WVU Wrestling Program Lands Coaching Legend as Edinboro's Tim Flynn to Take over Mountaineers
By Connect-Bridgeport Staff on April 10, 2018
Under the former Penn State All-American, Edinboro dominated eastern wrestling circles, winning the EWL Championship in 15 of the last 21 years, including eight straight years at one point, along with the PSAC tournament title 17 times in his 21 campaigns. At one point, Edinboro won 34 of 35 EWL dual matches, which included a 29-match winning streak.
Before taking over the head coaching duties, Flynn was an assistant at Edinboro under legendary coach and Olympian Bruce Baumgartner from 1992-97. Flynn assisted Baumgartner to a 56-21 record, including a 14-0 dual match mark and a sixth-place finish at Nationals in 1996.
Following three standout seasons at Vista High in Vista, California, Flynn moved east to finish his prep career at Annapolis Senior High in Annapolis, Maryland. He went on to enjoy a stellar career at Penn State, captaining the 1986-87 squad while earning All-American honors at 134 pounds. He went 30-10-1 as a senior, winning the EWL title and finishing seventh at Nationals. The Nittany Lions enjoyed one of their greatest seasons ever with an 18-1-1 record and a third-place finish at the NCAA Tournament.
Flynn finished with a 105-32-2 collegiate wrestling record, still ranking among the all-time career leaders in victories for Penn State. He also won the EWL title as a junior in 1986 while competing at 126 pounds, finishing with a 30-7-1 mark. He qualified for Nationals as a sophomore as well after finishing second at the EWL Championships. He was a four-time Midlands Championships place winner, a two-time Mat-Town USA champion and was an Espoir National freestyle runner-up in 1984.
Flynn, who is currently a member of the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NWCA) Leadership Group, graduated from Penn State in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in business management. He later earned his master's degree in business administration from Penn State with a concentration in finance in 1990. He and his wife, Tanya, have two children - Logan and Riley.