Princeton University Athletics
Wrestling
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- nheflin@princeton.edu
- Phone:
- 258-2197
Nick Heflin, a three-time All-American from Ohio State and the 2014 NCAA runner-up at 197 pounds, completed his second season as a volunteer assistant coach with the Princeton wrestling team during a memorable 2016-17 campaign.
Princeton punctuated an incredible 2015-16 season with an All-American, as Brett Harner followed his 197-pound EIWA championship by reaching the medal podium at the NCAA Championships. As a team, Princeton placed fifth at the EIWAs, and it reached an Ivy League championship dual match for the first time since 1986.
Last season, the Tigers topped that by sending seven to the NCAA Championships, including eventual freshman All-American Matthew Kolodzik. The team earned a Top-25 finish for only the seventh time in school history, and they finished third at the EIWA Championships.
Heflin worked closely with Princeton heavyweight Ray O'Donnell, who had the best two seasons of his career and reached NCAA Championships both times. O'Donnell also earned All-Ivy League honors both years, and he placed fourth at both the 2016 and 2017 EIWA Championships.
“Nick will be an amazing addition to our coaching staff for a variety of reasons,” head coach Chris Ayres said on the hiring. “First, we have been in need of someone to work more closely with our bigger guys and Nick’s wrestling and coaching experience should really allow him to elevate them. Secondly, Nick helped Ohio State win a national championship, and his experience through this process should allow him to inject some fresh perspective into the program.
“Finally, we are working to build a top Olympic Regional Training Center at Princeton, and Nick worked with the best one in the country, The Ohio RTC,” Ayres added. “Currently, three of the eight U.S. world team members are from the Ohio RTC, including Kyle Snyder, who Coach Heflin worked with on a daily basis. Nick fits what we need right now incredibly well and I am thrilled to work with him throughout the year.”
Heflin, the 2014 Big Ten champion at 197 pounds, had earned All-America honors as both a sophomore and junior. He defeated Minnesota’s Scott Schiller to reach his first NCAA championship match, which he lost 2-1 in heartbreaking fashion; the match referee ruled his takedown occurred just after time expired.
Heflin moved into coaching immediately after his undergraduate career ended. Besides his work with the Ohio RTC, he worked as a strength coach with both the Ohio State football and wrestling teams; the former would go on to win the football championship this past January.
A human nutrition major, Heflin works with both the Princeton wrestling team and the Regional Training Center.
