American University Director of Athletics and Recreation Keith Gill  has announced the hiring of Teague Moore as the university’s new head wrestling coach.

Moore was the head coach at Clarion University in Clarion, Pennsylvania for five seasons. He led the Golden Eagles to a fourth-place finish at the 2011 Eastern Wrestling League Championships and the program’s first Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Championship since 1994. He was named the 2011 PSAC Coach of the Year.

“We are very excited to welcome Teague Moore to American University as the new head coach of our wrestling program,” Gill stated. “Teague has the skills, experience and drive to lead our student-athletes to continued success on the mat and in the classroom.  His values are in alignment with our institution’s principles of commitment to academic and athletic achievements.”

Moore sent eight student-athletes to the NCAA Division I Championships in five years at Clarion and this season was one win shy of crowning the program’s first All-American since 2005. Sophomore James Fleming won the 157 lbs. title at the EWL Championships and was named the Outstanding Wrestler, marking Clarion’s first EWL Champion since 2005 and first “OW” since 1980. Moore’s squad also boasted this year’s PSAC “OW” in 197 lbs. sophomore Alex Thomas and three PSAC Champions.

Moore inherits a team coming off a program record fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. American return two All-American’s in national runner-up Ryan Flores and fourth-place finisher Ganbayar Sanjaa, two EIWA Champions in Flores and Matt Mariacher and nine of 10 starters from a team which won a program record 14 dual meets in 2010-11. Moore replaces Mark Cody, who after nine seasons at American, was named the head coach at Oklahoma.

“I am grateful to the American University Athletics Department for their support and confidence with this decision,” commented Moore. “AU’s wrestling program has proven to be a strong national contender with a very successful record in academics. Both of those elements have been the key to my approach and focus. I’m eager to continue building upon the recent successes of the American program.”

Moore was a four-year starter at Oklahoma State under Head Coach John Smith, winning the 1998 118 lbs. NCAA Championship with a pin of Michigan State’s Dave Morgan in the finals. A three-time All-American, he also placed third in 1999, fourth in 1997 and qualified for Nationals as a freshman. Moore was a two-time BIG XII Champion and runner-up as a senior, and currently ranks 18th in Cowboy history with a career record of 118-25.

Moore continued his wrestling career at the international level following his graduation from Oklahoma State, placing third at the 2000 and 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials and winning the 2000 University World Freestyle Championship and 2002 U.S. Open National Championship. He was a three-time member of the National Team, earning a silver medal at the 2003 World Cup and placing second at the 2002 World Team Trials. He also took third place at the 2003 World Team Trials, 2003 U.S. Open National Championships and 2004 U.S. Open National Championships.

Prior to being named head coach at Clarion, Moore spent the 2005-06 season as an assistant at Harvard. In 2003-04 he was the director of film and facilities for the Oklahoma State program which won the 2004 NCAA Team Championship, BIG XII Championship and National Duals Championship. He also spent two seasons as an assistant coach at Oklahoma, helping the Sooners to a third-place finish at the 2003 NCAA Championships, after beginning his career as an assistant at Pittsburgh.

Moore was inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2008. Wrestling for North Allegheny High School he was a three-time Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association placewinner and 1995 State Champion. He was also a three-time Pennsylvania State Freestyle Champion, three-time Junior National Freestyle Champion and National High School Champion in 1995.

Moore is a 1999 graduate of Oklahoma State. He and his wife, Mary Alice, have three daughters and one son.

American University is located in Washington, D.C., at the top of Embassy Row. Chartered by Congress in 1893 to serve the public interest and build the nation, the university educates active citizens who apply knowledge to the most pressing concerns facing the nation and world. A college-centered research university, American’s rigorous curriculum challenges students to combine serious theoretical study with meaningful, real-world learning experiences. American University’s Department of Athletics and Recreation sponsors 16 NCAA Div. I varsity sports. The wrestling team competes in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association while American’s 15 other sports compete in the Patriot League.