April 23, 2007
Release courtesy of Larry Happel, Central College sports information director

PELLA, IOWA . . . Eric Van Kley, who started the wrestling program at the University of Great Falls (Mont.) in 2004 and turned it into an NAIA title contender, has been named the head wrestling coach at Central College.

Van Kley, who also became the Great Falls athletics director in 2006, replaces Eric Reed, who resigned after three seasons at Central.

“The potential of the wrestling program at Central is what attracted me,” Van Kley said. “As I looked at the landscape, the outstanding quality of the athletic department and Central as a whole is extremely impressive. There are several strong athletic programs and a very proud tradition with Dutch athletics. Being able to join that is something that excites me.”

A Rock Valley, Iowa native, Van Kley is an honors graduate of Minnesota State-Mankato where he was a three-time letterwinner for the NCAA Division II program. He served as captain for the 2000 team which placed sixth at the national meet and was a two-time Scholastic All-America honoree, while receiving the team’s Maverick Achievement Award. Van Kley is completing a master’s degree from Duquesne University (Pa.).

After three seasons as assistant wrestling coach at The Dalles High School in Oregon, he spent a year as assistant coach for Division I Millersville University (Pa.) while also serving as Leadership Program Coordinator for the National Wrestling Coaches Association. He worked with a Millersville squad that won the Eastern Regional dual meet title and placed second at the Virginia Duals.

At Great Falls Van Kley recruited a team with 45 athletes this past season. He compiled a 28-13 dual meet record over three seasons. His wrestlers earned NAIA all-America distinction 13 times with three top-10 national team finishes. In 2006-07 the Argos won the West Region championship and finished sixth at the NAIA national tournament. Van Kley was named the NAIA West Region coach of the year. His 2005-06 team received NAIA Top 10 academic distinction.

“Eric has all the qualities we were looking for in a leader for our wrestling program,” athletics director Al Dorenkamp said. “He’s done a great job of starting a program from scratch, he’s proven he’s a great recruiter and he fits in with the mission and values of Central College.”

Great Falls met Central in the Desert Duals at Las Vegas, Nev. Dec. 19 and defeated the
Dutch 46-3. The squad Van Kley inherits at Central posted a 0-18 dual record and had nine underclassmen on the roster—all freshmen. But the Dutch are not strangers to wrestling success, with 10 top-20 NCAA Division III team finishes, including a second-place showing in 1983-84, four NCAA individual titles and four Iowa Conference team championships. Central wrestlers have received all-America honors 42 times.

Since 2005 Van Kley was also the Team Montana Junior and Cadet National Team Director, supervising a residential training camp with more than 100 wrestlers and a staff of 25 coaches and counselors. He was also elected as a board member for Montana USA Wrestling.

Van Kley said it’s difficult to leave Great Falls.

“Any time you have such a great group of guys and a quality staff, it’s tough to leave,” he said. “But the kids understood. It hurts, however they know the decision was for the right reasons and that the University of Great Falls program has a terrific future ahead.”

As the Great Falls athletics director he oversaw an 11-sport program and was named the university’s staff employee of the year in 2006.

“Obviously in serving as athletics director as well, he knows about marketing and promotion,” Dorenkamp said. “We wanted someone with strong people skills who could recruit and promote the program and Eric fits that description. We’re really excited about having Eric at Central.”

Van Kley is anxious to get started.

“The first thing we need to do is work on recruiting and building up the numbers,” Van Kley said. “We want to attract quality student-athletes who will be a good fit at Central College. More than anything, that just takes long hours and hard work.”

Van Kley and his wife Sarah, also an Iowa native, are the parents of a son, Jackson, born last summer. He will assume his duties at Central June 1.

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