Ryan Ludwig Position: Head Coach Experience: First Season Alma Mater: Findlay, 2000

Nine-year wrestling coaching veteran Ryan Ludwig, who has spent the past six years as the assistant and then associate head coach at Northern Illinois, will enter his first season as the head coach of the Huskie wrestling program in 2011-12.

Ludwig, who came to NIU in 2005, has spent the past six seasons on Grant's staff, serving as associate head coach for the last two years. He has played a key role in training 15 NCAA qualifiers, seven Mid-American Conference champions, most recently 2011 MAC Champion Brad Dieckhaus at 184 pounds, and one Midlands Tournament champion.

A native of Chelsea, Mich., Ludwig has been a driving force in bringing top talent to NIU. Year in and year out, Northern Illinois' recruiting classes have been ranked among the best in the nation. The 2007 recruiting class was rated as high as 20th nationally, while the 2008 class boasted an outstanding blend of in-state and national talent featuring six high school All-Americans, 10 state champions and one Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award winner.

His initial recruiting effort brought athletes with outstanding credentials to DeKalb as well. The 2006 recruiting class included four high school All-Americans. In 2007, the newcomers recruited by the coaching staff combined for six state titles, and included four All-Americans.

Ludwig came to Northern Illinois after two seasons as an assistant at Minnesota State University-Mankato. While coaching the Mavericks, Ludwig helped guide the team to a third-place finish in the NCAA Division II Championships. He also helped produce and train eight All-Americans at MSU-Mankato.

Prior to his work with the Mavericks, Ludwig served as an assistant wrestling coach for his alma mater, the University of Findlay, where he coached seven All-Americans and a national champion in 2002-03.

As a wrestler, Ludwig was a three-time NAIA All-American and a national finalist at 157 pounds. Elected a captain by his teammates, he was also voted Most Valuable Wrestler when the Roughnecks were NAIA national runners-up in 1999. Ludwig ranks third on Findlay's all-time win list with over 100 career victories. In high school, Ludwig was a Michigan state champion at 142 pounds in 1995.

Ludwig earned a bachelor of arts degree in 2000 from Findlay as a double major in psychology and criminal justice.