Severin Walsh is set to begin his 11th season as Pacific head men’s and women’s wrestling coach after being put in charge of the men’s program in 2008-09.
Walsh has helped lead a number of Boxers to west region and All-America honors during his tenure.
Last season, in 2018-19, three Boxers reached the second round of the consolation round at the NCAA Division III West Regional. Three wrestlers reached the quarterfinals of the season opening Mike Clock Open. Plus, Pacific had a champion at 165 lbs., a pair of runner-up finishes (125 lbs. and 197 lbs.) and a fourth-place finish (149 lbs.) at the Boxer Open. The championship-winning performance by Kaleb Winebarger was the first regular season tournament title for Pacific since Tyler Howe won the Boxer Open in 2016.
At the 2017, NCAA Division III West Regional, Ian Morford at 197 lbs. was the Boxers' top finisher with a sixth-place finish. The top finisher for the Boxers at the 2016 NCAA Division III West Region was Jacob Richards, who finished fourth - just shy of securing a spot at the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships.
The Boxers' Eric Harder in 2014-15 became Pacific’s first NCAA Division III West Region champion since 2002. The Boxers went on to have four all-region wrestlers on the men’s side.
Plus, in 2013-14, Caleb Malychewski became Pacific’s first NCAA Division III All-American since 2002 when he placed fifth at the national championships at 184 pounds. His 31-8 record was Pacific’s best in a number of years. That season, Walsh helped coach five Boxers to all-region honors and also had three National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-Americans.
In 2012-13, Pacific finished with a 6-9 dual meet record, which included victories over a Division III ranked squad from Loras and NAIA-ranked Baker (Kan.). The Boxers also scored a 27-18 win over perennial NAIA power Southern Oregon, marking just the sixth time that Pacific had downed the Raiders.
Walsh saw three of his athletes place at the 2013 NCAA Division III West Regional Tournament. Malychewski led the way, placing second in the 184-pound weight class. He became the first Pacific wrestler to qualify for the NCAA Championship since 2006. Walsh also coached three wrestlers, Malychewski, Bruce Balcita and Harder, to 20-plus win seasons.
On the women’s side, Walsh has been successful in keeping a small, but dynamic program competitive. In 2011-12, the Boxers finished second at the National Collegiate Wrestling Association’s Women’s Nationals and saw all but one of the women on the roster finish as All-Americans as designated by the NCWA. Pacific also competed at the Women’s Collegiate Wrestling Association freestyle nationals, where Megan Chun came home with a seventh place finish.
In 2014-15, Walsh coached Bailey Martinez to a seventh place finish at the WCWA, Pacific’s first All-American since Chun. She finished 15-8 on the season. As a senior, Martinez missed just out repeating as an All-American with a ninth-place finish.
Walsh came to Pacific after serving two seasons (2006-08) as the top graduate assistant coach at NCAA Division II St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn. During his tenure, Walsh helped lead eight Huskies wrestlers to NCAA Division II national tournament berths. During the 2006-07 season, the Huskies finished 12th at the NCAA Division II Championships and set a new school record with 13 dual meet victories. The Huskies also finished 12th at the 2008 championships.
Prior to arriving at St. Cloud State, Walsh spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Dana College, a successful NAIA program in Blair, Neb. At Dana, Walsh helped coach the Vikings to a fourth place nationals finish in 2005 and the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NCWA) national dual championship and NAIA national championship in 2006. In addition, Dana’s 2006 team boasted the top non-Division I recruiting class in the nation.
Walsh began his coaching career at William Penn University in Oskaloosa, Iowa, where he helped lead the Statesmen to a pair of NAIA Central Region championships, an 11th place NAIA National Tournament finish in 2003 and a sixth place finish in 2004.
A 1995 Washington high school state champion, Walsh wrestled two seasons for Yakima Valley Community College before transferring to William Penn. He was the 2002 NAIA Central Region champion at 285 pounds and competed in the 2002 NAIA National Championships.
A native of Coulee City, Wash., Walsh earned his Bachelor’s degree in wellness and recreation from William Penn in 2004 and a teaching certification from Dana in 2006. Walsh and his wife, Annette, are the parents of a son, Ezekiel, and reside in Forest Grove.
