As only the second head coach in wrestling that John Carroll University has ever known, Kerry Volkmann will begin his 27th year as the head coach of the perennially powerful Blue Streak program.
Volkmann, who was inducted into the Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame in 2003, has led John Carroll to 10 Ohio Athletic Conference team championships, including four straight titles in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005.
Additionally, Volkmann has led John Carroll to four OAC dual meet championships since the league began recognizing a regular season title in 2000. He is also a 10-time OAC Coach of the Year.
On a national stage, Volkmann’s wrestling teams have placed 15th or better 12 times in 25 trips to the NCAA Division III National Championships. His best finishes have been fourth place in 1989 and 1998 and fifth place in 1992 and 1999.
His teams have also captured prestigious in-season tournaments such as the National Catholic Invitational, the Rochester Institute of Technology Invitational, and both the Florida Citrus Open and Duals titles. In 1992, he guided the Blue Streaks to their only Division III National Dual Meet championship.
Many of his charges have enjoyed success on an individual level. Two wrestlers (Mike Gillmor at 142 pounds in 1992 and Rich Eslich at heavyweight in 1999) have won national titles, 46 have earned Division III All-American status, and 72 have captured OAC titles. Most recently, Dan Mirman became the program's 105th All-American with a sixth-place finish at the national championships in 2014.
In his 26 previous seasons with the Blue Streaks, Volkmann has compiled a career record of 297-138-5 (.681) in dual meet action to become the winningest coach in JCU wrestling history. He picked up his 100th career victory in a contest versus Cortland State on January 12, 1996, and his 200th win against Thiel at the NWCA National Duals on January 20, 2002.
As an athlete at John Carroll, Volkmann amassed a 57-11 record under head coach, Tony DeCarlo. His .838 career-winning percentage ranks eighth in school history, and he posted the first undefeated season at John Carroll when he went 11-0 in 1967-68.
A member of the JCU Athletic Hall of Fame, Volkmann also had a standout football career in college. He played defensive back for the Blue Streak football team along with being named team captain in his senior year for both football and wrestling.
When he graduated from JCU in 1971, Volkmann began his coaching career as the first head wrestling coach for Chanel High School in Cleveland. From there, Volkmann assumed head coaching reigns with Lake Catholic High School (Mentor, OH) in 1978. In seven seasons with the Cougars wrestling program, Volkmann posted a 82-16-5 record.
In addition to his duties with the wrestling program, Volkmann served for 24 seasons (1987-10) as the defensive backs coach for the John Carroll football team. He was been part of two OAC championship efforts (1989 and 1994) and three NCAA playoff appearances (1989, 1997 and 2002) in his 24 years at the post.
Volkmann, who is the second longest tenured head coach of any sport at John Carroll, is also the father of a former Blue Streak varsity athlete. His son, Brendon, lettered four times with the Blue Streak baseball team from 1997-00, and graduated from John Carroll in 2000.
