Hartford, Conn. - August 13, 2013 - Director of Athletics Michael Renwick has announced the hiring of Marques Gales (Fairfield, Calif.) to be the new Trinity College Head Wrestling Coach. Gales come to Trinity from Springfield College, where he served as an assistant coach for three years. While on campus at Springfield, he helped the Pride win three New England Wrestling Association (NEWA) Championships and coached five All Americans and one NCAA Division III Champion. Gales replaces Steve Makein who resigned in the spring after six seasons.
 
"I am very excited to announce the hiring of Marques Gales as Trinity's next head wrestling coach," said Trinity Athletic Director Mike Renwick. "He is an extremely impressive young man who is driven to make an impact on student-athletes both on the wrestling mat and in life. As an accomplished collegiate wrestler himself, Marques brings instant credibility to the mat to go with the coaching experience he gained at Springfield."


 
A 2010 graduate from San Francisco State University and a two-time NCAA Division II National Qualifier, Gales was a highly-decorated wrestler during his college years and earned honors for both academic and athletic achievement. Gales was a both a NCAA National Qualifier and an NWCA National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All American in 2009. 
 
Earning his bachelor's degree from San Francisco State in physical education, Gales volunteered as an assistant coach at his alma mater before joining the Springfield staff in 2010. Gales coached eight national qualifiers in three years and helped the Pride finish 14-2 in dual meets and earn the No. 8 ranking in the final national poll in 2012-13.  He is a member of the NWCA Leadership Academy and is pursuing a master's degree at Springfield in sport and exercise psychology.  Gales is also employed by Hartford's Academy of Aerospace and Engineering Middle School as an associate instructor. 


 
“I am honored to be appointed as the head wrestling coach at Trinity College," said Gales.  "I would like to thank Mike Renwick and his staff for allowing me to pursue my passion at one of the nation’s finest colleges. I would also like to thank my family and friends for their continued support as well as Springfield College for preparing me to become the best coach I can be. My goal is to motivate and inspire student-athletes to reach their potential in all facets of their college experience.”