Penn State wrestling assistant honored as USA Freestyle Coach of the Year

At last weekend’s US Open, Penn State wrestling assistant Casey Cunningham was recognized as the 2024 Terry McCann Men’s Freestyle Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. This is the fourth time that Cunningham is bringing the award back to Happy Valley, also earning the honor in 2018, 2021, and 2022. Nittany Lions assistant Jake Varner won the award in 2023.

The award recognizes Cunningham’s role in a historic 2024 for Penn State wrestling and the NLWC. The Nittany Lions set the scoring and margin of victory records at the 2024 NCAA Championships, with Levi Haines, Carter Starocci, Aaron Brooks, and Greg Kerkvliet all winning individual titles.

Several months later, Cunningham helped propel four NLWC athletes – Brooks, Zain Retherford, Kyle Dake, and Kyle Snyder – to the Olympic Games. Brooks and Dake both won Bronze Medals in Paris.

The Nittany Lions assistant has continued his efforts into 2025, helping Snyder, Mitchell Mesenbrink, and Luke Lilledahl to the Final X competition later this summer. The winners will go on to represent the United States at the World Championships in Croatia this September.

Cunningham has been a critical part of the success of Penn State wrestling

Penn State wrestling coaches Casey Cunningham (left), Cael Sanderson (center), and Cody Sanderson (right). © Chris Eutsler / Basic Blues Nation, 2025.

Cunningham was named the head assistant coach at Penn State by Cael Sanderson in 2009. Cunningham previously served in the same role for Sanderson at Iowa State during the 2008-09 season before moving to Happy Valley.

Before joining Sanderson, Cunningham was the head assistant coach of Central Michigan for seven seasons, from 2001 to 2008. While with the Chippewas, he coached 18 wrestlers to All-American honors and 35 Mid-American (MAC) titles. In his final season at Central Michigan, the team finished seventh at the 2008 NCAA Championships.

Cunningham has undoubtedly been a key part of Cael Sanderson’s run at Penn State. A former national champion himself, plenty of Penn State wrestlers still claim that he is one of the best wrestlers in the room despite being in his 40s.

Despite all of the success, Cunningham has remained in State College rather than taking over his own program. It appears that the Nittany Lions assistant will remain in Happy Valley for at least the foreseeable future, with his son, Asher Cunningham, joining the Penn State wrestling program next year.

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