George Mason announces hire of two-time NCAA champion Dean Heil

Two-time NCAA champion Dean Heil was hired as an assistant coach at George Mason University, according to a release.

Heil, who starred at Oklahoma State, started his coaching career at Campbell University as the Director of Operations and eventually an assistant coach, beginning in May of 2018. As a new coach in the Mid-American Conference, he’s the only one to win a Division 1 National Championship.

Heil provided a statement after the move was made official.

“I’m thrilled to finally transition into the coaching world and to start impacting the lives around me the same way my coaches did for me throughout my career,” Heil said. “There’s a lot of opportunity in this program and I’m excited to get into the room and help those guys achieve their goals.” 

Heil was a two-time national champion in 2016 and ‘17 and a three-time All-American, finishing fourth in 2015 as a redshirt freshman. He fell in the Blood Round in 2018, his final college season with the Cowboys.

Heil had 116 wins in his career at 141 pounds, finishing 22nd all-time at Oklahoma state. He’s also a four-time World Team qualifier and a 2016 Olympic Trials qualifier.

“Dean brings a wealth of knowledge and an impressive pedigree to the program,” head coach Frank Beasley said. “He has competed on the senior level the last several years, wrestling and training all over the world. The program and our student-athletes will benefit tremendously from his extensive experience and ultimate success as an NCAA Champion and elite wrestler.”

Dean Heil continues Oklahoma State string of coaches

Heil won’t be coaching at Oklahoma State, his alma mater, but there’s no doubt John Smith, the retired head coach, had an insane coaching tree and former wrestlers eventually get into coaching.

But David Taylor, the new OKST head coach, is a Penn State legend and Olympic Gold Medalist. But don’t mistake it, he knows what this opportunity means.

“That’s one thing when I walked in yesterday and addressed the team and talked to him, it’s a tough situation, very tough situation,” Taylor said. “I felt like I could relate to it. You know, when I was a senior in high school, I was going to Iowa State. And back then, you know, it was a little different. Cael Sanderson took a job at Penn State and I was in a kind of a weird limbo, you know? 

“I didn’t know what I was going to do. I felt like I wanted to follow him, I wasn’t sure and I had to wait for the new coach to come in, let me kind of figure out what was gonna be next … Coach Kevin Jackson got the job and he allowed me to pursue what was in my heart and I feel like that was a decision that really changed wrestling.”