The U.S. Olympic Committee has approved USA Wrestling’s nominations of Mark Manning of Lincoln, Neb., Lou Rosselli of Columbus, Ohio and John Smith of Stillwater, Okla. as volunteer Olympic Coaches for men’s freestyle at the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.

They will serve alongside National Freestyle Coach Zeke Jones of Colorado Springs, Colo. as Olympic coaches for the men’s freestyle team. There will be additional accredited men’s freestyle Olympic coaches named in the near future, which will announced when approved.

These Olympic Team staff selections are pending final approval of the U.S. Olympic Committee Chief Executive Officer.

Smith has previously served as co-head coach for the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team. Smith was a two-time Olympic champion as an athlete, and Rosselli was a member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team. All three of the volunteer coaches for the men’s freestyle team have been U.S. World Team coaches on numerous occasions.

“We have a great staff. We are very fortunate to have John Smith, Mark Manning and Lou Rosselli. They bring a lot of experience and ability to the table,” said National Freestyle Coach Zeke Jones. 

“John Smith is John Smith. As an athlete, he has been-there, done-that numerous times. He has been a World Team coach through the four-year cycle. That is a big plus; he knows the competition and our athletes. Mark Manning has put 30 years of time into this program. He deserves to be Olympic coach. He brings a lot of knowledge over time, and he brings Jordan Burroughs, who is perhaps the best wrestler in the world today. Lou Rosselli leads the fastest growing freestyle program in America, the Ohio RTC. He brings experience with the athletes on the team going to London. You couldn’t get a better staff. We get along great, know each other and understand each other. We know what it takes to get these guys ready.”

BIOGRAPHY: Mark Manning, Lincoln, Neb.

Mark Manning of Lincoln, Neb., a past U.S. World Team coach, has been named as an Olympic coach in men’s freestyle wrestling for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.

He is the personal coach for 2012 U.S. Olympian Jordan Burroughs of the Sunkist Kids (74 kg), who was also a 2011 World champion. Manning also coached Burroughs at the Univ. of Nebraska, where he won two NCAA Div. I titles (2009, 2011) and was named the 2011 Dan Hodge Trophy winner as the nation’s best college wrestler.

Manning served as a member of the 2011 U.S. World Team coaching staff, and the team placed third in the World Championships final standings with two medalists, including World champion Jordan Burroughs and World bronze medalist Jake Varner.

Manning was a 2009 U.S. World Team Coach which competed at the World Championships in Herning, Denmark, placing seventh as a team with two medalists.

Manning was the Head Coach for the 2001 U.S. Freestyle World Team and trained the team for the event. After the attack of September 11, the World Championships were moved from New York to Bulgaria and Manning could not attend the 2001 World Championships due to college coaching responsibilities.

He was also a coach with the 2000 Pan American Championships team, which claimed the team title. Manning was head coach of the 1994 and 1996 Junior World teams, and also coached the 1992 Cadet World team. He was an assistant coach for the 2008 U.S. Junior World Team. He also coached at two U.S. Olympic Festivals. 

He served on the coaching staff of the 1996 and 2000 U.S. Olympic teams. He served as the assistant coach of the 1997 U.S. Freestyle World Team, which placed sixth in the team standings in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. The team featured one gold and one silver medalist. Manning was also on the coaching staffs of the eight other U.S. World teams.

Manning was named 2011 Terry McCann Freestyle Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. Manning was also named FILA’s International Freestyle Coach for 2011, the first U.S. recipient of the award in recent history.

He is a coach with the Sunkist Kids, which was second among national clubs at 2011 U.S. Open.

He served as USA Wrestling's National Developmental Coach during early 1993, managing the organization's age-group national team programs. 

Manning currently works as the head wrestling coach for Div. I wrestling powerhouse Nebraska. 

In his 11 years at the helm, he has coached 36 of Nebraska’s 91 All-Americans. He has led the Huskers to five top-eight finishes at the NCAA Championships, compared to just eight for the 14 NU coaches before him. He is the winningest coach in Husker history. He was the back-to-back Big 12 Coach of the Year in 2008 and 2009 after guiding Nebraska consecutive fourth-place finishes at the NCAA Championships, including nine All-Americans and a national champion during those two seasons. He also guided Nebraska to its first Big 12 wrestling title ever in 2009. 

Prior to taking over the Cornhusker program, Manning was the head coach at the Univ. of Northern Iowa, helping revive the program during his three seasons there. The Panthers were 11th at the 2000 NCAA Championships, and he coached individual NCAA champion Tony Davis. Manning also served assistant coaching stints at the Univ. of Oklahoma for four seasons and the Univ. of North Carolina for eight years.

As an athlete, Manning was an Olympic Trials finalist in 1988, and placed in the U.S. Nationals four times. He was a two-time NCAA Div. II national champion and three-time All-American for the Univ. of Nebraska-Omaha. Manning has been inducted into the NCAA Div. II Hall of Fame. He was a three-time South Dakota high school state champion from Vermillion, S.D.

BIOGRAPHY: Lou Rosselli, Columbus, Ohio

Lou Rosselli of Columbus, Ohio, an Olympian as an athlete and a past World Team coach, has been named as an Olympic coach in men’s freestyle wrestling for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.

Rosselli is a personal coach for 2012 U.S. Olympian Tervel Dlagnev of the Sunkist Kids (120 kg), who trains under him at the Ohio Regional Training Center. Dlagnev was a 2009 World bronze medalist.

Rosselli served as a 2011 U.S. World Team Coach in Istanbul, Turkey, which finished third in the team standings, led by World champion Jordan Burroughs and World medalist Jake Varner.

