Head Coach Roger Chandler


Roger Chandler, who is in his 19th year on the Spartan wrestling staff, was named head coach designate by Michigan State Athletics Director Mark Hollis on June 30, 2015.

Chandler will take over as head coach following Tom Minkel's retirement after his 25th season at MSU in 2015-16. Chandler will become the ninth coach in the history of the program, which dates back to 1886 and has generated 25 NCAA Champions, 68 Big Ten Champions, eight Big Ten Championships and one NCAA Championship.

"I'd like to thank Mark Hollis and the entire executive staff for giving me the opportunity to be the next head wrestling coach at Michigan State University," said Chandler. "I'm truly honored and excited that they have placed their confidence in me to lead the program into the future."

Chandler has helped produce 10 different All-Americans and six Big Ten Champions for a total of 22 All-America selections and nine Big Ten individual titles during his time at Michigan State. He also coached three-time All-American Franklin Gomez, who won a national title in 2009 at 133 pounds. In addition, he handles a variety of administrative duties for the program. Chandler, who began his coaching career as an assistant at MSU in 1997, was promoted to associate head coach in 2011.

Outside of his work at Michigan State, Chandler also has been instrumental in establishing and growing youth folkstyle wrestling in the state of Michigan and throughout the entire United States. Chandler serves as the president of the Michigan Youth Wrestling Association (MYWAY) and also the associate executive director of the National United Wrestling Association for Youth (NUWAY). Started in 1998 with 750 members, MYWAY now has more than 9,000 members, while NUWAY -- modeling the MYWAY system -- has expanded with organizations in 15 states.

Chandler also has international coaching experience, as he coached former Spartan assistant Alex Dolly, who represented Ireland, at the 2011 Freestyle World Championships in Istanbul, Turkey.

A three-time All-American at Indiana, Chandler was inducted into the Indiana University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008. The IU Male Athlete of the Year in 1996-97, Chandler finished eighth at the NCAA Championships in 1995, third in 1996 and second in 1997. His only loss at the 1997 NCAA Championships came against Cary Kolat of Lock Haven, a two-time NCAA Champion and 1997 World Championship runner-up. The Big Ten Champion at 142 pounds in 1997, Chandler finished his Indiana career with a 134-25 record. He graduated from Indiana in 1997 with a degree in sport management.

While he was at St. Edward High School in Cleveland, Chandler was the 1992 Ohio state champion, wrestling on a team that produced 12 state champions and eight national champions. He ended his prep career with a 112-12 mark.

Chandler, whose first season at Michigan State was in 1997-98, also served as head coach of the Ohio Junior National Freestyle team in 1998 and 1999.

Chandler is a native of Sheffield Lake, Ohio. His wife, Mandy, is an associate director in Student-Athlete Support Services (SASS) at Michigan State. The couple has two daughters, Kira and Kylee.

Our Coaches

Associate Head Coach Chris Williams


​Former Spartan All-American Chris Williams was named assistant wrestling coach by first-year head coach Roger Chandler on April 18, 2016.

Williams served as the head wrestling coach at Adrian College from November 2014 to April 2016, where he restarted the program and led the Bulldogs in their first season of competition in 31 years in 2015-16. He previously was an assistant coach at Michigan State, along with Chandler, for eight seasons (2005-13).

"The biggest thing about Chris is his experience and his relevance in the Michigan wrestling community," said Chandler. "He's very connected and a well-respected coach. There are not very many people out there who have more of a passion for wrestling and developing student-athletes than Chris. Starting the program back up at Adrian College speaks volumes about the type of enthusiasm he has for the sport.

"I've worked with Chris many years in the past, so I know the energy he brings to a program and the wrestling room every single day while working with kids, and that was very important to me. He has a special way of being able to connect to people and possesses a unique quality of building meaningful relationships. As a former All-American and coach here at Michigan State, he's also very knowledgeable about our program and is well known throughout our alumni base."

Williams recruited an entire class of wrestlers to Adrian College, created the competition schedule for the 2015-16 season, and established and managed operating budgets. With experience as a head coach, Williams led fundraising efforts, developed and implemented practice plans and strategies, and organized all equipment needs, all while mentoring student-athletes and creating a positive environment that stressed success on and off the mat.

In Williams' first season at Adrian College, the Bulldogs made their fifth all-time NCAA appearance at the Division III Championships, finishing in a three-way tie for 23rd place out of 58 teams with 15.5 points. Adrian had a dual-meet record of 7-3, with all three losses coming to nationally ranked teams. Angus Arthur, who finished with a 34-2 record, earned All-America accolades at 197 pounds after placing fourth at nationals. Arthur and Zach Rieger both became the first wrestlers in program history to be named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Scholar Team.

During his time as an assistant at MSU, Williams helped Spartan wrestlers earn All-America honors on eight occasions, including 2009 NCAA Champion and two-time Big Ten Champion Franklin Gomez.

Williams also took part as the head coach of the Michigan USA Wrestling Team from 2007-12. He was selected to be the leader of more than 100 of the top wrestlers in the state as they competed in national events. He also served as a coach in MSU Wrestling Camps.

A native of Fowlerville, Michigan, Williams wrestled at MSU from 1997-2002, earning All-America honors in 2001 at 125 pounds. He recorded 102 career wins, which ranks 18th most in program history, and was named a team captain as a senior. A two-time NCAA Championships qualifier (2001, 2002), Williams took seventh at the NCAA Championships in 2001 and placed third at the Big Ten Championships in 2001 and seventh in 2002. He won a career-high 34 matches as a junior.

