USA Wrestling has made its choice for the World Team Coaches in women's freestyle wrestling who will participate in the World Championships in Guangzhou, China, Sept. 26 - Oct. 1.

Selected to join USA Wrestling National Women's Coach Terry Steiner of Colorado Springs, Colo. as World Team Coaches in women's freestyle wrestling are Joe Corso of Metarie, La. and Bill Scherr of Glenview, Ill.

These coaches, as well as all of the coaching assignments in women's freestyle for the year, were made by the Women's Coach Selection Committee and approved by USA Wrestling's Executive Committee.

Corso has served as head coach of three U.S. Women's World Teams (1990, 1998, 2001), which placed sixth, third and seventh in the World Championships, respectively. He was also the assistant coach of two U.S. Women's World Teams in 1991 and 2003. Corso was head coach of the U.S. Men's Junior World Teams in both 1992 and 1998.

He was the 2002 USA Wrestling Women's Coach of the Year. Corso has served for many years as the women's wrestling coach for the Sunkist Kids club, one of the world's most successful wrestling clubs which has won the U.S. Nationals team titles numerous times. Corso has an extensive coaching background on the high school and college levels. He was also a member of the 1976 U.S. Olympic Team, and was third in the 1979 World Championships.

Scherr was a coach of the 2005 U.S. Women's World Team, which placed third in the team standings and featured four medalists, including World champion Iris Smith. Scherr has extensive coaching experience on the college and international level. He served five years as an assistant wrestling coach at Indiana Univ. Scherr is currently coaches the Wildcat WC freestyle wrestlers and is a volunteer with Northwestern Univ. program. 

He was one of the best freestyle wrestlers in U.S. history, winning five consecutive World-level medals between 1985-90. In 1985, he was a World Champion, and in 1988 he won an Olympic bronze medal. He also boasts two World silver medals and a World bronze medal, in addition to numerous other international titles. Scherr was a NCAA champion for the Univ. of Nebraska. He is a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Complete biographies of each World Team Coach selection follows, as well as quotes from each of the coaches.

QUOTES FROM THE WOMEN'S WORLD TEAM COACHES

Joe Corso of Metarie, La.
"I am excited to work with the Women's World Team again. I am familiar with many of them. It is a challenge, and different every time. The Japanese team is the one to try to beat. My goal as a coach is to get the women to gear up for the tougher teams, and to understand their wrestling better, both offensively and defensively. My goal is for them to learn to score more by putting their opponents in a bad position."

"We have great talent. My expectation is that we can be successful, and potentially bring home the team title. This is always a challenge. The goal is to get the athletes to wrestle well and perform to their potential. If they do that, we can bring home some gold medals."

Bill Scherr of Glenview, Ill.
"I am pleased about having this opportunity and flattered to be selected again. I am excited to contribute to the women's program and to coach at the World Championships. I now know the women better and understand the level that they are at. It is a much higher level than I expected. Their level of training and work is the same or higher than the men. It is impressive to be associated with this program. I am impressed by the athletes. I can add something to the effort. I have much to offer at the Senior level, my knowledge of the sport, my understanding of the international federation and my desire to be helpful."

"Knowing the women like I do now, we didn't have a good World Championships last year. Good for us is to win the World Team title. Terry Steiner and my expectations are higher. Good for us is beating the Japanese and the Chinese teams and I think we can do it this year."

National Women's Coach Terry Steiner of Colorado Springs, Colo. 
(about Scherr and Corso)
"The women are very comfortable with these coaches. Bill Scherr was a World Team coach last year. He brought a lot of knowledge and the right personality to the position. The women respected how he did things. They had a trust in him. Joe Corso has tremendous experience with the athletes. He has been involved with women's wrestling since it began here in the USA. All of the wrestlers have been involved with Joe as a coach at one time or another. He is very giving of his time and energy."

"Bill and Joe will work well together. They both know the direction, goals and philosophy of the program and will excel within it. I am very excited to have them both involved again. They have been to the top of the game in wrestling, and they do a great job passing on that knowledge."

BIOGRAPHY SKETCHES OF WORLD TEAM COACHES IN WOMEN'S WRESTLING

Joe Corso of Metarie, La.

Corso has served as head coach of three U.S. Women's World Teams. He was the head coach of the 2001 Women's World Team, which placed seventh in the World Championships and featured two medalists. He was also the head coach of the 1998 Women's World Team, which placed third in the World Championships in Poznan, Poland and featured World Champion Tricia Saunders. Corso was head coach of the 1990 U.S. Women's World team, which placed sixth in the World Championships in Lulea, Sweden.

