaler and won PIAA State titles as a junior in 2000 (152-pounds) and a senior in 2001 (160-pounds). He also placed second at PIAA’s as a sophomore in 1999 (145-pounds). He had over 100 falls in his high school career and as a senior won the Wade Schalles Pinner Award (former Golden Eagle standout) for most falls in a single season.
Letters went on to wrestle at Lehigh under coach Greg Strobel and amassed a career record of 115-9 (31 falls) from 2003-2006. Troy was an NCAA runner-up as a freshman in 2003 at 165-pounds with a season record of 34-2, then won the NCAA D-I title at 165 in 2004 with a record of 36-1. He placed third at nationals in 2005 at 165-pounds with a record of 27-1 and qualified for nationals his senior year, but an injury kept him out the second half of the year and hampered him at nationals. Troy was a 3-time EIWA Champion and had a dual meet career record of 65-2.
After graduating from Lehigh with a degree in Political Science, he coached at Princeton in 2006-07 and then ran his own wrestling club for a year before joining the Penn State staff.
“I am happy to be here at Clarion University and thankful for the opportunity to join with Matt (Dernlan) to help build Clarion’s program back to national prominence,” said Letters. “I have great memories of Clarion – especially coming to wrestling camp here as a youth wrestler, and remember the tradition that Clarion enjoyed then. We used to come to matches and root for Clarion. Hopefully I can take what I’ve learned as a wrestler and as a coach at Penn State and apply that knowledge to help our wrestlers become their absolute best. Wrestling is a blue collar sport and Clarion is a blue collar community. I know I am going to love being part of that community and look forward to creating something special with Coach Dernlan that our community can come out and support.”
Letters and wife Concepcion have a daughter Blythe and are expecting their second child in the next two weeks. The family is moving to Clarion. Troy is the son of Jeff and Kathy Letters.
Troy Letters, 29, a former PIAA & NCAA Division I Champion who spent the last three years at Penn State as an assistant coach, was named Clarion University’s first assistant wrestling coach today by Athletic Director Dave Katis.
Letters joins new Clarion Head Wrestling coach Matt Dernlan to form the new Golden Eagles wrestling staff. Dernlan, who also came to Clarion from Penn State, was named head coach on July 25 and replaced former head coach Teague Moore who took the top position at American University.
“I am very happy to announce the hiring of Troy Letters as our assistant wrestling coach at Clarion,” said Katis. “We are impressed with Troy as a person and a coach and believe he brings a strong wrestling expertise to the program. We feel very fortunate to have him on our staff and feel it shows Clarion’s commitment to a strong, competitive NCAA Division I Wrestling program.”
Letters comes to Clarion from Penn State, where he spent the last three years helping develop Nittany Lion wrestlers. In 2008-09 he was the Director of Wrestling Operations, and the last two years as an assistant coach. Penn State won the NCAA Division I National Championship in 2011 with Cael Sanderson as head coach.
“I am thrilled to have Troy Letters as my assistant coach,” said Clarion mentor Matt Dernlan. “Troy knows what it takes to be the best in the country because he has been there personally. He also knows what it takes to develop and lead others and that’s a trait that will serve him well as we move the Clarion program forward. We share a common belief of what clarion wrestling can be again, and have a unified vision on what it will take to lead Clarion back to national prominence. That’s our goal,” added Dernlan.
A native of Pittsburgh and a 2001 graduate of Shaler High School, Letters wrestled under coach Rick Laferriere and compiled a 145-5 record at Shaler and won PIAA State titles as a junior in 2000 (152-pounds) and a senior in 2001 (160-pounds). He also placed second at PIAA’s as a sophomore in 1999 (145-pounds). He had over 100 falls in his high school career and as a senior won the Wade Schalles Pinner Award (former Golden Eagle standout) for most falls in a single season.
Letters went on to wrestle at Lehigh under coach Greg Strobel and amassed a career record of 115-9 (31 falls) from 2003-2006. Troy was an NCAA runner-up as a freshman in 2003 at 165-pounds with a season record of 34-2, then won the NCAA D-I title at 165 in 2004 with a record of 36-1. He placed third at nationals in 2005 at 165-pounds with a record of 27-1 and qualified for nationals his senior year, but an injury kept him out the second half of the year and hampered him at nationals. Troy was a 3-time EIWA Champion and had a dual meet career record of 65-2.
After graduating from Lehigh with a degree in Political Science, he coached at Princeton in 2006-07 and then ran his own wrestling club for a year before joining the Penn State staff.
“I am happy to be here at Clarion University and thankful for the opportunity to join with Matt (Dernlan) to help build Clarion’s program back to national prominence,” said Letters. “I have great memories of Clarion – especially coming to wrestling camp here as a youth wrestler, and remember the tradition that Clarion enjoyed then. We used to come to matches and root for Clarion. Hopefully I can take what I’ve learned as a wrestler and as a coach at Penn State and apply that knowledge to help our wrestlers become their absolute best. Wrestling is a blue collar sport and Clarion is a blue collar community. I know I am going to love being part of that community and look forward to creating something special with Coach Dernlan that our community can come out and support.”
Letters and wife Concepcion have a daughter Blythe and are expecting their second child in the next two weeks. The family is moving to Clarion. Troy is the son of Jeff and Kathy Letters.