Rosselli also served as a 2007 U.S. World Team Coach, helping lead the United States to a fourth place finish, led by World bronze medalist Daniel Cormier. He also served as a World Team Coach for the 2006 U.S. Freestyle World Team, which placed third as a team at the 2006 World Championships in Guangzhou, China. The team featured four individual medalists, including World champion Bill Zadick. 

He was the assistant coach of the 2005 U.S. World University Games Team, which placed third in the team standings with three individual gold medalists in Izmir, Turkey. He also coached the 2010 U.S. World University Championships team in Torino, Italy. He was also a coach for the U.S. team at the 2009 Pan American Championships. Rosselli has also coached a number of other U.S. teams on international tours.

Rosselli was named 2007 Terry McCann Freestyle Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. 

He is the coach at the Ohio Regional Training Center in Columbus, Ohio, one of the nation’s top training centers for international freestyle wrestlers. The Ohio RTC has produced a number of U.S. World Team members and national team members in recent years.

Rosselli serves as a club coach with the New York Athletic Club, one of the world's most successful wrestling clubs. 

Rosselli serves as the Associate Head Coach at The Ohio State University, working on the staff with head coach Tom Ryan. He has been with the Buckeyes for five seasons, and has been Associate Head Coach for the last two. With Rosselli a key part of the coaching staff, the Buckeyes placed second at the 2008 and 2009 NCAA Championships as a team. He was named 2009 NWCA Assistant Coach of the Year.

Previously, he served 11 seasons as an assistant coach at Edinboro Univ., eight years as a full-time assistant and three years as a volunteer assistant. Rosselli has helped build the Scotsmen into a nationally competitive program on the Div. I level. He is considered one of the nation's most talented assistant wrestling coaches. 

Rosselli competed at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Ga., at 114.5 pounds. His quest for an Olympic medal was cut short when he broke his arm during a victory and had to withdraw from competition. 

Rosselli was a 1997 World Cup champion, and won a silver medal at the 1998 Pan American Championships. He won U.S. National freestyle titles three times (1995, 1996, 1999) and was second in the 1998 U.S. Nationals. Rosselli was also a University Nationals freestyle champion in 1994.

Rosselli placed third at the 1993 NCAA Championships and was fourth in the 1991 NCAA Championships for Edinboro Univ. Rosselli was selected the Outstanding Wrestler at both the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament and the Eastern Wrestling League Championships in 1993. In 2004, Rosselli was inducted into the Edinboro University Athletic Hall of Fame.

A native of Middleport, N.Y., Rosselli was a two-time New York state champion at Royalton-Hartland High School, in addition to finishing second once and third once.

BIOGRAPHY: John Smith, Stillwater, Okla.

John Smith of Stillwater, Okla., a two-time Olympic champion as an athlete and a past U.S. Olympic Team Coach, has been named as an Olympic coach in men’s freestyle wrestling for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, England.

Smith also served as a co-head coach for the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team, which competed in Sydney, Australia. The U.S. won four individual medals, including a gold medal from Brandon Slay.

Smith is the personal coach of 2012 U.S. Olympian Coleman Scott of the Gator WC (60 kg). He also coached Scott in college at Oklahoma State, where Scott won an NCAA title.

Smith served as World Team coach for all three U.S. World Freestyle Teams in this quadrennium. He was coach for the 2011 U.S. World Team which competed in Istanbul, Turkey which finished third in the team standings, led by World champion Jordan Burroughs and World medalist Jake Varner.

Smith served as World Team coach for the 2010 U.S. World Team which competed in Moscow, Russia. He was also coach for the 2009 U.S. World Team, which competed in Herning, Denmark, and placed seventh in the team standings, led by individual medalists Jake Herbert and Tervel Dlagnev.

He also served as coach for the 1999 U.S. World Team, which competed in Ankara, Turkey, placing second in the team standings and winning three medals, including a gold medal by Stephen Neal. As coach of the 1998 U.S. World Team, the U.S. placed third in the team standings in Tehran, Iran with three medals, including a gold medal by Sammie Henson.

He was also the head coach of the 1998 U.S. Goodwill Games team, which captured the team title and featured three individual gold medalists. He was a co-coach of the 1997 U.S. World Cup team that won the team title and made history by winning every bout in the gold-medal match against Russia. 

Smith is a coach with the Gator WC, working with top Senior freestyle wrestlers from across the nation. He was previously a coach with the Sunkist Kids.

He is currently the head coach at Oklahoma State Univ., one of the most successful Div. I wrestling programs in history. He is the winningest coach in Oklahoma State history, with over 300 career coaching victories. He has led the Cowboys to five NCAA team titles (1995, 2003-2006). He has coached 24 NCAA individual champions and six Olympians, including 2004 silver medalist Jamill Kelly. Oklahoma State has won 11 Big 12 team titles under Smith. Eight times, Smith has been Big 12 Coach of the Year.

As an athlete, Smith was considered by many the best freestyle wrestler in U.S. history. He claimed gold medals at the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games, and won four World gold medals (1987, 1989, 1990, 1991). His six straight World-level titles is unprecedented. He also won titles at the Pan American Games (twice), Goodwill Games (twice) and the World Cup. 

Smith won most of the major awards in amateur athletics, including the James E. Sullivan Award, the USOC SportsMan of the Year and the World Trophy. He was FILA Wrestler of the Year in 1991, and won the 1990 FILA Master of Technique Award. He is a member of the FILA International Hall of Fame and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, along with many other major honors. In 2004, Smith was presented with the Titan Award by the U.S. Olympic Committee, and the next year, he joined his brother Pat as one of 15 wrestlers named to the NCAA's 75th Anniversary Team. 

Smith was a two-time NCAA champion for Oklahoma State (1987-88) and a three-time All-American. He originally hails from Del City, Okla., where he won two state high school titles.