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Jon Morrison is staying in Maryland.
The former Oklahoma State wrestler was named the head coach DMV (District/Maryland/Virginia) Regional Training Center on Monday. Morrison will have Maryland native and 2016 Olympic champion Helen Maroulis as an assistant coach and resident athlete. DMV RTC was formerly known as Terrapin Wrestling Club in College Park, Maryland.
Morrison was a four-time NCAA qualifier from 2011-14 at 125 and 133 pounds at OSU. He closed out his NCAA career with back-to-back Big 12 championships and earned All-American honors with a fifth-place finish as a senior. The Orland Park, Illinois native stayed in Stillwater at Cowboy Wrestling Club from 2014-16 and claimed fourth at the 2015 World Team Trials. After the 2016 Olympic cycle, he moved to Maryland and started coaching at St. Paul’s School for Boys and Capital Wrestling Club (Rockville, Md.) in 2019.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to join the DMV RTC,” Morrison said in a release on the RTC’s Facebook page. “Recent history has shown that wrestlers from the state of Maryland are capable of succeeding at the very highest level with Helen and Kyle Snyder winning gold medals at Rio in 2016. Our vision is to build on that legacy by creating one of the very best training situations in the world; allowing our elite cadet and junior athletes alongside our college athletes to reach a world-class level.
“Recent history has also shown that a strong RTC and in-state recruiting are critical to a college’s success at the NCAA tournament. After coaching at the club level here in the DMV for the past 18 months, I see everything needed for Maryland to be the top wrestling program in the country. From the talent, the coaches, the fan base, and the school... it’s all there. As I’ve gotten to know [Maryland wrestling coaches] Alex [Clemsen], Nick [Brascetta], and Devin [Mellon] over the last several years, I know they believe the same thing and are working tirelessly to get there. I’m very grateful for the opportunity and I can’t wait to join them!”