Coach Rick Bartel

In 2007, wrestling returned to UConn and Rick Bartel became the first head coach of the revived program. Entering his 38th season of coaching wrestling, Rick has the team’s sights set on competing at a high level as UConn enters its 8th season of competition in the NCWA. A graduate of Rhode Island College, Rick wrestled in the 177 lb. wt. class for the undefeated "Anchormen" team of 1974-75. He has coached 10 NCWA All American wrestlers and is RI's only High School All American Coach. Coach Bartel is particularly proud of having coached 14 Academic All Americans as his teams have been known to produce graduates of the highest quality.

     As an award winning teacher with the Providence (RI) Public School System, Rick coached High School wrestling teams at Providence's Hope HS & Central HS, Our Lady of Providence Seminary, and Ponaganset HS (Foster/Glocester, RI). In 1999, he became the first coach of wrestling at Bryant College (Now Bryant University) and is the founder of the popular NCWA Groundhog Day & Connecticut Collegiate Classic Wrestling Tournaments. Rick also coached HS football at Hope HS for many years and has been a referee of Youth, Middle School and High School wrestling in RI & CT for many years as well as with the NCWA. During the summer, he is on the staff of the Competitive Edge Wrestling Camp as well as serving as an umpire of amateur baseball at various levels.  Rick and his wife Diane reside on their family farm in Foster, RI and have two grown children.  He is presently on the faculty of the Ocean Tides School in RI.