Corso served as assistant coach for the 2003 U.S. Women's World Team, which placed 11th in the team standings at the World Championships and was led by two medalists. He was an assistant coach on the 1991 U.S. Women's World Team, which placed fifth in the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. He was also the head coach of the 1992 and 1998 U.S. Men's Junior World Freestyle Teams. 

Corso was been named 2002 Women's Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling, the first time that the organization presented a Women's Coach of the Year award.

Corso has been a coach and administrator for the Sunkist Kids club, one of the world's most successful wrestling clubs. He coaches the women wrestlers for the Sunkist Kids, which is the reigning U.S. Nationals women's team champion. The Sunkist Kids women wrestlers are also very successful on USA Wrestling's age-group levels.

He was the head wrestling coach at Phoenix College from 1992-93. Corso has served as an assistant coach at Purdue Univ., the Univ. of Minnesota and Indiana Univ. He was also the head coach of Brophy Preperatory High School from 1989-91. He has also coached a number of U.S. men's wrestling teams on international tours. 

Corso was a member of the 1976 U.S. Olympic freestyle wrestling team. He placed third in the 1979 World Championships, and won a gold medal at the 1979 Pan American Championships. He was also a gold medalist in the 1992 Veterans World Championships. He has won 10 national freestyle titles. Corso placed third in the 1975 NCAA Championships for Purdue Univ. Originally from Des Moines, Iowa, he was an Iowa state high school champion in 1971.

Bill Scherr of Glenview, Ill.

Scherr was a coach of the 2005 U.S. Women's World Team, which placed third in the team standings and featured four medalists, including World champion Iris Smith. Scherr currently coaches the Wildcat WC freestyle wrestlers and is a volunteer with Northwestern Univ. program. 

He was an assistant coach at Indiana University for five years, from 1984-89, working with coach Jim Humphrey. The team was 2-17 the season before his arrival and had a 15-0 record his final year with the program. Scherr is also a widely respected clinician, working numerous camps and clinics around the nation.

Scherr was one of the greatest wrestlers in U.S. freestyle history. He was a 1985 World champion and a 1988 Olympic bronze medalist. He ran off an amazing five-year run of consecutive World-level medals for the United States from 1985-89. He was also a 1986 and 1989 World silver medalist and a 1987 World bronze medalist. His five consecutive World-level medals is one of U.S. wrestling's greatest feats, surpassed only by superstars Bruce Baumgartner, John Smith and Dave Schultz.

Bill Scherr was a two-time World Cup champion, a Pan American Games champion, a World Grand Masters champion, a Goodwill Games champion and a four-time U.S. Nationals champion. In 1992, he made a late comeback to the sport, winning the U.S. Nationals title and making the finals of the Olympic Team Trials where he placed second. He is a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Scherr was a 1984 NCAA champion at the Univ. of Nebraska, where he starred alongside his twin brother Jim. He was also a two-time high school state champion from Mobridge, S.D.

Scherr has developed a new web page about wrestling coaching (www.mywrestlingcoach.com), where he posts numerous detailed articles  with information and advice on technique, coaching, mental toughness and other important training issues. Professionally, he is a Vice President with Goldman Sachs & Co.

2006 INTERNATIONAL COACHING ASSIGNMENTS IN WOMEN'S WRESTLING

World Championships, Guangzhou, China, Sept. 27-Oct. 2
Joe Corso, Metarie, La
Bill Scherr, Glenview, Ill.

Junior World Championships, Guatemala City, Guatemala, Aug. 29 - Sept. 3
	Brent Barnes, Lake Stevens, Wash.
	Sergei Beloglazov, Gilbert, Ariz.
	 
Pan American Championships, Rio de Janiero, Brazil, May 31-June 4
Jim Zalesky, Iowa City, Iowa
	
World University Championships, Ulan Bator, Mongolia, June 15-20
Tadaaki Hatta, Elyria, Ohio

Cadet Germany/Austria Tour
	Kip Flanik, Williamsburg, Ky.
	Jack Prest, Schenectady, N.Y.
	
Russia Tour
	Sergei Beloglazov, Gilbert, Ariz.

Sweden/Italy Tour
	Mike Marr, La Farge, Wis.
	Keith Wilson, Colorado Springs, Colo.

Belarus Tour
Levi Weikel-Magden, Charlottesville, Va.