Thirteen consecutive NCAA qualifiers, 13 All-MAC honorees, 34 MAC champions, and 40 Academic All-MAC selections and a feat repeated just twice in program history: 100 career wins.
In the grand tapestry of NIU wrestling head coach Ryan Ludwig’s coaching journey, the threads of gratitude, collaboration and commitment weave together to form a remarkable achievement. The 100 career wins, a feat shared by only two others in program history, stand as a testament to the collective effort of coaches, athletes and support staff. As Ludwig reflects on the milestone, he doesn’t claim it solely for himself, but credits the entire program.
“It says 100 wins for this coach but it’s been several coaches, all the student-athletes, so it was a group effort,” Ludwig said. “It’s just good to see that after that much time that – it does come to fruition.”
GLORY DAYS
Before donning a suit and tie as head of NIU wrestling leadership, Ludwig carved out a wrestling career of his own at the University of Findlay in Ohio. A national finalist and three-time NAIA All-American, Ludwig ranks third on Findlay’s all-time win list.
Reflecting on his experiences as a grappler, Ludwig’s passion for wrestling was undeniable. The wrestling room became a second home for him, and the desire to come back to the sport persisted throughout his career. His time at Findlay not only shaped him as an athlete, but also laid the foundation for the coaching philosophy he would later streamline down to his athletes.
“I just never found my way out of a wrestling room and always wanted to come back to it,” Ludwig said. “It was my passion and my love and I just stuck with it and was able to find myself in a great situation through some great mentors.”
The pivotal lesson Ludwig gleaned from his experiences in wrestling is centered around the concept of control.
“The thing I always love about the sport is that you’re in control,” Ludwig said. “You’re in control of your effort, the extra work you put in and that equates to your success.”
Embarking on his coaching career as an assistant at Minnesota State University-Mankato and concluding as an associate coach with NIU in 2009, Ludwig learned from his mentors that the foundation of a successful program lies in how a coach conducts themselves.
“The thing that I’ve learned as I’ve come up through John Jeffire at Findlay, Shawn Nelson at Findlay, Jim Makowski at Mankato and Dave Grant is that having a high work ethic, high character, high integrity lifestyle is really what’s going to help you get to where you want to be as a competitor, as a coach and hopefully that filters down to your guys and they can live that way as well,” Ludwig said.
THE MENTORSHIP OF DAVE GRANT
Dave Grant, the former head coach of NIU wrestling and the second individual to achieve over 100 career wins, imparted to Ludwig the wisdom of how to orchestrate a successful program and navigate relationships.
“He really showed me what it takes to compete and win at this level and be successful,” Ludwig said. “It was definitely another step in terms of work ethic and dedication. The relationships taught me how to navigate athletic departments, donors, camps – all the things around wrestling programs that help it be successful.”
Grant spoke highly of Ryan, emphasizing his dedication and commitment to the program.
“Ryan was loyal and hardworking,he was a dedicated assistant coach,” Grant said. “He had my full support – when getting the new job – I gave him my full support. With Ryan, it goes even further than just wrestling, he’s honorable, hardworking and he’s dedicated.”
Taking a smooth transition from assistant to associate, Grant knew Ludwig was repaired to assume leadership.
“By the time he was head coach, he had hit the ground running,” Grant said. “I mean, he had transitioned over the last three seasons as an assistant to head coach seamlessly because he took more responsibilities. There was no bump in the road, he took the program right away and took it to a new level.”
HONORING TRADITION, EMBRACING EXPECTATIONS
Reflecting on Ludwig’s decade of winning tradition, NIU wrestling’s assistant coach Kyle Springer stands as a testament to the enduring success. Joining the ranks in 2019-2020, during the program’s first 13-win season in 16 years, Springer embraced the high expectations set by Ludwig.
“Obviously it’s an honor,” Springer said. “It’s not something too many people can say out there, so it just feels great to have been a part.”
Ludwig earned the title of Co-Coach of the Year for the MAC Tournament. This early success set the tone for the standards the team would strive for in subsequent years.
“Coming in my first year here, I knew the expectations were going to be high,” Springer said. “I wanna say we ended up having a 13-win season.In the same year, Coach Ludwig was Coach of the Year for the MAC Tournament. So the bar was set pretty high and that’s where the standards were my first year. So it’s what we’ve been striving for every year.”
Geared toward instilling Ludwig’s philosophy and core principles of the program, Springer has the wrestling room decked out with anecdotes to remind the athletes of the common goal.
“I’ve got a board up in our room that different quotes go up on,” Springer said. “‘Champions don’t show up to get what they deserve, they come and give everything they have.’”
Senior and four-year Huskie grappler Matt Zuber echoed the sentiments of toughness and accessibility in Ludwig’s coaching style. Highlighting Ludwig’s dedication to individual paths of improvement, Zuber stressed the importance of proactive self-improvement.
“Just making sure that you’re doing something to get yourself better every day,” Zuber said. “Maybe it’s mindset training, maybe it’s something but, I mean, scheduling that out ahead of time and making sure you know this is what I’m going to do to get better today.”
In this progression from Ludwig’s achievements to the experiences of those he influenced with his leadership, the narrative arrives at its end in a form of dedication, collaboration and a relentless commitment to excellence, encapsulating the essence of Ludwig’s coaching philosophy.
