Aaron Meister enters his first season as head coach of the new Friends University Men's and Women's Wrestling programs.
Meister's coaching career includes coaching a World Champion, Tamyra Mensah-Stock, four World medalists, 14 National Champions, 104 All-Americans, and the 2019 NAIA Women's Dual Champions. Among those All-Americans is an Olympic Trials champion, two World Team Trials champions, three U.S. Open champions, a University World runner-up, and 25 of those individuals are either World or Olympic Trials qualifiers.
While at Wayland Baptist University, Meister initiated and endowed two scholarships (Johnny Cobb & Tamyra Mensah-Stock Wrestling Scholarships). He also created the Panhandle Wrestling Association of which he currently serves as President while also starting and coaching the Panhandle Wrestling Club.
Meister attended and competed at Fort Hays State University (FHSU) & Labette Community College (LCC). While at FHSU he finished fourth at the 2004 NCAA D-II National Championships, won two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference championships, and capped his collegiate career in 2006 with a fifth-place finish and First-Team Academic All-American honors. In 2003, he was NJCAA national champion, Academic All-American, and student-athlete of year at LCC.
After college, Meister captured three national championships (2019, 2018, 2014) in the Veterans Division of the U.S. Open.
In 2017, Meister was inducted to the NJCAA Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Meister earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training in 2006 and obtained a Master of Science in Health and Human Performance with an emphasis in Sports Administration in 2009, both from Fort Hays State University.
