Updated June 12, 2025
Joel Greenlee was named head coach of the Bobcats in 1998 after briefly serving as an assistant and later interim head coach of the program. Since his hiring, Greenlee has coached the most NCAA qualifiers and All-Americans in program history.
In 2024-25, Greenlee led Ohio to a 8-4 record overall and 6-2 finish in the Mid-American Conference. Garrett Thompson won the individual MAC Championship in the 174-pound division, which marked Ohio’s second-straight year with an individual champion. Also, Jordan Greer earned runner-up in the heavyweight division. Thompson and Greer both qualified for the NCAA Championship for the second time in their careers. Eight student-athletes were placed on the Academic All-MAC team.
The Bobcats capped their strong 2023-24 campaign with a 25th place finish at the NCAA Championship, their best finish since Dwight Gardner won in 1998. They placed the best of any MAC school. Peyten Kellar became the Bobcats’ first All-American since Cody Walters in 2016 after he earned fifth-place in the 157-pound division. Kellar recorded the best finish by a Bobcat since Jake Percival in 2005. He was joined by Thompson and Greer at the championships that year. Kellar also won the first MAC individual title for the Bobcats since 2017, while Thompson finished in second-place and Greer third. As a team, the Bobcats finished sixth in the conference.
Ohio had four student-athletes compete at the NCAA Championships in 2022-23: Alec Hagan, Zayne Lehman, Sal Perrine and Thompson after a strong performance at the MAC Championship. Seven student-athletes placed at the MAC Championship, including Carson Brewer, who earned second place in the 197-pound division. Lehman also picked up a second-place finish in the 184-pound class. Perrine and Brewer were among five student-athletes to earn Academic-All MAC honors from the wrestling team.
In 2021-22, the Bobcats had two compete at the NCAA Championship and seven student-athletes earned Academic All-MAC honors. Three Bobcats placed in the top five at the MAC Championship.
Greenlee’s success spans back to the 2013-14 season, in which six student-athletes earned bids to the NCAA Championship. Jeremy Johnson earned his second round of All-American Honors after he placed seventh in the event. Ohio was also the No. 11 ranked academic wrestling program in the nation by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. That marked the second-straight season Ohio was ranked in the top 15.
The 2012-13 season saw Ohio send five individuals to the NCAA championship, with Cody Walters earning All-American honors. The team finished 29th at the event. Ohio also had five academic All-Americans that season. Ohio ended the year with an 11-5 dual record that included a seven-match win streak and a 22-16 victory over Michigan State. The win was Ohio’s first over Michigan State since the 1929-30 season.
Greenlee helped Ohio send three student-athletes to the NCAA championship after they placed in the top three of their respective classes at the MAC Championship. Those were Nick Purdue, Ryan Garringer and Johnson. Johnson earned his first All-American honors that season.
During the 2010-11 campaign, Greenlee directed the Bobcats to Mid-American Conference regular season title.
In 2009-10, the team compiled a 12-5 overall dual record and a 3-2 mark in the MAC for a third-place finish. Eric Schith became Ohio’s 101st MAC Champion after he won the 197-pound division. Ohio sent five wrestlers to the NCAA Championship, where Germane Lindsey worked his way through the 141-pound class to become the program’s 18th All-American.
The team recorded a 6-16 overall record and a tie for fourth place in the MAC Championship. Lindsey qualified for his first NCAA tournament in which he recorded his 20th win of the season.
Three Bobcats placed at the 2008 MAC Championship, including Kevin Christensen, who finished second at 149-pounds. Greenlee also had two student-athletes make the MAC All-Academic Team, Christensen and Seth Morton.
The previous season, Ohio posted more dual meet wins than in any of Greenlee’s previous nine years. Ohio posted a 16-8 overall record in dual meets in 2006-07, which bested the 15 wins Greenlee's 1999-2000 squad totaled.
Under Greenlee's tutelage in 2006-07, Jake Frerichs earned a wildcard berth to the NCAA Championship and Jacob Ison was named a second alternate. Ison finished the season with 31 wins at 165-pounds. That season, the Bobcats had eight wrestlers post winning records while four wrestlers took second or third place at the 2007 MAC Championship.
