FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: April 10, 2007
CONTACT: Greg Murphy, SID
PHONE: (303) 273-3095

DAN LEWIS HIRED AS WRESTLING COACH AT
COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES

GOLDEN, Colo. - Colorado School of Mines Director of Athletics Tom Spicer has announced the hiring of Dan Lewis as the CSM wrestling coach. Lewis will take over for Steve Kimpel who resigned the position in March.

This will be Lewis' second stint as head coach of the Orediggers as he previously held the position from 1992-2002. During that time, he coached four NCAA II National Champions, 10 All-Americans and was named the 1996 NCAA II Coach of the Year after leading the Orediggers to a seventh place finish at the Division II national championships. He coached three All-Americans and two national champions in 1996.

Four of Lewis' teams at CSM captured the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic Team Championship. Those came in 1994-95, 1995-96, 1997-98 and 1998-99.
Lewis began his wrestling career at Fountain Valley High School and captured the California Interscholastic Federation Championship in 1971 as he posted a 30-0 record with 23 pins. He also placed third at the High School Nationals contested at Oklahoma State.

He then spent two seasons at Orange Coast Community College where he was a two-time All-American and posted 42 falls before moving onto Cal State-Fullerton for his final two collegiate seasons.

At Cal State-Fullerton, Lewis was named the team Most Outstanding Wrestler in 1975 and 1976 when he captured conference titles at 177 pounds. He also qualified for the NCAA Championships in 1977. In 1976, Lewis was 17-0-1 in duals. He left the program with a school-record 30 career pins and an overall record of 67-6-1 in two seasons.

Lewis' coaching career began at LSU where he was an assistant coach from 1980-82. He then served as the head coach at Cal State-Fullerton for the next 10 seasons and placed in the NCAA top-25 in 1990 and 1991. In 1991, Lewis guided seven wrestlers who qualified for the NCAA Championships. Cal State Fullerton was one of only 14 teams to do so that year.

His 1991 team finished with a 13-8 record and knocked off Oklahoma among many other top ranked teams.

A national search will begin immediately for the position of full-time assistant wrestling coach at Colorado School of Mines. Applicants must send a cover letter, resume, all transcripts of undergraduate and graduate degrees earned and the names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of five professional references to: Office of Human Resources, search #07-141260, Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois St., Golden, Colo., 80401. Review of applications will begin by April 16, 2007.

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