GUNNISON, Colo. Taylor Summers is returning to the Western Slope, announced on Tuesday, August 12 as the head coach of the new women's wrestling program at Western Colorado University.
Director of Athletics Miles Van Hee said that "It's our pleasure to bring Taylor back to Western Colorado. He was an integral part of our men's program for five seasons before embarking on a successful run as the leader of Chadron State's women's program.
"The start of our women's program presents a fantastic opportunity for those recruits that want to leave their mark on creating the history and culture of the team. And Taylor has shown himself to be the perfect leader for this opportunity."
Summers wrestled at Chadron State, earning second team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference honors in 2016, advancing to the NCAA Division II Championship that same season.
He began his post-competitive career as a strength and conditioning intern at Chadron before stepping into an assistant coach's role with the Eagles' men's program the next year.
Summers moved to Western Colorado entering the 2018-19 season as an assistant to head men's coach Charlie Pipher. During his tenure with the Mountaineers, Summers helped coach 16 DII national qualifiers and 9 DII All-Americans, as well as helping the program to a fourth-place finish at the 2023 DII championship.
He took over the Chadron women's team heading into the 2023-24 season, producing a program-best eight wins in his inaugural season leading the program.
In his two seasons with the Chadron women's team, he produced a total of eight regional qualifiers and in this past season, a 23rd-place finish at the National Collegiate Women's Wrestling Championships where Esther Peters earned All-American honors with a seventh-place finish in the 207-pound bracket.
"I am extremely excited and grateful for the opportunity to represent Western Colorado University as the first head coach for the women's wrestling program," said Summers. "Gunnison has been home to my family and I since stepping onto campus for the first time seven years ago and we are so blessed to have the opportunity to return and build off of the incredible wrestling tradition here at Western.
"Starting a program from the ground up is an amazing opportunity, and I cannot wait to get started. I have no doubt Mountaineer women's wrestling will compete at the highest level and represent what it means to wear the W," Summers added.
"I want to thank Miles Van Hee, President Baca, the coaches, faculty members, support staff, and the Gunnison community for the support they've shown to my family and I. Finally, I want to thank my wife, kids, and our families for their wisdom, love, and support through this process."
Summers will spend the 2025-26 academic year recruiting for the program, which will begin competition as an RMAC member with the 2026-27 season. An assistant coach will be hired heading into that first season of competition.
Women's wrestling has been an emerging sport within the NCAA, and in 2026 will host its inaugural NCAA women's championship, a national tournament that combines wrestlers from Divisions I, II, and III into a single tournament to be hosted at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa.
