Thiel College Athletics

CRAIG THURBER at a Glance

Career HIGHLIGHTS - COACH

• Led Thiel to 11 PAC Championships
• Guided the Tomcats to the program's PAC-record 24th conference championship in 2022-23
• Collected 10 PAC Coach of the Year awards, the second-most in PAC history
• Mentored 78 PAC individual champions and seven PAC Most Outstanding Wrestlers
• Coached 20 NCAA DIII National Championship qualifiers
• Mentored nine NCAA DIII All-Americans
• Coached numerous NWCA Scholar All-Americans
• Led Thiel to seven NWCA Scholar Team Awards
• Helped Pitt-Johnstown win the 1996 NCAA Division II National Championship as an assistant coach
• Coached NCAA Division I All-American Derek Delporto as an assistant at Slippery Rock

Career HIGHLIGHTS - WRESTLER

• Three-time NCAA DII All-American at Pitt-Johnstown
• 1995 NCAA DII national runner-up at 177 pounds
• Finished fifth nationally in 1993 and sixth in 1994
• Won the Gorriaran Memorial Trophy at the 1995 NCAA DII National Championships
• Three-time Eastern Regional Champion
• Named Outstanding Wrestler at the 1995 Eastern Regionals
• Four-time Thiel College Invitational champion (1992-95)
• Three-time West Liberty College Tournament champion (1993-95)
• Recorded 120 collegiate victories at Pitt-Johnstown
• 1991 Pennsylvania state champion at Greenville High School
• 1990 Pennsylvania state runner-up at 171 pounds

At Thiel

Craig Thurber enters his 24th season as the Wilt Family Endowed Wrestling Coach at Thiel in 2026-27.

A Greenville native, Thurber has established Thiel as one of the PAC's most successful wrestling programs since taking over the Tomcats in 2003. He has led Thiel to 11 PAC Championships while coaching multiple wrestlers to the NCAA DII National Championships, mentoring several All-Americans. Thurber is a 10-time PAC Coach of the Year, the second-most in league history.

Thurber's teams have also excelled academically. Numerous Tomcats have earned NWCA Scholar All-America recognition during his tenure, while Thiel has received seven NWCA Scholar Team Awards.

Before Thiel

Slippery Rock (1997-99)

Thurber served as an assistant coach at Slippery Rock from 1997-99 under former head coach Steve Roberts.

During his time with The Rock, Thurber coached Derek Delporto, who earned NCAA Division I All-America honors in 1999.

Pitt-Johnstown (1996)

Thurber began his collegiate coaching career as an assistant at his alma mater, Pitt-Johnstown, in 1996.

He helped the Mountain Cats capture the 1996 NCAA Division II National Championship.

Collegiate Wrestling Career

Pitt-Johnstown

Thurber was a three-time NCAA Division II All-American during his wrestling career at Pitt-Johnstown under head coach Pat Pecora.

He finished fifth nationally in 1993 and sixth in 1994 before earning national runner-up honors at 177 pounds in 1995. At the 1995 NCAA Division II National Championships, Thurber received the Gorriaran Memorial Trophy after recording the greatest number of falls in the least amount of time.

Thurber was a three-time Eastern Regional Champion and was named the Outstanding Wrestler at the Eastern Regionals in 1995. He was also a four-time individual champion at the Thiel College Invitational from 1992-95 and a three-time champion at the West Liberty College Tournament from 1993-95.

He finished his collegiate career with 120 victories.

Greenville High School

A 1991 graduate of Greenville High School, Thurber won a Pennsylvania state championship at 171 pounds as a senior after finishing as the state runner-up in 1990.

Coaching Experience

Education

Pitt Johnstown
Bachelor of Arts in Social Sciences

Slippery Rock
Bachelor of Science in Health and Physical Education