Landon Williams

Last updated
Landon Williams
Current position
Title Head coach
Team Central (IA)
Conference ARC
Record0–0 (–)
Biographical details
Born Eldridge, IA
Alma mater Wartburg
Playing career
Wrestling
2011-2014 Wartburg
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2014-2015 Wartburg (asst.)
2015-2019 Holy Cross HS (LA)
2019-2024 Wartburg (asst.)
2024-Present Central (IA)
Head coaching record
Overall0–0 (–)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
As wrestler:
4x NCAA Team National Champion (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)
2012 NCAA 165 lb. National Champion
2014 NCAA 174 lb. National Champion
As assistant coach:
2022 NCAA Team National Champion
3x NCAA Team National Runner-up(2015, 2023, 2024)

Landon Williams is a collegiate wrestling coach, currently at Central College (Iowa) in Pella, Iowa. Williams was announced as Central's head men's wrestling coach in April 2024 following 5 years as an assistant at his alma mater, Wartburg. [1]

Contents

Wrestling career

High School

Williams went to high school in Davenport, Iowa at Davenport Assumption high school where he was member of the wrestling team. In his senior season he would finish with an undefeated season at 47-0 and a state championship at 160lbs. [2]

College

Landon was a 4-year member of the Wartburg Knights wrestling program. During his time at Wartburg he won 4 team national titles and two individual titles. In 2012, his sophomore campaign, he won his first NCAA national title at 165 lbs. with a win over Coe College's Nick LeClere. [3] In his final season as a Knight, Williams capped off the year with a pin in the 174 lbs. national final against Anthony Bonaventura of Waynesburg to secure his second national title. [4] He finished his career with 135–15 record and as a 2x team captain, 2x NCAA champion, 3x NCAA all-American, and 4x NCAA team champion.

Collegiate coaching career

Wartburg

Williams began his coaching career at Wartburg College following his graduation in 2014 for one season. Then after a stint coaching high school wrestling at Holy Cross in Louisiana, Williams would return to Wartburg in 2019 to coach under head coach Eric Keller. [5] During his time at Wartburg, Williams would help the Knights return to the top of the NCAA wrestling world by winning the 2022 NCAA team title, the programs first since 2018. [6] In his final two seasons at Wartburg the program would finish as back to back National Runner-ups. [7] In his coaching career at Wartburg, Williams was a part of the 2022 NCAA team national championships, 3 NCAA team national runner-ups(2015, 2023–2024), and helped coach 6 individual national champions and 42 all-Americans.

Central

On April 8, 2024, Landon Williams was named the head men's wrestling coach at Central College (IA). [8] Williams is the 11th head coach in program history.

Coaching results

Coaching Record
SeasonTeam FinishDual Record All Americans National Champions
Central (IA)
20250-0-0
Career0-000

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wartburg College</span> Lutheran college in Waverly, Iowa, US

Wartburg College is a private Lutheran liberal arts college in Waverly, Iowa.

The National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) is a nonprofit association of 162 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organize the wrestling programs of many colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. It is led by founder and executive director Jim Giunta headquartered in Dallas, Texas and built to help the promotion of collegiate wrestling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wartburg Knights</span> College sports teams

The Wartburg Knights are the athletic teams that represent Wartburg College, located in Waverly, Iowa. The Knights have varsity teams in 27 sports, 13 for men and 14 for women. The teams participate in Division III of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and are members of the American Rivers Conference. Currently, the school's athletic director is John Cochrane.

The Cornell Big Red wrestling team represents Cornell University of Ithaca, New York in collegiate wrestling. It is one of the most successful and storied collegiate wrestling programs in the nation with over 20 individual NCAA champions, 43 Ivy League championships, and 28 Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association championships since the program's 1907 founding.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships</span> College wrestling tournament

The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships have been held since 1928. In addition to determining the national champion in each weight class, the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships also determine All-American wrestlers for each weight. The top eight finishers in each weight class earn All-American status. Historically, the top four teams earned podium and team trophy finishes. Starting with the 2024 Championships, only the top three teams receive these honors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wartburg Knights track and field</span> Intercollegiate track and field team of for Wartburg College

The Wartburg Knights track and field program is the intercollegiate track and field team for Wartburg College located in the U.S. state of Iowa. The team competes at the NCAA Division III level and is a member of the American Rivers Conference. The team participates in indoor and outdoor track and field as well as cross country.

Robert "Bob" Amsberry is an American college basketball coach. He is the current head women's basketball coach at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.

Chris Winter is an American college football coach. He was named the head football coach in 2021 at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, after serving as an assistant since 2004, under former head football coach Rick Willis. In just his second year at the helm of the Wartburg Knights, he led them to a program record 13 wins and to the first NCAA Division III Semifinal appearance in school history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wartburg Knights baseball</span> College baseball program

The Wartburg Knights baseball program represents Wartburg College in college baseball. The program started in 1958. The team competes in the NCAA Division III and a member of the American Rivers Conference (ARC). The team plays its home games at Harms Stadium at Hertel field in Waverly, Iowa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wartburg Knights football</span> Football program representing Wartburg College

The Wartburg Knights football program is the intercollegiate American football team for Wartburg College located in the U.S. state of Iowa. The team competes in the NCAA Division III and a member of the American Rivers Conference (ARC). Wartburg's first football team was fielded in 1929 with varsity play starting in 1935. The team plays its home games at Walston-Hoover stadium in Waverly, Iowa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Wartburg Knights football team</span> American college football season

