Sebastian Rivera announces likely coaching destination

Sebastian Rivera will likely begin his wrestling coaching career at Columbia University.

Rivera, who won an Olympic bronze medal at 65 kg  (143) pounds last month in Paris said Thursday night on a podcast with former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar he is planning on accepting a position as an assistant coach at the Ivy League school under head coach Donny Pritzlaff.

Pritzlaff, who was the No. 1 assistant coach at Rutgers University the last 10 seasons, was hired as Columbia’s head coach in June.

Rivera, who was a five-time NCAA All-American and finished in the top six in the national tournament four times, wrestled at Rutgers the final two seasons of his collegiate career.

Pritzlaff was also one of the two coaches, along with Jeff Buxton, the head coach of the Scarlet Knight Wrestling Club and former Blair Academy head coach, in Rivera’s corner during the Olympics. Rivera represented Puerto Rico at the OIympics.

Why he made his decision

Rivera said on Edgar’s podcast, he plans on visiting Columbia Friday.

“I’m going up to Columbia to be with Donny, see the school, see the apartments and check it all out,’’ Rivera said. “I think that’s where I’m going to be. Donny’s a great dude. I feel like he’s the type of guy that will do anything for me. I feel great learning under him.’’

Rutgers had an opening for an assistant coach after Pritzlaff left. Rivera had been wrestling as a member of the Scarlet Knight Wrestling Club and has a close relationship with Rutgers’ head coach Scott Goodale.

Goodale and Rutgers hired former Nebraska five-time All-American and 2023 174-pound national runner-up Mikey Labriola last month as an assistant coach.

Labriola was most recently a member of the Lehigh Valley Wrestling Club Regional Training Center.

"We are extremely excited to welcome Mikey to the Rutgers wrestling family,” Goodale said in a release from the school on Aug. 19. “Mikey is one of the top freestyle wrestlers in the country and will be a valuable resource for our student-athletes. Mikey's ties to Pennsylvania are also invaluable as we continue to recruit the best wrestlers from the Keystone State for our program."

“I love Goodale. I love Rutgers,’’ Rivera said. “I don’t know if they handled the situation the best way they could have. Nothing against them. He has to do, what he’s got to do. ‘’

Rivera's career accomplishments.

During his collegiate career, Rivera was sixth in the national tournament at 125 pounds in 2018, third at 125 in 2019, fourth at 141 in 2021 and third at 141 in 2022. Rivera was the No. 1 seed at 133 for the 2020 tournament before that tournament was canceled due to the pandemic.

His first three All-American honors came when he wrestled for Northwestern from 2016-2020. The final two came when he wrestled for Rutgers as a graduate student.

Rivera was also a two-time Big Ten Conference champion. He won at 125 in 2019 and 133 in 2020, when the tournament was held at Rutgers’ Jersey Mike’s Arena.

He won the NJSIAA 113-pound championship in 2016 – his senior season at Christian Brothers Academy.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Sebastian Rivera announces likely coaching destination