Central Missouri head wrestling coach Robin Ersland will be leaving after the season to start a wrestling program at NCAA Division II Minot State (N.D.) after the conclusion of the 2009-10 season.
Ersland, who will be with the Mules for 15 years as their head coach, was named the Midwest Region Coach of the Year for the past two seasons. In 2006 he led the Mules to a 15th-place finish at the NCAA-II Championships and Plamen Paskalev became UCM’s first National Champion since 1991 as he went undefeated at 18-0 on the season. His best year came in 2001, when Ersland led the Mules to a 14-5-1 record and to UCM’s best-ever national finish – 11th place with 45 points.
Ersland has had 73 national qualifiers, 30 All-Americans and has been named NCAA Division II Midwest Region Coach of the Year in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2008 and 2009. His squads have had 10 top 20 finishes in the last 13 years at the NCAA-II Championships.