Fort Wayne, IN – Indiana Tech is proud to announce the arrival of Warrior Wrestling! Leading the program will be first year Head Coach, Mike Ester.  Coach Ester brings a wealth of experience and success from the High School and College levels as a competitor and coach.

Indiana Tech is a member of the NAIA.

A Fort Wayne native, Ester coached his at his alma mater Snider High School from 1998-2006. He led the Snider Panthers to eight SAC Conference titles, eight IHSAA Sectional titles, one team Regional Championship, one team Semi-State Championship, and 2002-03 Team State Finalists. During his tenure at Snider, there were 26 individual state finalists, 18 of which were medalists, three IHSAA state champions, and one IHSAA Mental Attitude award winner. Coach Ester’s squad produced six IHSAA Academic All-State wrestlers and added five other Honorable Mentions.

From 2006-2010, Ester was the Head Assistant Coach at Trine University which was in its second year of competition when he arrived. Ester had the pleasure of helping the program grow to national prominence, eventually landing the program as high as a #16 ranking in the NWCA DIII polls with as many as seven nationally ranked wrestlers at one time, was a two-time Team NCAA Midwest Regional runner-up, and the school's first ever NCAA Qualifier (Nick Kraus). 

In High School, Coach Ester was a member of Snider’s wrestling team. He was a two-time state qualifier and a third place medalist during his senior campaign (1992). Ester was also a co-captain for the Panthers when they claimed the school’s (and city’s) first ever team Semi-State Championship.

After high school Ester attended Manchester College where he was a member of the wrestling team from 1992-1996. For the Spartans, Ester was a 4-year letter winner, two year captain, three-time conference champion, the first Spartan wrestler to be crowned champion at the prestigious “Midwest Classic” and was a NCAA qualifier his senior season.

"It is an honor and privilege to have this opportunity to start a wrestling program here”, Coach Ester says.  “My family and I feel blessed!  Indiana Tech has committed leadership from the very top down who are dedicated to the success of their student athletes.  I'm excited to be a part of the Warrior athletic family and intend to represent the program with class and success as has been modeled by the other coaches and athletes here.  Our mission will be to use this program as a mechanism to produce productive members of our society who are accomplished not only as athletes, but as scholars and citizens as well."

Coach Ester currently resides in Fort Wayne, IN with his wife, Tami, and two children Brittani (12) and Brady (9).

For more information on Indiana Tech athletics please call the Athletic Office at 260-422-5561 ext. 2262 or visit our website at http://www.indianatech.edu/athletics