Illinois Director of Athletics Josh Whitman introduced Mike Poeta as the head coach of the Fighting Illini wrestling program on Thursday morning. 

Whitman and Poeta addressed the media via Zoom.

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Josh Whitman 

"Through all these conversations I mentioned, we've been able to meet with very qualified coaches in the past two weeks and very quickly, Mike emerged as our leading candidate. This was true for a number of reasons. I was taken with his vision for the program. Again, we have talked about how successful we have been, he has the vision to take us even further. To advance us to a program that has been great, to one that is truly elite."  

"As a native of our great state, he has strong connections throughout the state both with high school club coaches. I think most of us understand that the state of Illinois is one of the most wrestling-rich states in the country and we are very fortunate to be located where we are, and his connections in the state are really second to none and I'm excited for him to bring the benefit of that to this program."

Mike Poeta 

"I am honored and consider myself extremely lucky to be standing up here as the next head wrestling coach for the University of Illinois. It was a dream of mine to come here as a wrestler, it was a dream of mine to come back here as an assistant coach, and now, an absolute dream to be the next head coach."

"I want to thank our athletic director Josh Whitman, Chancellor Jones, and Warren Hood for their leadership and this great opportunity. I want to thank my mom and dad, my family, my former coaches, and the countless people along the way that supported me."

"I'm in the unique position of inheriting a great, promising, young team. Coach Heff has set the table for me and like Josh said I'm wanting to take this great team to being an elite team. When I wrestled here, we won the Big Tens, and that's where I expect to take the program to."