UNC and head wrestling coach Rob Koll have agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension, the school announced Thursday. The extension will keep Koll in Chapel Hill through the end 2028-29 season.
Koll is a UNC alumnus, having earned four All-America honors and an individual national championship in 1988. He began his head coaching career at Cornell in 1993 and stayed with the Big Red for 28 years, winning 20 Ivy League championships before leaving in 2021 to coach Stanford. UNC hired him as the seventh head coach in the history of the wrestling program in 2023. The 2026-27 season will be his fourth year in Chapel Hill.
“Returning to Chapel Hill three years ago to lead the wrestling program means everything to me,’’ Koll said in a statement. “I’m truly thankful for the trust and support shown by Chancellor Lee Roberts, current and former Directors of Athletics Steve Newmark and Bubba Cunningham and the Board of Trustees. Our standard will be continuing to recruit the nation’s top talent and competing for championships while staying rooted in the University and community. The future of Tar Heel wrestling is bright, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of it.”
Under Koll’s leadership, 19 UNC wrestlers have qualified for the NCAA Championships, with Lachlan McNeil and Bryce Hepner each earning All-America finishes. Hepner won the ACC title at 165 pounds in 2026, becoming the first Tar Heel wrestler to win a conference crown since 2023 and the first to do so at the 165-pound weight class since 2009.
The 2023-24 season, Koll’s first at Carolina, saw the team win 11 dual victories, its most since 2019-20. The next year, UNC won a share of the ACC regular season title for the first time since 2018-19.
“Coach Koll has a proven track record of building success on the wrestling mat while developing leaders in the community and connecting with fans and alumni,” said UNC athletic director Steve Newmark. “Since returning to Chapel Hill three years ago, Rob has brought championship-level leadership and commitment for his alma mater and program, and we are thrilled that he will continue to lead the Carolina wrestling program.”
Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications
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