Wrestling adds Travis Pascoe to coaching staff

Travis Pascoe, a former All-American and four-time NCAA qualifier for the University of Nebraska, has joined the Arizona State University wrestling program’s coach staff as an assistant coach, third-year Head Coach Shawn Charles announced today. A four-year starter at 184 pounds for NU, Pascoe will work with the upper weights on the Sun Devil roster, a group that includes returning Pac-10 Champion Jake Meredith (184) and heavyweight All-American Levi Cooper.

“Travis Pascoe is a hard working individual with great wrestling knowledge and enthusiasm,” Charles said. “I hired him at Fresno State in 2005 because I knew he would be able to help the program succeed and I hired him here to do the same thing. He has found success at each level he has competed and I know he will be able to help our young men not only succeed on the mat, but off it as well. I am excited to have Travis back on staff with me and look forward to his contributions to the growth of the Sun Devil program.”

At the start of the 2011-12 season, Pascoe will work with the heavier weights while fifth-year assistant coach and former Sun Devil All-American Brian Stith will continue his work with the middle weights. Charles, a four-time All-American for the Sun Devils, is set to begin his third year in charge of the program and will once again work with the lighter weights on the roster.

“I am very excited to be working with Shawn Charles once again,” Pascoe said. “It is a great opportunity for me to learn from a tremendous person and coach. I grew up in the West and this program has a lot of talented wrestlers from the West, so I look forward to working with them and helping them achieve their goals, both as individuals and for the team. I really cannot wait to get started with the great group of young men Shawn has brought into the program and see were Arizona State wrestling can go from here.”

The 2011-12 season will mark the seventh year Pascoe has coached in some capacity among the collegiate ranks and his second assistant position after joining Charles’ staff at Fresno State for the 2005-06 season. After the FSU program was discontinued following that season, Pascoe headed north to Corvallis, Ore., where he has served as a volunteer coach at Oregon State for the past five seasons.

During his time in Corvallis, Pascoe worked with the Beavers’ upper weight wrestlers and helped two individuals earn NCAA All-America honors, including Ty Watterson at heavyweight (2007) and Colby Covington at 174 (2011). On the conference level, Pascoe worked with six Beavers that combined to win seven Pac-10 titles (174-184-197-285), including two at the 2011 tournament in Corvallis, while the team won two titles in that same span.

Prior to his time at OSU, Pascoe joined Charles at Fresno State for one season. That year, Pascoe worked with Greg Gifford, who captured the 184-pound title at the NCAA West Region Championships and was one of two Bulldogs to reach the NCAA tournament in 2006. Once the program was dropped, Gifford, who went 1-2 at the national meet that year, transferred to ASU for his senior season, where he won the 184 title at the Pac-10 Championships and went 2-2 at the national meet.

Before Pascoe jumped into the coaching ranks, he was a highly ranked wrestler at 184 pounds for Nebraska. Competing as the starter for four years in a row (2001-02 season through the 2004-05 season), Pascoe recorded a career record of 100-36, which ranked as the 13th-most victories in NU history. A four-time national qualifier, Pascoe advanced to the semifinals of the 2005 tournament and eventually finished sixth overall to earn his first All-America honors. Winning at least two matches in each of his four NCAA appearances, Pascoe helped the Huskers to Top 20 finishes all four years, including a fifth-place showing in 2004 and an eighth-place finish in 2002.

Charles and Pascoe first met at the start of the 2001-02 season as Charles was brought on to be an assistant coach while Pascoe was set for his first season as a starter. During those four years, Pascoe placed third in the Big 12 Championships each of this first two year and then finished fourth as a junior. In his senior season, he reached the finals and finished second in the conference to earn a berth into the NCAA tournament.

Prior to joining the Huskers, Pascoe was two-sport standout at Gonzaga Prep in Spokane, Wash. A four-year member of both the wrestling and football squads, Pascoe was a three-time Washington state champion at 189 pounds and was widely considered one of the top recruits in the nation his senior year. He also was a High School All-American at 189 as a senior.

Before his first season in Tempe gets underway, Pascoe will marry Sara McFarland on September 3.

The Travis Pascoe File
Previous Coaching Positions
Assistant Coach - Fresno State University (Fresno, Calif.)
• Coached one wrestler to the NCAA West Region title at 184 (2006)
• Coached one NCAA Championships qualifier at 184 (2006)
• Assisted with recruiting for the Bulldog program
• On staff for 2005-06 season (program discontinued the following year)

Volunteer Coach - Oregon State University (Corvallis, Ore.)
• Coached six wrestlers to seven Pac-10 Conference titles (3 at 174 • 1 at 197 • 3 at 285)
• Coached two individuals to NCAA All-America honors (1 at 174 • 1 at 285)
• Teams won two Pac-10 Conference titles (Oregon State: 2007, 2010)
• Worked as volunteer on staff for five seasons (2006-11)

Wrestling Accolades
College - University of Nebraska (Lincoln, Neb.)
• Earned a degree in Biological Sciences in 2005
• Four-year starter at 184 pounds (2002-05)
• 2005 NCAA All-American at 184 pounds (6th place)
• Four-time NCAA qualifier (2002-05)
• Helped NU to four Top 20 finishes at NCAA Championships (5th in 2004 • 8th in 2002)
• 2005 Big 12 Conference runner-up and third-place finisher in both 2002 and 2003
• Compiled a career record of 100-36 (13th-most wins in NU history)

High School - Gonzaga Prep (Spokane, Wash.)
• Graduate from Gonzaga Prep in 2000
• Three-time Washington state champion at 189 pounds
• High School All-American at 189 pounds
• View as one of the top recruits in the nation as a senior
• Compiled a career record of 138-8
• Lettered four times each in wrestling and football