Cody Garcia joins Bethany College's wrestling staff as assistant coach to Head Coach Jacob Marrs. Bethany is the first college in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference and one of three private institutions in Kansas to have a wrestling program.

Garcia comes to Bethany from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where he served as assistant wrestling coach. While there, UNO won the 2011 NCAA Division II National Championships. Prior to coaching, Garcia was a member of the UNO wrestling team, where he won national championships in 2006 and 2008, placed third in 2009, and placed second in 2010. He was a four-time All-American and Academic All-American, and his team won national championships in 2005, 2006, 2009, and 2010. Garcia graduated in 2010 with a 147-18 record, the fourth-highest number of all-time career wins at UNO since 1966. His 48 wins as a senior ranked as second-highest number in school history, and he set new UNO records of 84 career pins and 31 single-season pins.

Marrs and Garcia competed and coached together at UNO. "There is no one I'd rather partner with to begin Bethany's wrestling program," Marrs said. "I know Coach Garcia personally, and he loves wrestling and will help our wrestlers reach their full potential. Coach Garcia will set the standard extremely high, but his experience and leadership will be invaluable to the young men who decide to pursue academics and wrestling with us. There isn't a better person for the job."

Bethany College competes in 18 intercollegiate sports in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, including college sponsored cheer and dance teams. Since 1902, Bethany has won 147 conference championships. Bethany College supports the National Association of Intercollegiate Association (NAIA) Champions of Character program. NAIA Champions of Character is the association's innovative flagship program designed to instill character values in student-athletes, coaches and youth in the communities it serves. The five core values are integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship and servant leadership.

Bethany College, established by Swedish Lutheran immigrants in 1881, is a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The mission of Bethany College is to educate, develop and challenge individuals to reach for truth and excellence as they lead lives of faith, learning and service. Bethany College is on the Web at www.bethanylb.edu.