Jason Peters Position: Assistant Coach Alma Mater: East Stroudsburg University, 1998

Phone: (412) 383-8743

E-mail: jpeters@athletics.pitt.edu

Jason Peters is now in his sixth season on the Pitt coaching staff and fifth as the top assistant under Head Coach Rande Stottlemyer.

"Jason's main responsibility has been recruiting," said Stottlemyer. "That's an area where you need somebody who knows all the kids, is diligent and knows the sleepers as well as the superstars.

"I think Jason does a really good job of scouring the country, knowing the best kids out there and then getting us in the door."

In his four years with the Panthers, Peters, along with the Panther coaching staff, has made a significant contribution in helping with on-the-mat training as well as boosting recruiting. This year's recruiting class includes state champion Tyler Nauman and state runner-ups A.J. Brentzel and David Crowell as well as other potential starters with significant scholastic success. He has coached four Pitt wrestlers to All-America status, including Keith Gavin (2007), Matt Kocher (2007), Drew Headlee (2005) and Carl Fronhofer (2003). Peters has also guided 16 wrestlers to the NCAA tournament in the last three seasons.

Peters joined the Panthers from Harvard University. He was an assistant coach with the Crimson for the 2001-02 season. While at Harvard, he helped lead individual workouts for the wrestlers while training himself for freestyle competitions. Peters was also an instructor for the Dave Schultz Wrestling Club in Boston, Mass.

"Jason has a wealth of coaching experience that has helped us get better in training and in practice, allowing us to perform stronger in meets and in the tournaments," Stottlemyer said.

In his spare time, Peters was a personal wellness trainer and promoter for the Boston Sports Club at the Harvard University Recreational Department. There, he educated members by providing specialized wellness programs designed for specific individual needs, incorporating exercise and nutrition.

Peters also served as the head wrestling coach for the Massachusetts Cadet and Junior National Team. He worked directly with the USA Wrestling state director and headed his team to the national competition in Fargo, N.D. His team was the first in 10 years from Massachusetts to compete in the Cadet and Junior Nationals.

From 1998-2001, Peters was the head assistant wrestling coach at Princeton University where he served as recruiting coordinator as well as helped with marketing, fundraising and the development of practice plans and strategies.

Prior to Princeton, Peters gained experience as an assistant wrestling coach at his alma mater, East Stroudsburg University. In 1997-98, Peters assisted the coaching staff at East Stroudsburg with training the team's wrestlers for competition.

He is a 1998 graduate of East Stroudsburg with a bachelor's degree in movement studies and exercise science with a concentration in exercise physiology.