Davidson Athletics Director Jim Murphy announced today that interim head  wrestling coach Bob Patnesky has been hired on a permanent basis for the  head coaching position.    Patnesky took over the head-coaching duties in mid-season and led the  Wildcats to their best finish in both the regular season and the Southern  Conference Championships in 21 years. Davidson posted its first winning  record at 8-7 since the 1983-84 season, plus finished the league tournament  in fifth place as three wrestlers placed third.    "The wrestling program made tremendous progress this year thanks to the  efforts of the men on the mat and Coach Patnesky," stated Murphy. "We are  pleased Bobby will continue to lead us forward."    This past season was Patnesky¹s second on the Wildcat wrestling staff.  Davidson had four wrestlers record at least 20 wins this season, three of  which were freshmen that Patnesky had a hand in recruiting. There were no  seniors on the 2004-05 wrestling squad, meaning Patnesky will have all his  talent returning for an even more successful season next year.    "Switching coaches in mid-season is never easy," Patnesky said, "but  everyone pulled together from the athletics administration to the college  administration to the guys on the team. The future is bright here, and we  are going to keep raising the ceiling on what we can accomplish."    "It is an honor to work at Davidson College," he continued. "The  administration and coaches have all been terrific, but what makes it really  special are the student-athletes. These guys have such a great feel for each  other and respond well to coaching, which makes it a delight to work with  them every day."    Patnesky is a 2001 graduate of West Virginia, where he was a three-year  starter on the Mountaineer wrestling squad. The three-time NCAA qualifier  graduated as the all-time winningest wrestler in his weight class at WVU.  Patnesky was the 2000 Eastern Wrestling League champion, helping his team  win the EWL crown and finish sixth in the country.    A five-time freestyle wrestling All-American, Patnesky was individually  ranked among the top 12 wrestlers in the country for three years. During  college, he also competed for the U.S. on a tour of France and Poland in  1999. He completed his collegiate wrestling career with over 100 victories.    Patnesky served as a volunteer assistant coach at his alma mater for a year  before taking an assistant position at Ohio, where he earned his master¹s  degree in recreation and sport sciences. His coaching duties included  recruiting, coaching, scheduling and scouting.