GUNNISON, Colo. – Wrestling has a storied tradition at Western State Colorado University, dating back to the first Division II National Championships in 1963 and 1964. Continuing this legacy as the 11^th head coach in Mountaineer wrestling program history is Charlie Pipher.
 
"I am very grateful to have the opportunity to be the next head wrestling coach at Western State Colorado University," Pipher said. "For me to be able coach at my alma mater and lead such a storied program is very exciting."
 
Much like his predecessor, Miles Van Hee, now Director of Athletics at Western, Pipher competed for Western as a student-athlete, transitioned to assistant coach after graduating and now becomes head coach of the program.
 
"I would like to thank Coach Van Hee for all he has done for me since arriving in Gunnison and having the faith in me to take over his role as head coach," Pipher remarked.
 
Pipher has been in an interim head coaching role since the wrestling season ended March.
 
"I am thrilled for the Mountaineer wrestling program to have Charlie Pipher at the helm," Van Hee said. "Charlie's character, effort and passion for the program these past six years as the head assistant coach have been second-to-none. I know that passion will continue as he takes the reigns and that he will continue to build upon the tradition of the Mountaineer wrestling program and take it to new levels."
 
Since 2011, Pipher has worked closely with all Mountaineer wrestlers as assistant coach. During his time as assistant, he helped develop wrestlers on the mat and helped oversee their academic performance.
 
Since he became assistant coach in 2011, the Mountaineers have finished as Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Champions once and runners-up twice. They have earned the National Wrestling Coaches Association Academic National Championship as well as the highest team GPA in Division II last season.
 
Individually, Pipher has helped develop 10 RMAC and NCAA Region IV Champions, 11 Division II All-Americans, three Academic All-Americans and 49 NWCA All-Academic selections.
 
Pipher has also helped in recruiting and fundraising, including being the assistant camp director for the highly successful and long-running Rocky Mountain Wrestling Camps. Each summer the camps bring thousands of wrestlers to the Gunnison Valley.
 
"Our current roster features group of guys who I'm excited to see develop on and off the mat," Pipher said about this group of wrestlers. "We also signed a great group of guys early and are in process of finalizing the freshman class for 2017."
 
As a wrestler at Western, Pipher became a three-time All-American and two-time conference champion for the Mountaineers, wrestling from 2005-11. He helped the Mountaineers take home the RMAC and Super Region IV title in 2010 and earn a fifth-place team finish at the NCAA Division II National Championships in 2011 after placing second individually.
 
"Charlie bleeds crimson and slate. He is a competitor and a winner and he understands what it takes to be successful here at Western," Van Hee added about Pipher. "I look forward to watching Charlie lead and develop our student-athletes as he assists them in accomplishing their goals both athletically and academically."
 
Pipher graduated from Western in May of 2011 with a degree in exercise and sport science and business. He earned his graduate degree in coaching and athletic administration from Concordia University - Irvine (California) in 2015.
 
He and his wife, Ashleigh, also a Western alumna, have a daughter Finleigh.