Head Coach - Duane Ritter
Email: RITTERDA@oneonta.edu

Ritter begins his fourth season as the head coach of the Oneonta State wrestling program after leading the program to three straight winning seasons.  Last year he guided the Red Dragons to a 13-7-1 while having two wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Div. III championships.  During the 2004-05 season he guided the squad to a program record 16 wins in finishing 16-4 overall.

Prior to being named the head coach, Ritter spent four years as the top bench assistant for the Red Dragons and was instrumental in developing a new level of success for the program.  Ritter has a strong sense of commitment to the sport and is able to convey his enthusiasm for his sport to his athletes.

As the top assistant Ritter was involved in all aspects of the wrestling program primarily responsible for practice development, recruiting throughout the state of New York and the northeast region and serving as the coordinator of community service projects for the wrestling team.  He also was the academic enhancement program coordinator where he was in charge of tutoring and study sessions to help with the academic success and retention of wrestlers within the program.  His extensive volunteer work since moving to the area has earned him community service awards from various organizations including Opportunities for Otsego, which honored him in 2002 with a volunteer of the year award.

Ritter worked as a full time residence hall director for Higgins hall during the 2003-04 academic year while serving as the part time assistant for the wrestling program.  He is a 2000 graduate of Wilkes University where he was a double major in psychology and sociology.  Ritter is currently working towards a master’s degree in education at Oneonta State with a concentration in school counseling K-12.

While at Wilkes Ritter was a four-year member of the wrestling team and competed as a scholarship athlete during the program’s Div. I stint.  He was nationally ranked as a Div. III wrestler where he compiled a 28-3 record during his senior year.  He earned Scholar All-America honors in both Div. I and Div. III while serving as team captain for three years.  He was the recipient of the University scholarship for wrestling and academics each year and was inducted into Alpha Kappa Delta, which is the International Sociology Honors Society.