Former Hoosier Powless named new assistant coach of wrestling team

Former Hoosier standout Matt Powless has been named the new assistant coach of the IU wrestling team.

The team has been without a second assistant coach since former assistant Joe LeBlanc took a new job at Brown in early November.

Powless was an All-American in 2011 for IU and has served as a volunteer coach since 2012 while he earned his master’s degree in counseling and counselor education.

Indiana’s Most Outstanding Wrester in 2011 and 2012, Powless’ 124 career wins rank
fifth all time at IU.

During his 2011 All-American season, he led all of NCAA wrestling with 13 major decisions and led the Big Ten with 39 total wins, the seventh-most in an IU season.

His accolades go beyond strictly wrestling, as he was the only four-time Academic All-American in IU wrestling history.

Powless was also named a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar after his junior and senior seasons.

Powless was a leader on the mat for several seasons, and the team is looking forward to him helping wrestlers in the future, IU Coach Duane Goldman said.

Possibly his greatest legacy as a wrestler was being named a 2012 Spirit of Indiana Directors Award honoree. IU Vice President and Director of Athletics Fred Glass presents the award to two student athletes who most represent the ideals of the school’s athletic program.

— Brody Miller