Pat Pecora

Pat Pecora was a four-year starter, an all-conference wrestler, and the team captain at West Liberty State (now West Liberty University).

In 1976, he was hired by the University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown, and has been the coach at UPJ since that time.

Since 2008, he has doubled as Pitt-Johnstown's Athletic Director.

He is the winningest coach in collegiate wrestling history, accumulating a 646-152-5 overall record and a .805 career winning percentage.

Pat's teams have captured 21 NCAA Regional Championships, and in 1996 & 1999 were NCAA Division II National Champions.

Pat has been the NCAA Regional Coach of the Year 16 times.

Pat's teams have won 49 team tournaments and he has led the Division II Mountain Cats to 32 Top-20 national finishes, 20 Top-10 finishes, and 10 top-five finishes.

Pat has produced 141 All-Americans, and 10 individual national champions who collectively combined for 17 National Championship titles. Among them was Shane Valko, the 2010 National Wrestler of the Year.

His most famous product is Carlton Haselrig, a six-time NCAA champion and a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Additionally, Pat's teams led the nation in National Wrestling Coaches Association Academic All American selections from 1997 through 2000. Since 1990, Pecora has coached over 100 Academic All Americans.

Pat was named the NCAA Division II National Coach of the Year in 1995, 1999, 2019 and 2022 while also receiving the NWCA Coaching Excellence Award, presented to the best coach in all division, in 1999.

Pat is the Division II Representative for the NWCA and is a member of the NWCA Board of Directors. Pat was also the president of that organization for two terms.

He is a member the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame-East Boro Chapter, the Cambria County Hall of Fame, the West Liberty State College Hall of Fame, the Pennsylvania Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame, the NCAA Division II Wrestling Hall of FAme, and the Pitt-Johnstown Athletics Hall of Fame.

Pat also receivedthe 2008 United States Marine Corps Excellence in Leadership Award.

Pat and his wife Tracy reside in Johnstown, where they raised four children.

Awards:

Year
2017
Award
Lifetime Service to Wrestling
Chapter/Region
Pennsylvania

All Coaching Dual Records:

Season
2011
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
17
Wins
15
Losses
2
Ties
0
Win PCT.
88.24
Season
2010
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
16
Wins
14
Losses
2
Ties
0
Win PCT.
87.5
Season
2009
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
17
Wins
13
Losses
2
Ties
2
Win PCT.
76.47
Season
2008
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
20
Wins
15
Losses
5
Ties
0
Win PCT.
75
Season
2007
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
27
Wins
21
Losses
5
Ties
1
Win PCT.
77.78
Season
2006
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
28
Wins
24
Losses
4
Ties
0
Win PCT.
85.71
Season
2005
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
25
Wins
20
Losses
5
Ties
0
Win PCT.
80
Season
2004
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
21
Wins
17
Losses
4
Ties
0
Win PCT.
80.95
Season
2003
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
16
Wins
14
Losses
2
Ties
0
Win PCT.
87.5
Season
2002
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
22
Wins
17
Losses
5
Ties
0
Win PCT.
77.27
Season
2001
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
17
Wins
13
Losses
4
Ties
0
Win PCT.
76.47
Season
2000
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
19
Wins
14
Losses
5
Ties
0
Win PCT.
73.68
Season
1999
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
25
Wins
23
Losses
2
Ties
0
Win PCT.
92
Season
1998
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
19
Wins
19
Losses
0
Ties
0
Win PCT.
100
Season
1997
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
20
Wins
15
Losses
4
Ties
1
Win PCT.
75
Season
1996
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
14
Wins
14
Losses
0
Ties
0
Win PCT.
100
Season
1995
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
18
Wins
18
Losses
0
Ties
0
Win PCT.
100
Season
1994
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
16
Wins
15
Losses
1
Ties
0
Win PCT.
93.75
Season
1993
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
16
Wins
15
Losses
0
Ties
1
Win PCT.
93.75
Season
1992
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
20
Wins
15
Losses
5
Ties
0
Win PCT.
75
Season
1991
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
16
Wins
7
Losses
9
Ties
0
Win PCT.
43.75
Season
1990
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
14
Wins
11
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
78.57
Season
1989
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
13
Wins
10
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
76.92
Season
1988
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
13
Wins
11
Losses
2
Ties
0
Win PCT.
84.62
Season
1987
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
14
Wins
11
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
78.57
Season
1986
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
13
Wins
8
Losses
5
Ties
0
Win PCT.
61.54
Season
1985
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
18
Wins
15
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
83.33
Season
1984
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
15
Wins
9
Losses
6
Ties
0
Win PCT.
60
Season
1983
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
13
Wins
10
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
76.92
Season
1982
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
16
Wins
11
Losses
5
Ties
0
Win PCT.
68.75
Season
1981
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
17
Wins
14
Losses
3
Ties
0
Win PCT.
82.35
Season
1980
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
16
Wins
12
Losses
4
Ties
0
Win PCT.
75
Season
1979
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
18
Wins
11
Losses
6
Ties
1
Win PCT.
61.11
Season
1978
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
16
Wins
12
Losses
4
Ties
0
Win PCT.
75
Season
1977
School
Pittsburgh-Johnstown
Division
Division II
Duals
16
Wins
4
Losses
12
Ties
0
Win PCT.
25
Season
Career
Duals
621
Wins
487
Losses
128
Ties
6
Win PCT.
78.42

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