Wrestling
- Title:
- Student-Athlete Development Coordinator
The Pitt wrestling program made another addition to its staff with the hiring of 2023 NCAA champion Nino Bonaccorsi, who finished his career with an undefeated season and national title in his final campaign with the Panthers on the mat.
Bonaccorsi will serve as Student-Athlete Development Coordinator for the Pitt wrestling program while continuing to train with the goal of competing on the national and international stage and earning spots on future United States World Teams and Olympic rosters.
A native of nearby Bethel Park, Pa., Bonaccorsi joins a Pitt wrestling staff that is comprised of several other past program greats, including head coach Keith Gavin, assistant coaches Drew Headlee and newly hired Jake Wentzel as well as director of operations Demetrius Thomas. Assistant coach and former NCAA All-American Luke Pletcher completes the coaching staff for the Panthers.
"I'm incredibly thankful to continue with Pitt wrestling," Bonaccorsi said. "To be able to train here while also working with the team and helping Pitt wrestlers achieve their dreams is something that I'm really looking forward to. It will be a very new experience for me. I want to be able to help the Pitt wrestling program in any way that I can and this feels like the perfect position for me to start with in my career."
"Nino has always been a great representative of Pitt wrestling, and we're happy to be able to keep him here and involved," Gavin said. "He will help the daily efforts of our staff in the office while also training in the wrestling room and offering a lot of knowledge from his experiences at Pitt and what it took to become our most recent national champion."
Bonaccorsi became Pitt's 17th national champion in wrestling in March when he completed his collegiate career by achieving his lifelong dream of standing atop the NCAA podium. He previously was an NCAA finalist in 2021 as well as earning three total All-America honors with five NCAA appearances, winning three ACC titles and receiving numerous other academic and national honors from 2017-23.