During the 2005-06 season, Ohio posted dual-meet victories over North Carolina State and Virginia Tech. With an 18-16 win over West Virginia on Feb. 10, Ohio gave Greenlee the 100th victory of his coaching career.
At the 2005 NCAA Championships, Greenlee guided Percival to a third-place finish at 157-pounds. In the process, Percival became the first four-time All-American in MAC history. As a team, the Bobcats placed 26th in the nation with 21.5 points. At the 2005 MAC Championships, Percival was named MAC Wrestler of the Year for the third-straight time and Most Outstanding Wrestler of the MAC Tournament for the second year in a row after he became the third student-athlete in MAC history to win four individual titles.
Ohio managed a 10-12-1 record in 2004-05 despite competing with a depleted lineup at times. Eight of the Bobcats' 10 starters at the beginning of the year missed all or part of the season. The team still recorded wins over Ohio State, Virginia and Old Dominion, however, and posted a 3-2 record for a third-place finish in the MAC.
In 2003-04, Ohio went 8-6 overall and finished in a tie for third place in the MAC with a 2-3 record. Ohio also finished third at the MAC Championships. Two Bobcat wrestlers — Percival at 157-pounds and heavyweight Jeremiah Beltran — claimed MAC titles while a third, Joel Weimer, joined them at the NCAA Championships as a wild card entry in the 197-pound weight class.
During the 2002-03 season, Greenlee led a young Bobcat squad to a 9-8 record (2-3 in the MAC) and a third-place finish at the MAC Championships. Two wrestlers, Percival at 149-pounds and Anthony Carrizales at 133-pounds, qualified for the NCAA Tournament with Percival placing fifth for his second-straight All-American finish. For the second straight year, Percival earned MAC Wrestler-of-the-Year honors after heading into the NCAA Championships with a perfect record. The Elyria native also claimed the Outstanding MAC Tournament Wrestler award for winning both his matches in such dominant fashion. Percival earned his third straight All-American performance that season as well. With Weimer winning two of his matches and Beltran winning one, the Bobcats finished 25th as a team, their best finish since tying for ninth in 1998.
In 2001-02, Greenlee guided three Ohio wrestlers into the national tournament with Percival placing fourth as a freshman. The year before, the Bobcats won their first MAC Tournament title under Greenlee's tenure and the 15th in the history of the program. As a result, he was named the 2001 MAC Coach of the Year.
Greenlee's accomplishments during his first season at Ohio earned him the NWCA National Assistant-Coach-of-the-Year award during the 1997-98. The 1997-98 team finished ninth at the NCAA Tournament — the Bobcats' best finish since 1973 — and won the regular-season MAC title with a 5-0 record in the conference. He coached Dwight Gardner at 158-pounds to the school's first individual national title since 1978 and guided Shawn Enright 134-pounds to a second-place national finish.
Prior to coming to Ohio, Greenlee was an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Northern Iowa, from 1989-97. While at Northern Iowa, the Panthers compiled a 70-58 record.
During his time at Northern Iowa, Greenlee was also the camp director for the Northern Iowa wrestling camps. He was assistant camp director for the Bruce Baumgartner Heavyweight Wrestling School from 1993-97.
While competing as a heavyweight at Northern Iowa, he was a two-time All-American, finishing second in 1989 and fourth in 1988. In 1989, Greenlee was champion at the prestigious Midlands Tournament and Midwest Championships and was named the Outstanding Wrestler at both meets. Greenlee holds the third-highest winning percentage in school history with a 127-16-4 (.878) career record. He also holds the Panther records for dual victories (58) and dual victories in a season (20 in 1986-87).
Greenlee also enjoyed success at the international level. He finished second at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in 1992 and was selected as a training partner for the Olympic Team. He won the Cerra Pelado Tournament in Cuba in 1993 and the Cuban All-Star Tournament in 1992. He placed third three times at the John E. du Post World Team Trials.
He and his wife, Roxann, have a son, Walker, and a daughter, Madison.
