Head coach Mark Hawald will enjoy his biggest staff yet in his five seasons at John Carroll.  He was able to keep all four coaches who helped him last year -- Chad Rhoades (GA), Dan Anderson, Chad Teague, and Kevin Shadrach.  Three of those (Rhoades, Teague, and Shadrach) were wrestlers coached by Hawald earlier in his career

Last year's staff was able to help the Blue Streak wrestlers achieve numerous honors.  In total the team had one All-American, three NCAA qualifiers, six regional place winners and a number of other individual and team achievements.

"I am pleased we were able to retain our entire staff from last year" noted Hawald, and "we were also able to add two very strong additions to the staff for this upcoming season." 

Joining the staff this year will be another Hawald coached wrestler in Mitch Tikkanen.  Tikkanen joins that staff after wrestling on the team in the last four years. Tikkanen crossed the 50-win plateau in his career as a Blue Streak and was nominated to the second-team all conference in 2017.

Frank Romano will also be joining the Blue Streaks after spending  the past 13 seasons at Notre Dame College. Romano took over the Falcons program in the inaugural 2006-07 season and built it into a national power.

Frank Romano hired Hawald as an assistant back in 2006, giving Hawald his first chance at coaching collegiate wrestling, and now coach Hawald had the opportunity to hire Romano.  Hawald made note of this by saying that his "coaching career has come full circle."

On his arrival, coach Romano said "He hopes to be able to contribute to coach Hawald's successful program."  Also, "the wrestling community is so small, I know or know of almost all the All-Americans at JCU, (There have been over 100 in program history), and I know that this team's future is really bright.  So, I feel glad to be apart of the staff that helps these talented wrestlers."

While at Notre Dame, coach Romano brought nothing but success to the new program, posting a 123-14 record in dual meets with the Falcons.  Under his leadership, Notre Dame won four NCAA Division II National titles, four NAIA National Titles, and one NCWA National Title for a total of nine national championship in just 13 seasons.

Before arriving to Notre Dame, Romano was the head coach at Kent State University from 1996-2003.  During his stint as head coach he coached three All-Americans, 64 national qualifiers, and had 44 Mid-American Conference (MAC) individual champions.

Romano began his wrestling career at Maple Heights High School, where he won two Ohio State Championships. After graduation he chose Ohio State University to continue his wrestling and academic career.  As a Buckeye, Romano was a two-year team captain and was a three-time NCAA qualifier and finished top eight in the country his senior year. Romano was a two-time Big Ten place-winner. He became the first wrestler in Ohio State history to be selected to the U.S All-Star meet in 1970.

Romano obtained a bachelor's degree in health and physical education from Ohio State and a master's degree in athletic administration from Kent State.

Romano's first year with the Blue Streaks will be his 50th year overall in coaching.  Over his 50 years in coaching, he has coached almost every rank of wrestlers from high schoolers all the way through to All-Americans at the Division 1 level.

Coaching and wrestling at this high level of success, Romano has received many honors in his career.  These include; being inducted into the Ohio Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1988, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame-Ohio Chapter in 2014 and the Notre Dame College Hall of Fame in 2016.

Romano's duties will be to help in practices and matches.  He feels that it is "very rewarding to be able to work with these wrestlers and hopes to continue adding to the long line of success in the John Carroll wrestling program."

In concluding, coach Hawald counts it as an "honor to have Frank join our staff.  His experience and expertise will help us to guide the team to new competitive heights."