The 2022 Wartburg Knights football team represented Wartburg College of as a member of the American Rivers Conference (ARC) during the 2022 NCAA Division III football season. Led by second-year head coach Chris Winter, the Knights compiled an overall record of 13–1 with a mark of 8–0 in conference play, winning the ARC title and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs. There, the Knights made it to their first ever national semifinal, losing to the eventual national runner up, Mount Union. The team played home games at Walston-Hoover Stadium in Waverly, Iowa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Wartburg Knights football team</span> American college football season

The 2019 Wartburg Knights football team represented Wartburg College as a member of the American Rivers Conference (ARC) during the 2019 NCAA Division III football season. Led by Rick Willis in his 21st season, the Knights compiled an overall record of 10–2 with a mark of 7–1 in conference play, sharing the ARC title with the Central Dutch and earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs. There, the Knights defeated Hope in the first round before losing to eventual national runner-up, Wisconsin–Whitewater, in the second round. The team played home games at Walston-Hoover Stadium in Waverly, Iowa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Wartburg Knights football team</span> American college football season

The 2017 Wartburg Knights football team represented Wartburg College as a member of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 2017 NCAA Division III football season. Led by Rick Willis in his 19th season as head coach, the Knights compiled an overall record of 12–1 with a mark of 8–0 in conference play, winning IIAC title for the first time since 2014 and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs. Wartburg lost in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs to the Wisconsin–Oshkosh. The team played home games at Walston-Hoover Stadium in Waverly, Iowa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 Wartburg Knights football team</span> American college football season

The 2014 Wartburg Knights football team represented Wartburg College as a member of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 2014 NCAA Division III football season. Led by Rick Willis in his 16th season as head coach, the Knights compiled an overall record of 12–1 with a mark of 8–0 in conference play, winning IIAC title for the second year in a row and earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs. Wartburg lost in the quarterfinal round of the playoffs to eventual national champion Wisconsin–Whitewater. The Knights held a 17-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but lost 37–33. The team played home games at Walston-Hoover Stadium in Waverly, Iowa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2013 Wartburg Knights football team</span> American college football season

The 2013 Wartburg Knights football team represented Wartburg College as a member of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 2013 NCAA Division III football season. Led by Rick Willis in his 15th season as head coach, the Knights compiled an overall record of 9–3 with a mark of 6–1 in conference play, winning the IIAC for the 13th time and first since 2010. The win title earned them an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs. Wartburg lost in the second round of the playoffs to Bethel (MN). The team played home games at Walston-Hoover Stadium in Waverly, Iowa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Wartburg Knights football team</span> American college football season

The 2011 Wartburg Knights football team represented Wartburg College as a member of the Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) during the 2011 NCAA Division III football season. Led by Rick Willis in his 13th season as head coach, the Knights compiled an overall record of 8–2 with a mark of 6–2 in conference play, finishing second in the IIAC. Wartburg was unable to defend their conference title and missed a return trip to the NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs. The team played home games at Walston-Hoover Stadium in Waverly, Iowa.

Eric Keller is a collegiate wrestling coach, currently at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. Keller was promoted to co-head coach in 2010 with then head coach Jim Miller, and became the sole head coach after Miller stepped down following the 2012–2013 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wartburg Knights wrestling</span> Wrestling team of the Wartburg College Knights

The Wartburg Knights wrestling program is one of the most successful programs in the NCAA Division III. They are a member of the American Rivers Conference and wrestle for Wartburg College. Wartburg has 15 NCAA DIII National Championships while finishing as a runner-up 11 times. After the 2024 tournament they are now tied with Augsburg University for the record of most Team National Titles. They have also won 13 NWCA National Duals titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wartburg Knights women's volleyball</span> American college volleyball team

The Wartburg Knights women's volleyball team represents Wartburg College and competes in the American Rivers Conference of NCAA Division III. The team is coached by co-head coaches Jen Walker in her 25th year and Doug Frazell in his 10th. The Knights play their home matches in Levick Arena along with wrestling and the men's and women's basketball teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Wartburg Knights football team</span> American college football season

The 2023 Wartburg Knights football team represents the Wartburg College as a member of the American Rivers Conference (ARC) during the 2023 NCAA Division III football season. The Knights, led by third-year head coach Chris Winter, play home games at Walston-Hoover Stadium in Waverly, Iowa. The Knights clinched their 19th conference championship on October 28, 2023, with a win over Central College and then capped of the regular season 10–0 following a win at Nebraska Wesleyan. Wartburg ended the season in the national semifinals for the second straight year, losing to North Central 34–27.

References

  1. Selvig, Dave (April 9, 2024). "Williams hired as Central College wrestling coach". Quad-City Times. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  2. Heaton, Shannon (February 21, 2010). "Williams leaves trail of victims on way to 2A title". Quad-City Times. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  3. Nelson, Jim (March 11, 2012). "Wartburg clinches ninth Division III wrestling championship". Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  4. Nelson, Jim (March 15, 2014). "Wartburg wins 4th consecutive Division III wrestling title". Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  5. Trahan, Ken (May 7, 2018). "Azinger named head wrestling coach, Williams Director of Wrestling Operations at Holy Cross". Crescent City Sports. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  6. Goodwin, Cody. "Wartburg wins exciting team race over Wabash for Division III wrestling national title". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved Feb 7, 2023.
  7. McKown, Eli (March 16, 2024). "Wartburg wrestling takes 2nd at NCAA Division III Championships, Upper Iowa is 17th in Division II". Des Moines Register. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  8. "Former NCAA champ Williams to lead Central men's wrestling program". athletics.central.edu. Central Dutch Athletics. Retrieved 11 April 2024.