CHARLESTON, S.C. – After conducting a nationwide search throughout the offseason, The Citadel officially named Tim McCall as the Bulldogs' new wrestling head coach Wednesday afternoon. A former standout and two-time NCAA qualifier at the University of Wisconsin, McCall joins the program following a two-year stint at Utah Valley as the head assistant.
 
"I am incredibly honored and excited to lead the wrestling program at The Citadel," McCall said. "This is a place built on discipline, toughness and tradition, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to pour into these young men both on and off the mat. My goal is to build on the strong history and foundation already established here while developing a culture centered around accountability, hard work and belief in one another. I can't wait to get to work with this team, connect with the alumni and community and help lead this program into its next chapter."

Led by Senior Associate Athletic Director Rachel Fineberg, the search committee conducted an exhaustive evaluation of a highly competitive pool of candidates, selecting McCall based on his 'vision, character and proven track record of success, all which perfectly align with the mission of The Citadel and the culture of the wrestling program.'
 
"We are thrilled to welcome Coach McCall, Beth and their children to The Citadel," said Art Chase, The Citadel Director of Athletics. "Tim's competitive spirit, value system and proven coaching acumen will continue to push The Citadel wrestling forward. Rachel [Fineberg] and I are confident he will establish a championship culture that will provide a tremendous opportunity for the young men who choose this dynamic path to flourish academically, athletically and socially. We firmly believe our student-athletes will be the beneficiaries of Tim's intentional commitment to developing each individual both on and off the wrestling mat.

"The passion and pride throughout the program have never been stronger, and we're grateful for the support from so many individuals, especially General Mike Regner and Coach Ed Steers, who continue to dedicate their time and energy to elevate our standards. Lastly, we are indebted to Coach Ryan LeBlanc and Coach Luke Welch for their tireless leadership while raising the profile of the program."
 
Throughout his tenure with Utah Valley, McCall served as a guiding force within the program as the Wolverines garnered national acclaim over the past two years, notably qualifying five NCAA wrestlers for the NCAA Championships during the 2025-26 campaign -- good for the second-most in UVU history -- while also knocking off No. 14 Stanford in an early-season dual. The year prior, McCall worked directly with the Wolverines' sixth-ever All-American Terrell Barraclough -- advanced into the 165 lbs quarterfinals of the 2025 NCAA Wrestling Championships -- while Utah Valley picked up a pair of victories over nationally-ranked opponents No. 23 CSU Bakersfield and No. 23 Oregon State.

Further, he helped foster a balanced environment for student-athletes with 13 Wolverines securing Scholar All-American recognition via the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) -- including a team-record nine for the 2025-26 season -- while 18 earned distinction as Big 12 All-Academic honorees. As a unit, the program maintained a 3.45 GPA during the 2024-25 season as well as a 3.65 GPA the following year, both good for top 10 marks nationally.
 
Prior to joining Utah Valley, McCall spent the previous nine years working in and around the wrestling program at North Carolina State, initially starting out as a regional training center athlete and international competitor with the Wolfpack RTC -- an extension of USA Wrestling -- in 2015 before moving into an assistant coach role ahead of the 2019-20 campaign. As part of the former, he won the 2017 Henri Deglane Challenge and finished as the runner-up at both the 2016 Bill Farrell and the 2018 Dave Schulz tournaments. Further, McCall claimed third at the 2018 World Team Trials while adding a second-place finish at the 2019 Grand Prix of France / Henri Deglane Challenge.
 
After shifting into a coaching capacity, McCall assisted the Wolfpack to four consecutive ACC team titles while aiding the development of 17 ACC individual champions, including 2020 ACC Wrestler of the Year Hayden Hidlay and five-time All-American Trent Hidlay. At the NCAA level, he worked with 15 All-Americans throughout his time in Raleigh, and NC State managed three top 10 team finishes at the NCAA Wrestling Championships during that span.
 
McCall competed collegiately at the University of Wisconsin, holding down a starting role for the Badgers for three seasons and serving as the team captain during his senior year. During the 2014-15 campaign, he posted a career-high 23 wins en route to fourth overall in the 197 lbs division at the B1G Championships and an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Championships, finishing with a 3-2 mark on the national stage. As a junior, McCall claimed seventh at the B1G Championships following a 17-16 run, locking down his first NCAA qualifying berth before later finishing 1-2 at the NCAA Championships.
  
A native of Hope Mills, N.C., McCall earned his Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business Management from the University of Wisconsin in 2015. McCall and his wife, Beth, are proud parents of their two children, Tanner and Oaklynn.



WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT TIM McCALL

"Tim McCall has invaluable experience in building and reinforcing the culture at NC State. His work within our program has prepared him to become an elite coach, and I am confident he will do a tremendous job at The Citadel. He understands how to develop a program and help athletes become champions both on and off the mat."
"Tim and I have worked together for 10 of the last 11 years. We have a strong relationship built on faith, work ethic, and good morals. This moment is very bittersweet, but one that I knew would come soon. Tim has impacted many lives in his time with Utah Valley. He is one of the best coaches in the country and he has earned the right to be the next head coach at The Citadel. I'm very excited for Tim, Beth, Tanner, and Oaklynn as they embark on this new journey."
"There's a lot of things you can say about Coach McCall, but one thing that's always stood out is his drive. He had to work hard to get to where he wanted to be as a wrestler and he will work hard to be where he wants to be as a leader and a coach. Tim also grew up in the Carolinas, giving him an immediate connection to the region. His time under coach Pat Popolzio meant he had to be detail-oriented and ready to tackle any task. Given the uniqueness of the wrestling environment at The Citadel, Tim was a great choice."
"Tim is a diligent, driven and present-minded coach who has a plan for everything he does. Tim's knowledge, experience and track record speaks highly of his pedigree and readiness to do the job. I am happy for Tim and his family for the opportunity to add to the legacy of The Citadel wrestling. I have had the opportunity to watch Tim develop as coach and leader over the years and I am confident that The Citadel administration has found the right person to lead the next generation of Bulldogs on the mat."
"Tim McCall is the ideal leader for The Citadel wrestling program. He is an outstanding coach, an exceptional mentor and someone who develops young men the right way. During his time at UVU, Tim elevated the standard and reputation of our program, and we are incredibly grateful for the impact he made on our student-athletes and department. We wish Tim, Beth and their family nothing but success and happiness as they begin this exciting new chapter."