DeKALB — NIU head wrestling coach Ryan Ludwig has increased his time as head coach for the Huskies by signing a new contract extension that will go through the 2024-25 season.

Athletic Director Sean T. Frazier announced Ludwig’s contract extension on Monday.

“Coach Ludwig has continued NIU wrestling’s tradition of excellence on the mat and has elevated the program off of it and I am looking forward to seeing the program continue to excel,” Frazier said in an NIU news release Tuesday. 

Ludwig is entering his 11th season as head coach for the Huskies wrestling program and his 17th overall. Ludwig hopes to continue his success that he has led the program to see these past few years. 

Ludwig was the 2020 Co-Mid American Conference Coach of the Year. He has also coached and led 20 Huskies to 28 NCAA championship appearances in 10 seasons. Two of these NIU wrestlers won three MAC championships with back-to-back titles won by Redshirt Senior Brit Wilson in 2020 and 2021 who is also an All-American.

Ludwig gave thanks to those who helped him on this journey and plans to take the program to another level. 

“I am thankful to Sean Frazier and Courtney Vinson for their leadership and support of NIU Wrestling as we press forward on to new heights,” Ludwig said in a Tuesday NIU news release.

With Ludwig as head coach, the wrestling program has also excelled in the classroom when the Huskies placed a school record nine wrestlers on the Academic All-MAC team in 2021.

Ludwig looks to continue and exceed the success he has seen as head coach of the wrestling program and he’ll have plenty of time to do so, adding four more years to his time at NIU.