Tyrone Lewis Named Baker Head Men’s Wrestling Coach

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – Following a thorough national search, Baker University Director of Athletics Susan Decker announced on Tuesday the hiring of Tyrone Lewis as the next head men's wrestling coach for the Wildcats.

"I'm extremely excited to welcome Coach Lewis to Baker University as our head men's wrestling coach," said Decker. "Along with his highly-decorated background as a collegiate, USA National and USA Olympic wrestler, he is a well-respected coach that has experience in working with high-level college athletes. Baker wrestling has a rich tradition and I look forward to Coach Lewis adding to the program's success while providing meaningful experiences for our student-athletes in the classroom, community and on the mat."

Lewis, a native of El Reno, Okla., joins the Wildcats after serving the past seven years as head wrestling coach for his hometown high school, El Reno HS. During his time restoring the Indians wrestling program, he coached 12 state finalist and earned an OSSAA Class 5A Coach of the Year honor.

Prior to El Reno, Lewis spent time on the coaching staff at several NCAA Division I institutions, most recently at Maryland where he was an assistant coach for the Terrapins. He had a two-year stint as a volunteer assistant at Oklahoma after serving as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Oklahoma State for three seasons.

Before making the transition into coaching, Lewis wrestled for the Cowboys from 2001-04, where he won two Big XII titles (2001, 2004) and compiled a 120-15 record. Lewis was a four-time NCAA All-American, finishing fifth nationally in 2001, third in 2002, fifth in 2003, and was a national runner-up in 2004.

Lewis was the 2008 runner-up at both the U.S. Olympic Trials and at U.S. Nationals in the 74 kg/163-pound weight class and was an alternate for the 2008 Olympic team. He represented the United States at the 2005 World University Games in Izmir, Turkey, and was a training partner for the U.S. Senior World Team as it competed at the 2005 FILA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

After graduating from Oklahoma State with a bachelor's degree in secondary education/history, Lewis took his first collegiate coaching job at Oklahoma City University as an assistant and helped guide the Stars to a 12th-place finish at the NAIA Championships, while coaching three All-Americans.

"Getting the opportunity to be a part of such a historical institution with great promise and tremendous upside in the wrestling program means the world to me," said Lewis. "I want to thank the hiring committee at Baker University, Susan Decker, Jimmy May and Kyle Pattrick for their tireless work in bringing me on and making me feel a part of the Baker family. I'm extremely excited for this opportunity and am looking forward to taking Baker to extreme heights."

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