Reece Humphrey is winner of 2019 Terry McCann Award as USA Wrestling Freestyle Coach of the Year
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by Gary Abbott, USA Wrestling
Reece Humphrey coaches Tyler Graff at the 2019 Senior World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. Photo by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors.
Reece Humphrey (Dayton, N.J./New Jersey RTC) has been named the winner of the 2019 Terry McCann Freestyle Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. It is the first time that he has won this prestigious award.
Humphrey became the first head coach of the New Jersey Regional Training Center in April of 2018, a regional training center which is affiliated with both Rutgers University and Princeton University. Humphrey works with the Senior-level athletes who are part of the NJRTC, as well as elite young athletes in the New Jersey region who are eligible to train at the RTC.
He coached two NJRTC athletes to the 2019 U.S. Senior World freestyle team, Tyler Graff at 61 kg and Patrick Downey at 86 kg. Both qualified for their first Senior World Team. Humphrey was on the coaching staff at the 2019 Senior Worlds in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, where he coached Graff and Downey. Graff reached a medal match and placed fifth at the World Championships, while Downey finished ninth in his weight class.
Another member of the NJRTC qualified for the 2019-2020 Freestyle National Team, as Anthony Ashnault earned the No. 3 spot on the national team at 70 kg. A number of other nationally ranked athletes train under Humphrey at the NJRTC.
Humphrey has coached on a number of international trips. He was a coach with the USA at the 2019 Yasar Dogu International in Turkey, In 2020, he was a coach at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier in Ottawa, Canada, as well as at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Tournament in Rome, Italy, which was a UWW Ranking Tournament.
As a coach, Humphrey has been innovative in his use of video and social media to promote the sport, the NJRTC and its top athletes.
Prior to joining the NJRTC, Humphrey was a head coach with the Titan Mercury WC, one of the world’s most successful wrestling clubs, where he worked with both Senior and age-group athletes, both in California as well as at the national level.
Prior to becoming a coach, Humphrey was a successful international freestyle wrestler, competing on three U.S. Senior World Teams (2011, 2013, 2015). He placed eighth in the 2013 World Championships and ninth in the 2011 World Championships. He also won three U.S. Open titles (2011, 2013, 2015).
On the age-group level, Humphrey claimed a pair of University World medals in freestyle, winning a University World silver medal in 2008 and a University World bronze medal in 2010.
Humphrey actually competed twice within in the last year, winning a bronze medal at the 2019 UWW Beach World Series event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and a silver medal at the 2020 Cerro Pelado International in Cuba.
Humphrey was an NCAA runner-up for Ohio State in 2009, and placed third in the 2010 NCAA Championships for the Buckeyes. He was a three-time Indiana state champion for Lawrence North High School. In high school, Humphrey was a Junior Nationals champion in Greco-Roman.
He is the son of 1988 U.S. Olympic freestyle coach Jim Humphrey, who was also a World silver medalist in freestyle in 1977.
PAST TERRY McCANN AWARD WINNERS AS FREESTYLE COACH OF THE YEAR
2019 – Reece Humphrey, Dayton, N.J., New Jersey RTC
2018 - Casey Cunningham, State College, Pa., Nittany Lion WC
2017 - Mark Manning, Lincoln, Neb., Nebraska RTC and Bryan Snyder, Lincoln, Neb., Nebraska RTC 2016 - Lou Rosselli, Norman, Okla., New York AC
2015 – Mark Manning, Lincoln, Neb., Nebraska RTC
2014 – Terry Brands, Iowa City, Iowa, Hawkeye WC
2013 - Lou Rosselli, Columbus, Ohio, New York AC
2012 – Cael Sanderson, State College, Pa., Nittany Lion WC
2011 – Mark Manning, Lincoln, Neb., Sunkist Kids
2010 - Sean Bormet, Naperville, Ill., New York AC
2009 – John Smith, Stillwater, Okla., Gator WC
2008 - Sean Bormet, Naperville, Ill., New York AC
2007 - Lou Rosselli, Columbus, Ohio, New York AC
2006 - Sean Bormet, Naperville, Ill., New York AC
2005 - Mike Duroe, Iowa City, Iowa, Hawkeye TC
2004 - Bobby Douglas, Ames, Iowa, Sunkist Kids
2003 - Tom Brands, Iowa City, Iowa, Hawkeye WC
2002 - Tom Brands, Iowa City, Iowa, Hawkeye WC
2001 - Zeke Jones, Morgantown, W.Va., Sunkist Kids
2000 - John Smith, Stillwater, Okla., Sunkist Kids
1999 - Greg Strobel, Bethlehem, Pa., New York Athletic Club
1998 - John Smith, Stillwater, Okla., Sunkist Kids
1997 - Greg Strobel, Bethlehem, Pa., New York Athletic Club
1996 - Bruce Burnett, Colorado Springs, Colo., National Freestyle Coach
1995 - Bruce Burnett, Colorado Springs, Colo., National Freestyle Coach
1994 - Gene Davis, Colorado Springs, Colo., Athletes In Action
1993 - Joe Seay, Oklahoma City, Okla., Sunkist Kids
1992 - Bobby Douglas, Ames, Iowa, Sunkist Kids
Reece Humphrey (Dayton, N.J./New Jersey RTC) has been named the winner of the 2019 Terry McCann Freestyle Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. It is the first time that he has won this prestigious award.
