Dan Loprieno has dedicated nearly four decades to the sport of wrestling as an athlete, educator, mentor, and one of the most accomplished junior college coaches in the nation. His remarkable career at Harper College has helped build one of the premier NJCAA wrestling programs in America while positively impacting generations of student-athletes both on and off the mat. 

A graduate of Elk Grove High School, Loprieno overcame injuries during his junior and senior seasons before continuing his wrestling career at Harper College. Wrestling for legendary coach Norman Lovelace, he became an NJCAA National Qualifier in 1985. He later transferred to University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh, where he also qualified for the NAIA National Tournament while earning degrees in mathematics and curriculum supervision. 

Loprieno began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Wisconsin–Oshkosh before returning to Harper College in 1989 as an assistant coach. In 2000, he became head coach of the Hawks program and elevated Harper into a national powerhouse. Under his leadership, Harper captured six NJCAA Division III National Championships and won 17 regional titles. His teams consistently competed among the nation’s elite, recording multiple national runner-up finishes while producing 106 NJCAA All-Americans and eight individual national champions. One of the defining moments of his career came in 2010 when Harper captured the national championship while outperforming programs from every NJCAA division, including Division I schools. 

Beyond team success, Loprieno became widely respected for his ability to mentor and develop wrestlers at every level. He coached standout athletes such as Curtis Blaydes and numerous national champions who went on to successful collegiate and professional careers. His dedication to education has also remained central throughout his career, as he has served for decades as a mathematics professor at Harper College while balancing the demands of coaching and mentorship. 

Loprieno’s extraordinary accomplishments and lifetime service have earned him widespread recognition across collegiate wrestling. His honors include NJCAA Coach of the Year in 2010 and 2019, Midwest District Coach of the Year, and NJCAA Man of the Year, induction into both the NJCAA Hall of Fame and Region 4 Hall of Fame, and the inaugural NJCAA Coaches Legacy Award in 2025. In 2026, Harper College further recognized his impact by naming him Professor of the Year and inducting him into the school’s Athletics Hall of Fame. Through his leadership, integrity, and commitment to student-athletes, Loprieno has left a lasting legacy in Illinois and national wrestling.