Charlie Pipher begins his seventh season as the Western Colorado wrestling team heading into the 2023-24 season.
Piper sits at 58-34 in duals overall, including 26-9 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference duals that led to an RMAC title and a trio of runner-up finishes.
The 2022-23 campaign he led culminated in a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Division II wrestling championships -- the program's highest team finish since a fourth place in 2004 -- and represented the highest placing by any of the RMAC schools at the 2023 event. Two wrestlers, Jason Hanenberg (149) and Hunter Mullin (165) were national runner-ups, while Patrick Allis (125) wrestled back to a third-place finish and Cole Hernandez (174) worked his way back to a sixth-place finish as all four earned All-America honors.
In his fifth season in 2021-22, Pipher produced two All-Americans in Cody Fatzinger and Hunter Mullin. Had three Mountaineers - Fatzinger, Jason Hanenberg and Mullin - qualify for the NCAA DII National Championships. The Mountaineers had six wrestlers make the All-RMAC team; Mullin (first team), Fatzinger (second team), Hanenberg (second team), Alex Alvarez (honorable mention), Sammy deSeriere (honorable mention), and Cole Gray (honorable mention), Finished third in the RMAC standings with a 5-2 conference record.
It was a pandemic-shortened 2020-21 for the Mountaineers, though Pipher and company did lead Western to a fifth-place finish at NCAA Super Region 6 and saw Patrick Allis take fifth-place at the NCAA Championships at 133 pounds - his second-straight All-American finish.
In his third season in 2019-20, Pipher led the Mountaineers to a 13-6 dual record, including 6-1 in the RMAC that led to an RMAC runner-up finish. The Mountaineers took second at NCAA DII Super Regional VI with Patrick Allis (125 pounds) and Hunter Mullin (165) qualifying for nationals. While the NCAA Championships were canceled, Allis, who went 27-8 and was the No. 5 seed at nationals, was named an All-American to go along with NWCA super Region 6 Rookie Wrestler of the Year.
In 2018-19, Pipher brought home an RMAC Championship with a victory over Colorado Mesa in the final dual of the season. The Mountaineers then went on to place second at Region IV Championships as Western's Brandon Supernaw and Konnor Schmidt each earned Region VI Championship titles, while Jason Hanenberg placed second and Dylan McBride placed third. All four of those athletes competed at the at the National Championships with Brandon Supernaw earning his second All-American honors. Western finished the 2018-19 season with a 14-4 (6-1 RMAC) dual meet record.
In his first season at the helm, Pipher produced two All-Americans in Brandon Supernaw and Konnor Schmidt. In total, three Mountaineers qualified for the NCAA Championship in 2018 as Western finished 14th at the NCAA Championship. Additionally, Konnor Schmidt won the NCAA DII Region IV title at 197 lbs.
Western finished the 2017-18 season with a 12-4 (5-1 RMAC) dual meet record. The Mountaineers placed fifth at the RMAC Championship before taking fifth at the NCAA DII Region IV Championships.
With five years under his belt as head coach, Pipher has produced six All-Americans, three Region IV champions and 11 national qualifiers.
Since Pipher first joined the staff in 2011, Western has groomed 10 RMAC and 13 NCAA Region IV Champions, 17 Division II All-Americans and 13 Academic All-Americans.
During his time as assistant from 2011-17, Pipher helped develop wrestlers on the mat and helped oversee their academic performance. Pipher 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.
As a wrestler at Western, Pipher was 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.
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 and a son.
