CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – Clarion University athletic director Dave Katis has named Kyle Kiss, 26, a former assistant coach and wrestler at North Carolina, as the assistant wrestling coach at Clarion University.
“We are really happy to announce the hiring of Kyle Kiss to be our assistant wrestling coach here at Clarion. He had all the ingredients we were looking for in an assistant coach and will do a great job for our program under coach Ferraro,” Katis said.
“I am incredibly excited about adding Kyle to our staff. He brings some new excitement to the program and has a philosophy that fits in well with the fabric of our program. He is already developing strong relationships with our team and will be a huge part of an environment that breeds success,” second year head coach Keith Ferraro said.
Kiss, a native of Loch Arbour, New Jersey and a 2007 graduate of Ocean Township High, was a four-time New Jersey state place winner. He was second at states as a senior at 171 while also placing second at Beast of the East. He was 7th at 171 as a junior and second at Beast of the East, 5th as a sophomore at 160 and 7th as a freshman at 145-pounds.
Kiss moved on to wrestle for the Tar Heels at North Carolina starting in the 2007-08 season at 174 pounds, posted 19 wins and was 4th at ACC’s. After a red-shirt season, he notched 24 wins at 165 and placed 3rd at ACC’s in 2010. Kyle was injured and missed the 2011 campaign and came back in 2012 to post 19 wins and placed 4th at ACC’s at 165. He was nationally ranked in the top 20 during the 2012 and 2010 seasons.
A 2012 graduate of UNC with a B.S. Degree in Exercise and Sports Science, he became the head coach of the Carolina Wrestling club from 2012-15 and was an assistant coach at UNC during the 2014-15 seasons.
“I am really happy to be here at Clarion. I really like the direction coach Ferraro is taking the program and want to be part of growing a winning program. I’ve met so many great people here, I can’t wait to get the season started,” Kiss said.
Kiss replaces former Eagle NCAA Qualifier Tyler Bedelyon who was the interim assistant last season.
Coach Ferraro begins his fourth season at Clarion and his second year as head coach. A native of Brookville, Ferraro was named interim head coach on September 25, 2014 when Troy Letters stepped down, and then was named head coach on December 16.
The Golden Eagles were 1-16 in dual meets last season, 5th at PSAC’s and 6th at EWL’s.
Clarion opens its 2015-16 season with its annual blue-gold match on October 23, hosts the Clarion Open on November 1 and travels to the EMU duals on Nov. 7. The first home dual meet is November 20 versus Edinboro at 7:00 p.m.