Humphrey became the first head coach of the New Jersey Regional Training Center in April of 2018, a regional training center which is affiliated with both Rutgers University and Princeton University. Humphrey works with the Senior-level athletes who are part of the NJRTC, as well as elite young athletes in the New Jersey region who are eligible to train at the RTC.
He coached two NJRTC athletes to the 2019 U.S. Senior World freestyle team, Tyler Graff at 61 kg and Patrick Downey at 86 kg. Both qualified for their first Senior World Team. Humphrey was on the coaching staff at the 2019 Senior Worlds in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, where he coached Graff and Downey. Graff reached a medal match and placed fifth at the World Championships, while Downey finished ninth in his weight class.
Another member of the NJRTC qualified for the 2019-2020 Freestyle National Team, as Anthony Ashnault earned the No. 3 spot on the national team at 70 kg. A number of other nationally ranked athletes train under Humphrey at the NJRTC.
Humphrey has coached on a number of international trips. He was a coach with the USA at the 2019 Yasar Dogu International in Turkey, In 2020, he was a coach at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier in Ottawa, Canada, as well as at the Matteo Pellicone Ranking Tournament in Rome, Italy, which was a UWW Ranking Tournament.
As a coach, Humphrey has been innovative in his use of video and social media to promote the sport, the NJRTC and its top athletes.
Prior to joining the NJRTC, Humphrey was a head coach with the Titan Mercury WC, one of the world’s most successful wrestling clubs, where he worked with both Senior and age-group athletes, both in California as well as at the national level.
Prior to becoming a coach, Humphrey was a successful international freestyle wrestler, competing on three U.S. Senior World Teams (2011, 2013, 2015). He placed eighth in the 2013 World Championships and ninth in the 2011 World Championships. He also won three U.S. Open titles (2011, 2013, 2015).
On the age-group level, Humphrey claimed a pair of University World medals in freestyle, winning a University World silver medal in 2008 and a University World bronze medal in 2010.
Humphrey actually competed twice within in the last year, winning a bronze medal at the 2019 UWW Beach World Series event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and a silver medal at the 2020 Cerro Pelado International in Cuba.
Humphrey was an NCAA runner-up for Ohio State in 2009, and placed third in the 2010 NCAA Championships for the Buckeyes. He was a three-time Indiana state champion for Lawrence North High School. In high school, Humphrey was a Junior Nationals champion in Greco-Roman.
He is the son of 1988 U.S. Olympic freestyle coach Jim Humphrey, who was also a World silver medalist in freestyle in 1977.
PAST TERRY McCANN AWARD WINNERS AS FREESTYLE COACH OF THE YEAR
2019 – Reece Humphrey, Dayton, N.J., New Jersey RTC
2018 - Casey Cunningham, State College, Pa., Nittany Lion WC
2017 - Mark Manning, Lincoln, Neb., Nebraska RTC and Bryan Snyder, Lincoln, Neb., Nebraska RTC 2016 - Lou Rosselli, Norman, Okla., New York AC
2015 – Mark Manning, Lincoln, Neb., Nebraska RTC
2014 – Terry Brands, Iowa City, Iowa, Hawkeye WC
2013 - Lou Rosselli, Columbus, Ohio, New York AC
2012 – Cael Sanderson, State College, Pa., Nittany Lion WC
2011 – Mark Manning, Lincoln, Neb., Sunkist Kids
2010 - Sean Bormet, Naperville, Ill., New York AC
2009 – John Smith, Stillwater, Okla., Gator WC
2008 - Sean Bormet, Naperville, Ill., New York AC
2007 - Lou Rosselli, Columbus, Ohio, New York AC
2006 - Sean Bormet, Naperville, Ill., New York AC
2005 - Mike Duroe, Iowa City, Iowa, Hawkeye TC
2004 - Bobby Douglas, Ames, Iowa, Sunkist Kids
2003 - Tom Brands, Iowa City, Iowa, Hawkeye WC
2002 - Tom Brands, Iowa City, Iowa, Hawkeye WC
2001 - Zeke Jones, Morgantown, W.Va., Sunkist Kids
2000 - John Smith, Stillwater, Okla., Sunkist Kids
1999 - Greg Strobel, Bethlehem, Pa., New York Athletic Club
1998 - John Smith, Stillwater, Okla., Sunkist Kids
1997 - Greg Strobel, Bethlehem, Pa., New York Athletic Club
1996 - Bruce Burnett, Colorado Springs, Colo., National Freestyle Coach
1995 - Bruce Burnett, Colorado Springs, Colo., National Freestyle Coach
1994 - Gene Davis, Colorado Springs, Colo., Athletes In Action
1993 - Joe Seay, Oklahoma City, Okla., Sunkist Kids
1992 - Bobby Douglas, Ames, Iowa, Sunkist Kids
