Joe Colon joined the Northwestern wrestling staff in January, 2022 as an assistant coach, specializing with the Wildcats' lightweight wrestlers.
Colon joins the Wildcats after spending four seasons on the staff at Fresno State as a volunteer assistant coach. While coaching with the Bulldogs, he also competed as a member of the US National Team at 61 kg, ranking among the top wrestlers in the world at his weight class.
"The last piece of the puzzle was finding a lightweight coach to round out the staff, we could not have done better than Joe Colon," said head Coach Matt Storniolo. "The former Midlands champ and world bronze medalist is no stranger to Evanston. He's competed on the biggest stages our sport has to offer and brings a wealth of wrestling knowledge with him."
Colon earned a world bronze medal in 2018 while wrestling at 61 kg. The former Northern Iowa star also took home a pair of gold medals wrestling in the 61 kg men's freestyle division at the 2018 Pan-American Championships in Lima, Peru as well as the 2018 US Open Championships.
Competing with the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, Colon won the Bill Farrell International championship, finished fourth at the World Team Trials and fifth at the U.S. Open in 2014. In 2015, Colon earned his spot on Team USA finishing second at the U.S. World Team Trials, third at the Cerro Pelado International meet and fourth at the U.S. Open.
In college, Colon wrestled two seasons with Northern Iowa and qualified for a pair of NCAA Tournaments in 2012 and 2014, ultimately placing third in the 2014 championships on his way to earning All-American status. The Clear Lake, Iowa native compiled a 62-6 record in his two seasons with Northern Iowa, including a perfect 24-0 mark in duals. Prior to arriving at UNI, Colon wrestled at Iowa Cerntral Community College, where he helped the Tritons win the 2010 NJCAA team National Championship while also securing an individual national title of his own at 125 lbs on his way to being named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler.
Colon joins the Wildcats after spending four seasons on the staff at Fresno State as a volunteer assistant coach. While coaching with the Bulldogs, he also competed as a member of the US National Team at 61 kg, ranking among the top wrestlers in the world at his weight class.
"The last piece of the puzzle was finding a lightweight coach to round out the staff, we could not have done better than Joe Colon," said head Coach Matt Storniolo. "The former Midlands champ and world bronze medalist is no stranger to Evanston. He's competed on the biggest stages our sport has to offer and brings a wealth of wrestling knowledge with him."
Colon earned a world bronze medal in 2018 while wrestling at 61 kg. The former Northern Iowa star also took home a pair of gold medals wrestling in the 61 kg men's freestyle division at the 2018 Pan-American Championships in Lima, Peru as well as the 2018 US Open Championships.
Competing with the Titan Mercury Wrestling Club, Colon won the Bill Farrell International championship, finished fourth at the World Team Trials and fifth at the U.S. Open in 2014. In 2015, Colon earned his spot on Team USA finishing second at the U.S. World Team Trials, third at the Cerro Pelado International meet and fourth at the U.S. Open.
In college, Colon wrestled two seasons with Northern Iowa and qualified for a pair of NCAA Tournaments in 2012 and 2014, ultimately placing third in the 2014 championships on his way to earning All-American status. The Clear Lake, Iowa native compiled a 62-6 record in his two seasons with Northern Iowa, including a perfect 24-0 mark in duals. Prior to arriving at UNI, Colon wrestled at Iowa Cerntral Community College, where he helped the Tritons win the 2010 NJCAA team National Championship while also securing an individual national title of his own at 125 lbs on his way to being named the tournament's Outstanding Wrestler.