NORMAN, Okla. — Middleport native Lou Rosselli has stepped down as wrestling coach at Oklahoma University, the school announced Wednesday.
No reason was given for the decision.
Rosselli was the head coach for the Sooners since 2016, amassing a 56-49 record in dual meets over seven seasons. Oklahoma had 48 NCAA qualifiers and four earned All-America recognition during his tenure. He also guided the Sooners to their first Big 12 championship in 19 seasons in 2021, earning him conference Coach of the Year.
Oklahoma went 9-8 this season, placing fourth at the Big 12 tournament.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity I had from (athletic director Joe Castiglione) to lead this program,” Rosselli said in a statement. “While I had hoped to have accomplished more, I’m optimistic about the future of Oklahoma wrestling. I’m thankful to my current and former student-athletes, our coaching staff, and our fans for their support throughout the years.”
Prior to Oklahoma, Rosselli was assistant coach for 10 seasons at Ohio State, helping the team to the 2015 national championship. He was named the 2009 National Wrestling Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year and the 2014 USA Wrestling Freestyle Coach of the Year.
Additionally, Rosselli is a three-time Terry McCann National Freestyle Coach of the Year, while serving as a volunteer coach for the United States Olympic freestyle team in 2012 and 2016, where the team won a combined three gold medals. He has also been the U.S. Freestyle World team coach three times, was on the U.S. wrestling staff for the 2015 World Championships.
“Lou has invested a great deal into our wrestling program these past seven years, and we’re so grateful for the impact he’s made on our student-athletes,” Castiglione said. “We sincerely appreciate his service to the university and wish him all the best. As we move forward, we will continue to position our wrestling program to compete at the highest level.”
A 1988 graduate of Royalton-Hartland, Rosselli was the 1986 98-pound state champion and the 1988 state champion at 112 pounds. He was a four-time Section VI champion, compiling a record of 156-8, including 37-0 as a senior.
He went on to Edinboro, where he was a two-time All-American and a three-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference champion at 118 pounds, winning Eastern Wrestling League Freshman of the Year in 1989.
Rosselli qualified for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, beating Greece’s Amiran Kardanov and Romania’s Constantin Corduneanu, but had to withdraw from the tournament after breaking his arm in three places during that win. He won three U.S. Open titles in 1995, 1996 and 1999.
Niagara Falls graduate Willie McDougald recently completed his third season at Oklahoma, where he redshirted last year.