| Shawn Charles |
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Becoming just the fifth head coach in program history and the second in the last 25 years. Shawn Charles takes the helm in 2005-06 over the Fresno State Wrestling program. Charles joins the Bulldogs following four years as the head assistant at Big 12 wrestling powerhouse Nebraska, including a fifth place NCAA finish in 2003-04. Joining the Huskers in 2001-02, Charles helped lead Nebraska to the NCAA Championships four straight years, where the program recorded two top 10 finishes.
Fresno State is the first head coaching stop for Charles, but his accomplishments as an assistant coach and as a wrestler are impeccable. While at Nebraska, Charles helped train nine All-Americans as well as coaching NCAA finalist Bryan Snyder, NCAA champion Jason Powell and new assistant coach Travis Pascoe, who finished sixth at the 2005 NCAA Championships.
During Charles' tenure at Nebraska, the Huskers had a resurgence in national prominence. Nebraska won the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in 2003, one of the top tournaments in the country. The team improved markedly in appearances at the prestigious Virginia Duals Wrestling Tournament, finishing in second place in 2003 before taking the title in both 2004 and 2005, and the team finished second in the Big 12 in 2004, their highest finish since the conference expanded to twelve teams in 1997.
Prior to his time at Nebraska, Charles was the head assistant at Central Michigan for four years, during which the Chippewas had 11 All-Americans and one National Champion. The team was in the nation's elite academically, finishing as high as fourth in 1997, and never exiting the top 20. In addition, the team dominated the MAC championships during Charles' tenure, winning the MAC title every year, and breaking the team record two years in a row, in 1998 and 1999. The team had ten wrestlers in the finals in 1998, one for each contested weight class, and won eight individual titles in 1999. The program was also awarded the MAC's Reese Trophy in 2000, an honor bestowed to one team in the conference for the best overall performance in men's athletics.
Charles has also spent time with other top programs as an assistant, coaching nine more All-Americans with stops at both Oklahoma and Iowa State as well as Phoenix College, beginning with Iowa State in 1993.
Not just limited to coaching experience, Charles brings a wealth of collegiate and international mat experience to Fresno State. Spending his collegiate career with Arizona State, Charles became the first four-time All-American in program history and was a NCAA finalist twice, in 1992 and 1993 at 126 pounds. In addition, Charles also won two Pac-10 championships while at Arizona State.
Bringing a wealth of international experience as well, Charles was a member of the USA Freestyle team for seven years. During that time, Charles was a champion at the U.S. Open and was a member of the gold-medal winning team at the Goodwill Games in 1998.
A native of Tucson, Ariz., Charles was a three-time Arizona State Champion at Santa Rita High School, and was named the State Championship's most outstanding wrestler as a senior in 1988. Charles earned a bachelor's degree in Computer Information Systems from Arizona State in 1993, and is a member and coach of the Sunkist Kid's Wrestling Club and the National Wrestling Coaches Association.
Charles currently resides in Fresno with his wife, Jill, and their two sons, Shawn Jr. and Titus.
The Charles File
• 29 All-Americans
• Six Top-10 NCAA Finishes
• Assistant Coach with the USA World Cup Team
• Head coach of the USA team for the Ukraine International Tournament
• Two-time NCAA Finalist
• Four-time All-American
• Two-time Sunkist Kids Champion and Outstanding Wrestler
• Pan Am Champion
•Takhiti Cup Champion (Iranian National Tournament)
