Photo by: Tom Nelson
Brady Wilson featured in Faribault Daily News
11/3/2021 3:00:00 PM | Wrestling
St. Cloud, Minn - St. Cloud State Wrestling associate head coach Brady Wilson was featured by the Faribault Daily News on Wednesday in an article authored by St. Cloud State's former longtime legendary Strategic Athletics Communications Director Tom Nelson. Wilson was a 2005 graduate of Faribault High School, earning a MSHSL State Championship during his senior season.
Originally published on November 3, 2021 by the Fairbault Daily News
Brady Wilson, a 2005 graduate of Faribault High School and former standout prep wrestler for the Falcons, has spent the last decade building one of the nation's top NCAA Division II wrestling programs at St. Cloud State University.
Wilson, who begins his 11th season as an associate head coach with the Huskies in 2021-22, has helped St. Cloud State University win NCAA Division II wrestling team championships in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021. The Huskies have won eight NCAA Division II regional championships, six NWCA DII National Duals team titles and 10 consecutive Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championships during Wilson's tenure on campus.
This Huskies currently own an NCAA DII record 69 dual match win streak and have not lost a dual match since a setback against Indianapolis on Jan. 14, 2017. In his time at SCSU, Wilson has seen the Huskies chart an impressive 171-5 dual match record since he arrived on campus in 2011-12.
"I give all the credit to Brady for keeping this thing going," SCSU head coach Steve Costanzo said. "Brady is really the glue of this team. He keeps the team together and keeps me sane."
A Minnesota State High School League state champion at heavyweight during his senior season at Faribault High School in 2004-05, Wilson can attribute a portion of his knowledge of the sport to his time spent as a member of the Faribault Wrestling Club and then as part of the Faribault High School team.
"My mom put me into it (the Faribault Wrestling Club youth program) when I was in Kindergarten," "Wilson said. "She put me into it because she had to get me out of the house since I had too much energy.
"That was just her way to get me out of the house, and then my two younger brothers just followed suit. Mom was just trying to get us out of the house se we didn't wreck the furniture and stuff like that."
Brady's brother Heath Wilson went on to be a state runner-up at FHS in 2008 and youngest brother Cole Wilson was also a state finalist for the Falcons. Cole went on to compete for Southwest Minnesota State University during his collegiate career and he currently serves as an assistant wrestling coach at Foley High School in Foley, Minn.
The sport was a perfect fit for Wilson, who went on to compete with the Faribault Wrestling Club through his high school days. Along the way, the sport became a way of life for his brothers and parents.
"I like to compete and I liked to win," Wilson said. "Wrestling was fun for me and when you are good at something it is pretty easy to stick with it. Â
"It also became a family thing for us. My brothers did it and wrestling was just what we did on the weekends growing up. We went to the wrestling tournaments…Mom would pack a lunch, we would drive to the tournament and our Dad coached us until we got into middle school."
Wilson added, "It changed some when I turned 16. Then my parents would give me the money and I would drive my brothers to the wrestling tournaments. We would weigh-in, then we would go out for breakfast and then my Mom and Dad would show up later with lunch."
An early mentor for Wilson for his club wrestling days was Coach Jesse Armbruster, who later became the head wrestling coach at Faribault around the time Wilson moved up to the varsity wrestling ranks at FHS.
Wilson recalled the quality of the Faribault club helped prepare him for success at the high school and college levels.
"It was a pretty competitive club and fun to be part of," Wilson said.
Wilson competed at the varsity level for four seasons at Faribault and compiled over 100 career wins as a prep grappler. In his senior season, Wilson won the MSHSL title and also took second place in the country at the Senior Nationals in Cleveland, Ohio.
He carried that level of excellence onto the collegiate level during his time at nearby Minnesota State University. The program there proved to be a good fit for Wilson, who had some interest from NCAA Division I teams before he opted for MSU.
"Minnesota State was a premiere NCAA Division II team at the time, they had nice new facilities at the time, there were some people from southern Minnesota on the team and it was close to home," Wilson said.
After a redshirt season, Wilson went on to compete for four seasons as a heavyweight for the Mavericks. He set a MSU record with 143 wins during his career and was named the Mavericks' Student-Athlete of the Year in 2010. He had four top five places for MSU at the NCAA DII championships and finished his career with a second place finish at heavyweight in 2010.
Wilson then completed his Master's degree at Minnesota State and served for one season as a graduate assistant coach at Mankato in 2010-11.
"I got offered the head assistant coach job at St. Cloud State and Minnesota State at the same time," Wilson said. "I had a respect for Coach Costanzo and how quickly he turned things around at St. Cloud State. I wanted to be a head coach someday, so I wanted to see what he was doing up here and that's how I ended up at St. Cloud State."
His work with Costanzo has helped Wilson grow as a coach and mentor.
"He instills that family-like atmosphere here with these guys," Wilson said of Costanzo. "He cares about each one of the guys and wants the best for them. He wants the kids to have a great experience."
