North Iowa Area
Community College head wrestling coach Richard Fergola was
honored on Wednesday night in St. Louis, MO at the NCAA
Division I wrestling championships as the 2007 Robert Bubb
Coaching Excellence Award winner for the NAIA division.
“We
are very proud of Coach Fergola’s national recognition for
his role in the outstanding academic outcomes that his team
experienced last year at Dana College,” Dr. Michael
Morrison, NIACC president, said.
Fergola was
honored as The Robert Bubb Coaching Excellence Award Winner
for the Division NAIA College Coaches for his work in the
2006-07 season. The award ceremony took place March 19, at
the Hard Rock Cafe in St. Louis, MO, prior to the NCAA
Division I Wrestling Championships.
“The Robert
Bubb Coaching Excellence Award is presented by the NWCA each
year to the outstanding coach in each wrestling division for
outstanding team academics. In addition, the award winner
must also be a coach that epitomizes the qualities and
characteristics of a role model and mentor for developing
young student-athletes,” according to the NWCA.
Last March,
Fergola was hired as head coach for NIACC’s reinstated
wrestling program after his Dana College team finished
fourth at the 2007 NAIA Wrestling Championships. After the
2006-07 season, Fergola was named Coach of the Year by the
NAIA’s Great Plains Athletic Conference.
This season,
Fergola’s recruiting class was rated No. 1 by one wrestling
publication among non-NCAA Division I programs. NIACC is
ranked eighth in the latest NJCAA poll and four NIACC
wrestlers are among the top eight in individual weight
classes, including top-rated 149-pounder Albert White.
For more about
Fergola and NIACC wrestling, check the NIACC website at
www.niacc.edu/athletics.
