Truett-McConnell College will be adding wrestling to its athletic program beginning in fall 2011. National Wrestling Hall of Fame Coach, Jim Bailey, has been appointed to lead the newest Bears program. 

Bailey hails from Fayetteville, where he taught English and coached wrestling and football. He comes to TMC with 33 years of coaching experience and was one of five Hall of Fame Georgia inductees chosen to be featured in the national museum in Stillwater, Okla. The newly appointed wrestling coach is excited about the upcoming program as well as the opportunity to coach college athletes.

“It was a complete surprise; I wasn’t expecting to start something on the collegiate level, but God shook me out of my comfort zone,” Bailey said.

Coach Bailey stated that he has already started recruiting and that news about the new program is spreading quickly. 

TMC athletic director, Chris Eppling, looks forward to working with Bailey and establishing the new sport. 

“I think that having wrestling here will open up new horizons athletically for Truett-McConnell College. I am thrilled to have Coach Bailey as a part of the TMC family,” Eppling remarked.

Though unsure of the date of his team’s first match, Bailey stated that the team will most likely participate in early season tournaments. The Truett-McConnell College wrestling team plans to compete against teams in the southeast including Shorter University.