2008-09 College News - Matzek, Evans remove 'interim' tag

Matzek, Evans remove 'interim' tag

Auggie alums to continue to lead Augsburg wrestling program

May 7, 2009

MINNEAPOLIS -- The “interim” tag has been removed from Augsburg College wrestling head coach Mark Matzek’s title.

Matzek, who guided the Auggies on an interim basis last season, has accepted the head coaching position on a permanent basis, Augsburg athletic director Jeff Swenson has announced. In addition, assistant head coach Jared Evans has also accepted a permanent position on the Auggie coaching staff.

Named interim head coach in July 2008, Matzek led the Auggies to a second-place NCAA Division III national tournament finish in the 2008-2009 season, finishing 11-2 in dual meets with a squad that included five new starters among the 10 weight classes. Along the way, the Auggies won the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III National Duals championship, topped perennial rival and eventual national champion Wartburg (Iowa) twice in dual meets, won the Great Lakes Regional and finished with seven All-Americans and one individual national champion. Academically, Augsburg finished 13th in the NWCA's Division III academic national listings with a 3.346 team grade-point average.

“I am very honored and humbled to take the role of head wrestling coach of my alma mater,” said Matzek, a 2005 Augsburg alumnus and Ellsworth, Wis., native. “I feel like I belong at Augsburg and there is no other program in the world I would rather be at. I will carry on the winning tradition as a coach, just as I did as a wrestler. Wrestlers in this program will have a championship wrestling experience while completing their degree to set themselves up for success after college.”

Mark Matzek
A two-time individual national titlist and three-time All-American as an Augsburg wrestler, Matzek had served as an assistant coach for three seasons before being named interim head coach. Matzek is the ninth head coach in the history of Augsburg’s wrestling program.

"Mark's success at Augsburg, and his commitment to Augsburg, speaks for itself," said athletic director Swenson, who served as Augsburg's head coach for 25 seasons (1980-84, 1986-2007) and led the team to 10 Division III national titles. "As interim coach, Mark took on the challenge and exceeded all expectations. His commitment to the college community, academics and wrestling is nothing short of phenomenal."

One of the top lightweight wrestlers in Augsburg history, Matzek finished his career with a 129-21 record, winning the 133-pound national title in 2004 and 2005 (one of nine Auggie wrestlers to ever win multiple national titles) while placing fourth in 2003. He closed his career with a 42-match winning streak, including a 34-0 mark in his senior season. He was a member of Auggie squads that won the national title as a team in 2002 and 2005, while finishing second nationally in 2003 and 2004.

Academically, Matzek was a three-time NWCA Scholar All-American, an ESPN The Magazine (CoSIDA) Academic All-District honoree three times, and an ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America (CoSIDA) first-team selection in 2005. He was a mathematics and secondary education major at Augsburg and carried a 3.408 grade-point average.

Jared Evans
A 2007 Augsburg alumnus, Evans will enter his third season on the Augsburg coaching staff, and second as assistant head coach. A native of Blue Earth, Minn., Evans earned All-American honors three times as a 149-pound wrestler, finishing seventh in 2005 (23-7 individual record), fourth in 2006 (38-8) and fourth in 2007 (37-5). He finished his career with a 139-37 record, including 23 pins, four technical falls and 19 major decisions. He was a part of Augsburg teams that won national titles in 2004-05 and 2006-07, while finishing second once and third once.

Academically, Evans was a health and physical education major with a 3.27 grade-point average. He earned NWCA Scholar All-America honors in his sophomore, junior and senior seasons.

Both Matzek and Evans will have other duties in the athletic department. Matzek also serves as director of the college's two fitness facilities in the Si Melby Hall/Kennedy Center complex -- the Hoyt Messerer Fitness Center and the James Haglund Family Fitness Center. Evans will also serve as an instructor in the college's Health and Physical Education department.