NIACC's Fergola to be honored
NIACC
01/10/2008
MASON CITY, Iowa – North Iowa Area Community College head wrestling coach Richard Fergola will be honored in March by the National Wrestling Coaches Association for his work as head coach at Dana College in Nebraska a year ago.
Fergola will be honored for his work in 2006-07 season as The Robert Bubb Coaching Excellence Award Winner for the Division NAIA College Coaches. The award ceremony is set for March 19 at the Hard Rock Cafe in St. Louis, MO, prior to the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis.
According to the NWCA, “the Robert Bubb Coaching Excellence Award is presented by the NWCA each year to the outstanding coach in each wrestling division for outstanding team academics. In addition, the award winner must also be a coach that epitomizes the qualities and characteristics of a role model and mentor for developing young student-athletes.”
Last March, Fergola was hired as head coach for NIACC’s reinstated wrestling program after his Dana College team finished fourth at the 2007 NAIA Wrestling Championships. After the 2006-07 season, Fergola was named Coach of the Year by the NAIA’s Great Plains Athletic Conference.
This season, Fergola’s recruiting class was rated No. 1 by one wrestling publication among non-NCAA Division I programs. Currently, NIACC is ranked eighth in the latest NJCAA poll and four Trojans are among the top eight in individual weight classes, including top-rated 149-pounder Albert White.
For more about Fergola and NIACC wrestling, check the NIACC website at
http://www.niacc.edu/athletics.
