CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel wrestling head coach Tim McCall announced the addition of Kegan Calkins as an assistant coach hire for his new staff.

"I want to express my sincere gratitude to Coach McCall and everyone in The Citadel administration for the opportunity to join such a historic program," Calkins said. "I'm incredibly honored and excited to be part of Bulldog wrestling and am fully committed to helping develop these young men into champions on the mat and leaders in life. I look forward to the work ahead."

Kegan Calkins joins The Citadel's coaching staff after a successful stint at SIUE as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator, during which he played a key role in the program's rise. He helped secure multiple nationally-recognized recruiting classes and contributed to SIUE's first-ever Mid-American Conference (MAC) regular-season championship and the program's most successful season since entering Division I in 2008. Working primarily with the lighter weight classes, Calkins helped develop three NCAA qualifiers.

"Kegan will be a great addition to our program. He brings a wealth of knowledge, passion, and energy to the sport, and I know our student-athletes will benefit from having him in their corner," McCall said. "Throughout his coaching career, he has demonstrated a genuine commitment to investing in his athletes and helping them grow on and off the mat.

"He has experience across multiple levels of wrestling, including coaching internationally with Team Jamaica, which brings a valuable perspective to our staff. I think he'll be a great fit, especially for our lighter weight classes, and I'm excited to work alongside him. I look forward to seeing the impact he'll have on our program and to the success he'll achieve here at The Citadel."

Prior to SIUE, Calkins served as an assistant coach at Aurora University, where he helped launch the wrestling program from the ground up. He recruited the program's first two classes, which produced three eventual NCAA qualifiers on the men's side. He also helped assemble a top-20 recruiting class for the women's program, which later produced an NCAA national champion.

Calkins spent two seasons as a graduate assistant coach at the University of the Cumberlands, helping guide the Patriots to a fourth-place finish at the 2019 NAIA National Championships and to consecutive NAIA top-10 team finishes. During his tenure, the program produced seven NAIA All-Americans, a national champion and a Greco-Roman Junior World Team member.

Internationally, Calkins has coached with the Jamaican Wrestling Federation, representing the country at the World Championships and Olympic qualifying tournaments. He has also helped coach multiple wrestlers to international medals at the Pan American and Caribbean Championships.

As a competitor, Calkins was a two-year starter at Oregon State under Coach Jim Zaleski, where he earned 44 collegiate victories. He also scored U.S. Open All-America honors in Greco-Roman wrestling at the senior level.

A native of Illinois, Calkins was a two-time state qualifier and the 2014 Illinois state champion while competing for Montini Catholic High School. He was also a Greco-Roman All-American, placing fifth and second at the Fargo National Championships.

Calkins earned his Master of Business Administration from the University of the Cumberlands and his master's degree in Sports Nutrition from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.