PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Illinois head wrestling coach Jim Heffernan achieved his 100th career victory with Friday night's win over Rutgers. No. 15 Illinois earned Heffernan's 100th victory at the helm of Fighting Illini wrestling decisively, winning bouts in eight of 10 weight classes to defeat No. 25 Rutgers, 29-6. Heffernan, in his 11th season as head coach, has guided Illinois to an 8-3 record to date this season, including 5-2 in Big Ten duals. The Illini have also won four consecutive duals.
"The guys did great; there was a lot of energy and we were offensive," said Heffernan after Friday night's win. "It was about as complete as we've wrestled all year as a team. (Justin) Cardani and Travis (Piotrowski) really set the tone beating their two best guys out of the gate. Travis' win really got our guys excited."
Heffernan joined the Fighting Illini coaching staff in 1992, serving as an assistant to Mark Johnson for 17 years before taking over as head coach in 2009. During Heffernan's time with the Illini, Illinois has finished in the top-10 at the NCAA championships on 13 occasions, and in the top-15 in 19 of the last 22 seasons. In 2005, Heffernan assisted Illinois in bringing home its first Big Ten Conference tournament championship in 53 years.
Heffernan has also mentored nine individual national champions. In 2015, 157-pounder Isaiah Martinez (157) joined Jesse Delgado (125, 2013), Matt Lackey(165, 2003), Adam Tirapelle (149, 2001), John Lockhart (heavyweight, 2001), Carl Perry (141, 2000), Eric Siebert (150, 1998), Ernest Benion, Jr. (158, 1995) and Steve Marianetti (150, 1995) in earning NCAA titles since 1995. Martinez and Delgado each earned two national titles, putting Heffernan's total number of individual national titles at 11. Heffernan has coached 68 All-Americans.
Heffernan began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at the University of Iowa before becoming an assistant coach at Lehigh University in 1988. He remained at Lehigh until moving to Oregon State in 1990. He joined Johnson in Champaign in 1992. Prior to taking over as head coach in 2009, Heffernan earned national coach of the year honors three times as an assistant (1995, 2001, 2003).
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