Part of that experience at SCSU is the bond created by the coaches and student-athletes, which translates to a winning tradition on and off the mat.
"We have really good student-athletes that we are fortunate enough to coach," Wilson said. "We have people who are buying into the process and along with having good people, we have really developed a family-like culture here at St. Cloud State.
"It is really a brotherhood…the guys go and battle everyday at practice but when it comes time to compete against another team, they always change bags and want the best for this team and program."
The ongoing success of the program certainly helps make the recruiting process easier for the SCSU coaches but those wins are not the focus of Huskies' wrestling.
"The winning tradition helps with recruiting," Wison said. "The kids come here and want to be part of a winning culture but we never really talk about winning. We talk about getting better and becoming the best wrestler you can be.
"If we are in there pushing each other and getting everyone to buy into the training process, the results will take care of themselves."
Costanzo listed the assets that Wilson brings to the wrestling room at SCSU.
"His strengths are both on and off the mat," Costanzo said. "Brady is a great recruiter and is a great techniques coach on the mat.
"He has a very high wrestling IQ, which he has picked up from his time wrestling in Faribault, at Minnesota State and the time he has spent studying the sport. When you combine all of Brady's personal skills with his wrestling IQ, you really come up with a good package as a coach."
Costanzo added, "I feel like I have a lot of loyalty from Brady. Over the years, he has had opportunities at other head coaching jobs but he has stayed with me and the program here…and I am very grateful to him for that."
Wilson still returns to the Faribault area on a regular basis. His parents still reside in town along with the parents of his wife Heather. The couple also have two young daughters Harlow (3) and Layne (7 months).
In addition to family visits, Wilson returns to southern Minnesota to prospect for recruits. The 2021-22 roster at SCSU includes seven wrestlers with southern Minnesota roots.
"We recruit this area pretty hard," Wilson said. "We try the best we can to get kids from that area (southern Minnesota) because we know they are pretty tough. Â
"The kids have great parents and are raised a great way with a good work ethic, character, morals and integrity. Kind of that blue collar work ethic and personality, and I think that is what makes the area and other parts of outstate Minnesota so great for wrestling."
SCSU looks to defend its NCAA DII national title for the fourth consecutive season in 2021-22 (Note: The NCAA did not have a national tournament in 2020 due to COVID) and Wilson believes his squad is ready for the challenge.
"We will be all right. We have to see how healthy we are and what COVID has in store for us. We have a lot of guys coming back, but so does everyone else since everyone got an extra year of eligibility due to COVID. It will be very competitive but it will be a fun ride," Wilson said.
Originally published on November 3, 2021 by the Fairbault Daily News
Brady Wilson, a 2005 graduate of Faribault High School and former standout prep wrestler for the Falcons, has spent the last decade building one of the nation's top NCAA Division II wrestling programs at St. Cloud State University.
Wilson, who begins his 11th season as an associate head coach with the Huskies in 2021-22, has helped St. Cloud State University win NCAA Division II wrestling team championships in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2021. The Huskies have won eight NCAA Division II regional championships, six NWCA DII National Duals team titles and 10 consecutive Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference championships during Wilson's tenure on campus.
This Huskies currently own an NCAA DII record 69 dual match win streak and have not lost a dual match since a setback against Indianapolis on Jan. 14, 2017. In his time at SCSU, Wilson has seen the Huskies chart an impressive 171-5 dual match record since he arrived on campus in 2011-12.
"I give all the credit to Brady for keeping this thing going," SCSU head coach Steve Costanzo said. "Brady is really the glue of this team. He keeps the team together and keeps me sane."
A Minnesota State High School League state champion at heavyweight during his senior season at Faribault High School in 2004-05, Wilson can attribute a portion of his knowledge of the sport to his time spent as a member of the Faribault Wrestling Club and then as part of the Faribault High School team.
"My mom put me into it (the Faribault Wrestling Club youth program) when I was in Kindergarten," "Wilson said. "She put me into it because she had to get me out of the house since I had too much energy.
"That was just her way to get me out of the house, and then my two younger brothers just followed suit. Mom was just trying to get us out of the house se we didn't wreck the furniture and stuff like that."
Brady's brother Heath Wilson went on to be a state runner-up at FHS in 2008 and youngest brother Cole Wilson was also a state finalist for the Falcons. Cole went on to compete for Southwest Minnesota State University during his collegiate career and he currently serves as an assistant wrestling coach at Foley High School in Foley, Minn.
The sport was a perfect fit for Wilson, who went on to compete with the Faribault Wrestling Club through his high school days. Along the way, the sport became a way of life for his brothers and parents.
"I like to compete and I liked to win," Wilson said. "Wrestling was fun for me and when you are good at something it is pretty easy to stick with it. Â
"It also became a family thing for us. My brothers did it and wrestling was just what we did on the weekends growing up. We went to the wrestling tournaments…Mom would pack a lunch, we would drive to the tournament and our Dad coached us until we got into middle school."
