BRIDGEWATER, Mass. - Bridgewater State College Director of Athletics, John Harper, announced today that Jason York has been named the Bears' new head wrestling coach and will take over the reins of the program beginning on August 1st.
Coach York wrestled at Division I Boston University for four years from 1993 to 1997 and was captain for two years, placing in both the New England and East Coast Championships. Jason was also an honors student at BU as he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Broadcasting and Film in 1997.
After college, Jason was an assistant coach at Caribou High School for one year before taking over the head coaching duties in 1999. While at Caribou, he was chosen to be a member of the Maine Amateur Wrestling Alliance (MAWA) executive board. He went on to become an assistant coach at the University of Southern Maine for three years from 2001 to 2004, before moving to Pennsylvania where he helped coach at Plum High School from 2004 to 2008.
"Appointing someone with the coaching talents and professional ethics of Jason York will be of tremendous benefit to our program and to our wrestlers," said Harper. "I am looking forward to working with him and to supporting his efforts to build on the past successes of BSC Wrestling, and I anticipate a bright future for our program under Jason York's leadership."
Coach York was the first wrestler inducted into the Bonny Eagle High School Hall of Fame (1992), and he was also inducted into the MAWA Hall of Fame in 2006. Jason was a two-time state champion in 1992 and 1993 at Bonny Eagle, pinning everyone at the state meet both his junior and senior years. He was captain of one undefeated state championship team (ranked 23rd in the nation), was a member of another undefeated state championship team, and a member of two state runner-up teams.
In his senior year (1992-1993) at Bonny Eagle, he was The Portland Press Herald's choice as Maine's best wrestler in all classifications. That year Jason was also an Academic All-American and Honorable Mention All-American, chosen by Wrestling USA.
York replaces Derek Coombs who was the interim head coach at BSC for the 2007-2008 season. Under Coombs, two BSC wrestlers advanced to the NCAA Division III Championships after capturing the New England Wrestling Association titles in their respective weight classes. Senior James Quinlan (Methuen, MA) won the New England title at the 184-pound weight class and sophomore Frank Cammisa advanced to the national meet for the second straight year at 141.
"I wish to express my thanks to Coach Derek Coombs for his efforts in maintaining a competitive program last year under some very difficult circumstances," Harper added. "I wish him the very best in the future."
Coach York, his wife, Dr. Amy Patel, and their son, Reese, just recently moved to Stoughton, Massachusetts after residing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the past four years.