University of North Carolina Athletics
UNC Extends Wrestling Coach Rob Koll’s Contract
August 13, 2026 | Wrestling
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – University of North Carolina wrestling coach Rob Koll, who enters his fourth season leading the Tar Heels in 2026-27, has agreed to terms on a three-year contract extension. Koll’s new contract will run through June 30, 2029; the terms were approved by UNC’s Board of Trustees in late July.
“Coach Koll has a proven track record of building success on the wrestling mat while developing leaders in the community and connecting with fans and alumni,” said Director of Athletics Steve Newmark. “Since returning to Chapel Hill three years ago, Rob has brought championship-level leadership and commitment for his alma mater and program, and we are thrilled that he will continue to lead the Carolina wrestling program.”
Coach Koll has a proven track record of building success on the wrestling mat while developing leaders in the community and connecting with fans and alumni. Since returning to Chapel Hill three years ago, Rob has brought championship-level leadership and commitment for his alma mater and program, and we are thrilled that he will continue to lead the Carolina wrestling program.Director of Athletics Steve Newmark
Koll, a 1988 national champion wrestler for the Tar Heels, became Carolina’s seventh head coach in program history on Aug. 31, 2023. He returned to his alma mater after spending two seasons at Stanford (2021-23) and the previous 28 as the head coach at Cornell (1993-2021).
“Returning to Chapel Hill three years ago to lead the wrestling program means everything to me,’’ Koll said. “I’m truly thankful for the trust and support shown by Chancellor Lee Roberts, current and former Directors of Athletics Steve Newmark and Bubba Cunningham and the Board of Trustees.
“Our standard will be continuing to recruit the nation’s top talent and competing for championships while staying rooted in the University and community. The future of Tar Heel wrestling is bright, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of it.”
Returning to Chapel Hill three years ago to lead the wrestling program means everything to me. I’m truly thankful for the trust and support shown by Chancellor Lee Roberts, current and former Directors of Athletics Steve Newmark and Bubba Cunningham and the Board of Trustees. Our standard will be continuing to recruit the nation’s top talent and competing for championships while staying rooted in the University and community. The future of Tar Heel wrestling is bright, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of it.Rob Koll
Under Koll’s leadership during his first three seasons, Carolina has recorded 19 individual NCAA Championship qualifiers and three All-America finishes (Lachlan McNeil in 2024-25, Bryce Hepner in 2026) on the national landscape. In the Atlantic Coast Conference, Hepner was the 2026 165-pound ACC Champion, the program’s first since 2023 and the first 165-pound conference title for UNC since 2009.
In Koll’s first season leading the Tar Heels in 2023-24, Carolina posted its most dual victories since the 2019-20 campaign. Five Carolina wrestlers earned berths to the NCAA Championships in Kansas City, with McNeil collecting All-America honors for the second-straight season.
During the 2024-25 campaign, Carolina clinched a share of the ACC regular season title, the 19th in program history and the first since the 2018-19 campaign. The Tar Heels qualified eight for the NCAA Championships in Philadelphia, the most since 2021. At the national tournament, McNeil earned All-America honors with a fifth-place finish at 149 pounds, becoming the sixth Tar Heel in program history with three-or-more All-America finishes.
A year ago, the Tar Heels opened the year 6-0 in dual action, the best start to a season since 2005-06 and the fifth time in program history Carolina has won their first six duals. The Tar Heels defeated No. 12 Northern Iowa on the road, their highest ranked road victory in nearly a decade. Individually, Hepner’s 165-pound title at the 2026 ACC Championships was the first ACC champion during Koll's tenure.
The Tar Heels qualified six wrestlers for the 2026 NCAA Championships in Cleveland last March, including four freshmen. The four freshmen qualifiers were the most in program history for Carolina.
Koll began his coaching career at Cornell, where he served as an assistant for four seasons, before being named the head coach at Cornell in 1993. While in Ithaca, Koll collected a dual record of 317-101-5, including a 125-9-1 mark in Ivy League dual action. Koll's teams won 20 Ivy League championships while producing 177 NCAA Championship qualifiers, 71 All-Americas, and 16 NCAA individual national championships. For 17 straight seasons, at least three Cornell wrestlers reached the All-America podium under Koll, including one NCAA champion in 10 of the last 12 years he was at Cornell.
In May of 2021, Koll was named the 31st head coach in program history at Stanford. During his two years with the Cardinal, Koll mentored three All-Americas and three Pac-12 champions. In his first season out west, Koll helped Stanford to a top-20 finish at the 2022 NCAA Championships, as the program posted multiple All-Americas for the first time since 2016.
UNC’s first four-time All-America as a student-athlete from 1985-88, Koll graduated with a career record of 155-20-1, the most wins in program and Atlantic Coast Conference history. Koll was a three-time ACC champion at 158 pounds and capped off his Carolina career with the program's second ever individual national championship in 1988.