Williams was a two-time Michigan high school state champion and four-time all-state honoree at Fowlerville High School, compiling a 195-10 record, including a 101-2 mark his last two seasons. He also had extensive success in the freestyle and Greco-Roman ranks as well. He was a Greco-Roman Junior Fila National Champion in 1998, and took Greco-Roman University national champion honors in 2001.

Williams received his bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies from Michigan State in 2002. Following his time in East Lansing, Williams earned his certificate in secondary education from Eastern Michigan University in social studies and economics in 2011.

Williams and his wife, Nicolette, who is also an MSU graduate, have a daughter, Nolla (7). 

Volunteer Assistant Coach Te' Shan Campbell

Michigan State wrestling added Big Ten alumnus Te' Shan Campbell to the 2022-23 coaching staff as a volunteer assistant, head coach Roger Chandler announced.
 
"Te' Shan brings a lot of experience as a competitor and as a coach," Chandler said. "There is no doubt he is a positive addition to our coaching staff, as I know he is driven to pass on his knowledge of the sport to our student-athletes so they can achieve their goals. I'm very much looking forward to watching the impact he will have immediately in our program."
 
Campbell spent the past two seasons as a full-time assistant coach at SIUE, where he helped coach two national qualifiers and 12 podium finishers at the MAC Championships in his time with the program. He joined the SIUE wrestling staff in September of 2020 following a yearlong volunteer assistant coaching stint at Kent State.
 
As a member of the Golden Flashes' staff, he helped coach the team to six dual meet victories in addition to landing three podium finishers at the MAC Championships in 2020. Campbell played a significant role in coaching the first MAC Champion at Kent State since 2015, as then-senior Tim Rooney captured the league title in the 133-pound weight class.
 
"I'm grateful and excited to begin this new chapter as a Spartan," Campbell expressed. "I'd like to personally thank coach Chandler, the staff, and athletic department for this opportunity. I'd also like to thank all of my former coaches that I've competed and coached under, for growth and development over the years. I look forward to bringing my experience and knowledge to the program as we pursue shared goals. Thank you Spartan nation for the warm welcoming!"
 
A standout wrestler at both the University of Pittsburgh and Ohio State, Campbell was a four-time national qualifier, making the round of 16 twice in 2017 and 2018 in addition to a top-12 finish in 2019. Campbell took down three top-30 wrestlers during his 2019 run at the NCAA Championships. Campbell was also named a U23 All-American at the conclusion of his 2018 campaign. He finished his career with an 82-37 overall collegiate record and a No. 10 national ranking.
 
At Pitt, Campbell was the 2017 ACC Champion at 165 pounds, compiling a 22-4 record during his conference championship campaign. The Pittsburgh native also starred at Penn Hills High School, ending his undefeated 2015 senior season with a state championship at 170 pounds.

Assistant Coach Willie Miklus

 Michigan State wrestling head coach Roger Chandler announced on June 5, 2020 the addition of Willie Miklus (Mick-luss) to the Spartans’ coaching staff as an assistant coach.

“Willie no doubt raises the level of this program in so many ways,” Chandler said. “He brings a long line of competitive success from being a four-time NCAA All-American, along with being of a program that earned a trophy at the NCAA Championships, combined with his leadership of being a captain of not just two different programs, but two very successful, nationally competitive programs. We have very high goals as a program, and I know Willie’s experiences will translate well here at Michigan State and take Spartan wrestling to the next level.”

Miklus comes to MSU from Iowa State, where he spent one season as a graduate assistant coach under head coach Kevin Dresser.

“I am incredibly excited to be joining the Michigan State staff,” Miklus said. “Being a coach has been my dream since I was 15. I think MSU has a great culture and an amazing amount of unity. I couldn’t have picked a better place to begin my coaching career! I can’t wait to meet the guys and get to work! Go Spartans!”

Miklus was a four-time All-American, including three at Missouri (2014-18), before transferring to Iowa State (2018-19) for his senior season. He won the 2018 Mid-American Conference Championship at 197 pounds, finishing eighth at the NCAA Championships. Miklus was sixth at 184 pounds at the 2016 NCAA Championships, before missing a majority of 2016-17 season with an injury. He was also the 2015 MAC Freshman of the Year, before going on to finish seventh at 184 pounds at the NCAAs.

While at Iowa State, Miklus won his 100th career match, coming at the Big 12 Championships, while also capturing his 50th career dual match during the season. Miklus finished his career with a 105-28 overall record and 55-9 ledger in dual matches. He was the 2019 Big 12 Runner-Up at 197 pounds, finishing sixth at the NCAA Championships.

In the classroom, Miklus was a four-time NWCA All-Academic Team honoree, along with a three-time Academic All-MAC selection and also on the SEC First-Year Honor Roll in 2014. Miklus earned his bachelor’s degree from Mizzou in 2017, before his first master’s degree in educational and counseling psychology in 2018. Miklus is currently finishing up a second master’s degree in family financial planning from Iowa State.

A native of Altoona, Iowa, Miklus was a four-time all-state honoree (119 pounds, 145, 171 and 220) at Southeast Polk High School, winning state titles his junior and senior seasons at 171 pounds and 220 pounds, respectively. Miklus posted a perfect senior season, going 47-0 with a total of 368 takedowns on the season. He was also the 2011 Folkstyle Nationals runner-up at 171 pounds, and also took eighth place at 189 pounds at the Junior Freestyle Nationals. Miklus also had a one-year training period at the Olympic Training Center for the year immediately following high school (2011-2012) before joining the Missouri squad.