NEW YORK -- Yero Washington has returned for his third stint as a 
member of the Columbia wrestling staff. Washington will serve as a 
volunteer coach for the Lions after working as a headhunter for a 
financial IT company.

"I have known Yero for over 13 years now and could not be happier to 
bring him back to be a member of our coaching staff again," said 
Brendan Buckley, the Andrew F. Barth Head Coach of Wrestling.

"Although continually approached by other programs, he has once again 
decided to call Columbia home. He will be instrumental in working with 
our lightweights as well as serving as a mentor for the entire team."

Washington first joined the Columbia staff in 2002 as a graduate 
assistant under Buckley, his teammate and workout partner on Fresno 
State's wrestling squad in the mid-1990s. After a year as a resident 
athlete at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, pursuing a 
berth on the United States Olympic Wrestling Team, Washington returned 
to Columbia in 2004. Although he didn?t make the Olympic Team, he 
traveled to Athens nevertheless as a member of the official party, 
serving as a training partner for Stephen Abas.

Washington also participated in the Olympic Trials for the 2000 Games 
after winning the Northwest Regional Qualifier. The 1998 Sunkist 
International champion, he has been a member of the U.S. National 
team, America?s World Cup team and America?s Nations Cup teams.

A native of Porterville, Calif., Washington was a California state 
champion in high school and a two-time junior college All-American at 
Fresno City College, winning the California State Junior College 
Championships. Transferring to Fresno State, he twice made 
All-American, in 1996, when he finished sixth in the nation at 134 
pounds, and 1997, when he was third in the nation.

He served as chief assistant wrestling coach at Fresno City College 
from 1997 to 1999, and was on the 1999-2000 Fresno State staff, 
working closely with Abas, a three-time NCAA champion, along with Stan 
Greene, a two-time NCAA All-American.

Washington earned his bachelor of science from Fresno State in 1999, 
and spent two years as a pharmaceutical sales rep before joining 
Columbia's coaching staff. He lives in New Jersey.