Wilson added, "It changed some when I turned 16. Then my parents would give me the money and I would drive my brothers to the wrestling tournaments. We would weigh-in, then we would go out for breakfast and then my Mom and Dad would show up later with lunch."
An early mentor for Wilson for his club wrestling days was Coach Jesse Armbruster, who later became the head wrestling coach at Faribault around the time Wilson moved up to the varsity wrestling ranks at FHS.
Wilson recalled the quality of the Faribault club helped prepare him for success at the high school and college levels.
"It was a pretty competitive club and fun to be part of," Wilson said.
Wilson competed at the varsity level for four seasons at Faribault and compiled over 100 career wins as a prep grappler. In his senior season, Wilson won the MSHSL title and also took second place in the country at the Senior Nationals in Cleveland, Ohio.
He carried that level of excellence onto the collegiate level during his time at nearby Minnesota State University. The program there proved to be a good fit for Wilson, who had some interest from NCAA Division I teams before he opted for MSU.
"Minnesota State was a premiere NCAA Division II team at the time, they had nice new facilities at the time, there were some people from southern Minnesota on the team and it was close to home," Wilson said.
After a redshirt season, Wilson went on to compete for four seasons as a heavyweight for the Mavericks. He set a MSU record with 143 wins during his career and was named the Mavericks' Student-Athlete of the Year in 2010. He had four top five places for MSU at the NCAA DII championships and finished his career with a second place finish at heavyweight in 2010.
Wilson then completed his Master's degree at Minnesota State and served for one season as a graduate assistant coach at Mankato in 2010-11.
"I got offered the head assistant coach job at St. Cloud State and Minnesota State at the same time," Wilson said. "I had a respect for Coach Costanzo and how quickly he turned things around at St. Cloud State. I wanted to be a head coach someday, so I wanted to see what he was doing up here and that's how I ended up at St. Cloud State."
His work with Costanzo has helped Wilson grow as a coach and mentor.
"He instills that family-like atmosphere here with these guys," Wilson said of Costanzo. "He cares about each one of the guys and wants the best for them. He wants the kids to have a great experience."
Part of that experience at SCSU is the bond created by the coaches and student-athletes, which translates to a winning tradition on and off the mat.
"We have really good student-athletes that we are fortunate enough to coach," Wilson said. "We have people who are buying into the process and along with having good people, we have really developed a family-like culture here at St. Cloud State.
"It is really a brotherhood…the guys go and battle everyday at practice but when it comes time to compete against another team, they always change bags and want the best for this team and program."
The ongoing success of the program certainly helps make the recruiting process easier for the SCSU coaches but those wins are not the focus of Huskies' wrestling.
"The winning tradition helps with recruiting," Wison said. "The kids come here and want to be part of a winning culture but we never really talk about winning. We talk about getting better and becoming the best wrestler you can be.
"If we are in there pushing each other and getting everyone to buy into the training process, the results will take care of themselves."
Costanzo listed the assets that Wilson brings to the wrestling room at SCSU.
"His strengths are both on and off the mat," Costanzo said. "Brady is a great recruiter and is a great techniques coach on the mat.
"He has a very high wrestling IQ, which he has picked up from his time wrestling in Faribault, at Minnesota State and the time he has spent studying the sport. When you combine all of Brady's personal skills with his wrestling IQ, you really come up with a good package as a coach."
Costanzo added, "I feel like I have a lot of loyalty from Brady. Over the years, he has had opportunities at other head coaching jobs but he has stayed with me and the program here…and I am very grateful to him for that."
Wilson still returns to the Faribault area on a regular basis. His parents still reside in town along with the parents of his wife Heather. The couple also have two young daughters Harlow (3) and Layne (7 months).
In addition to family visits, Wilson returns to southern Minnesota to prospect for recruits. The 2021-22 roster at SCSU includes seven wrestlers with southern Minnesota roots.
"We recruit this area pretty hard," Wilson said. "We try the best we can to get kids from that area (southern Minnesota) because we know they are pretty tough. Â
"The kids have great parents and are raised a great way with a good work ethic, character, morals and integrity. Kind of that blue collar work ethic and personality, and I think that is what makes the area and other parts of outstate Minnesota so great for wrestling."
SCSU looks to defend its NCAA DII national title for the fourth consecutive season in 2021-22 (Note: The NCAA did not have a national tournament in 2020 due to COVID) and Wilson believes his squad is ready for the challenge.
"We will be all right. We have to see how healthy we are and what COVID has in store for us. We have a lot of guys coming back, but so does everyone else since everyone got an extra year of eligibility due to COVID. It will be very competitive but it will be a fun ride," Wilson said.
SCSU Winter Athletics Press Conference Wrestling
Tuesday, November 18
SCSU Winter Athletics Press Conference Wrestling
Wednesday, November 27
SCSU Winter Athletics Press Conference - Wrestling
Tuesday, December 12
Wrestling - Alumni Challenge 2022
Friday, August 25
