Matt Valenti Added to Columbia Wrestling Coaching Staff

NEW YORK -- Matt Valenti, a two-time NCAA national champion at the University of Pennsylvania, has joined the Columbia Wrestling staff as an assistant coach, Brendan Buckley, the Andrew F. Barth Head Coach of Wrestling, announced today.

"It is with much anticipation and excitement that I announce Matt Valenti for the second assistant coach position for the Columbia Wrestling program," Buckley stated. "Simply put, he exudes excellence and serves as a model of what we want our current and future student-athletes to become."

"An excellent student at Penn, Matt did what few people have ever done: won two back-to-back national titles as one of the greatest lightweight wrestlers in recent years," Buckley explained. "We will be utilizing his skills on the mat as well as in recruiting. Our light to middleweight recruits will be hard-pressed to find a better workout partner than Matt Valenti.

"Two of our returning NCAA qualifiers, Brandon Kinney (3rd in the EIWA at 125 in 2007) and Sal Tirico (4th in the EIWA at 141 in 2006) will immediately reap the benefits of a two-time NCAA champion working out with them each and every day," Buckley continued.

Valenti, one of the most decorated wrestlers in Ivy League history, defeated Coleman Scott of Oklahoma State, 4-2, in the NCAA final this past season, to capture his second consecutive national title at 133 pounds. He finished his career with a program-record 137 wins, including a 32-2 record as a senior. Valenti was a two-time EIWA champion, and was twice honored as EIWA Wrestler of the Year. He was also the unanimous choice as Ivy League Wrestler of the Year in 2007.

A two-time All-Ivy League first team selection, the native of Newton, N.J. earned the Fletcher Award for most team points in a career at EIWA's.

"I am excited to join Coaches Buckley, Foley and Sveda as part of the Columbia staff," Valenti said. "As a former Penn wrestler I have had the opportunity to interact with these coaches on numerous occasions and they are all class acts. It is an honor to be working with this staff.

"The Columbia program has been on the rise for the past few years, and is clearly about to break onto the national scene. I hope that my expertise on the mats can help with that final push into the nation's elite."

As a junior, Valenti beat Purdue's Chris Fleeger, 3-2, in the national title match, finishing the year 36-2 with 24 consecutive victories, and became the first Penn junior to reach the 100-career win plateau. He also tied his own team record of 36 wins in a season. Valenti placed fifth at the NCAA Championships as a sophomore, won 36 matches and captured the Keystone Classic by defeating Tom Noto of Hofstra in overtime. He advanced to the Round of 12 at the national tournament as a first-year, posting a Penn newcomer record of 33 victories that season.

In freestyle wrestling, Valenti was a FILA Junior All-American, a Junior National Freestyle Champion and a Cadet National All-American. As a student at Kittatinny High School, he was a two-time New Jersey state scholastic champion, and was named to the Wrestling USA All-Academic Team and second team ASICS All-America squads.

Valenti graduated from Penn in 2007 with a B.A. in history. His brother, Andy, is a junior on the wrestling team at Penn.