KENT, Ohio - Jim Andrassy, who has spent the past 14 years with the Kent State University wrestling program as an athlete or assistant coach, has been promoted to head coach, KSU Director of Athletics Laing Kennedy announced Wednesday (Sept. 17).  The appointment is effective Oct. 1.    Andrassy (pronounced ANN-druh-see) has been an assistant coach for the Golden Flashes for the past nine seasons ? the last six as a full-time assistant - after earning four letters and a Mid-American Conference individual title as a wrestler from 1991-94.  He replaces Frank Romano who retired in June following seven seasons as head coach.    "I am very pleased to have the opportunity to promote an outstanding coach like Jim Andrassy to be the next head wrestling coach at Kent State University," said Kennedy.  "We did a national search with many outstanding candidates, and Jim impressed us very much.  He brings with him success at Kent State as an athlete and a coach, and he is very well connected in the intercollegiate wrestling community as well as the Ohio high school ranks."    Following his collegiate career, Andrassy joined the Kent State wrestling staff as a student assistant for one year while finishing his degree, then spent another as a volunteer coach and a third as a graduate assistant prior to being elevated to a full-time assistant in 1997.    During his tenure on the staff, Andrassy has helped lead Kent State to upper-division finishes at the MAC Championships seven times in nine seasons.  The Golden Flashes  were MAC regular-season co-champions this past season with a 4-1 dual-meet record, earning the program's first conference title of any kind since claiming three straight tournament crowns from 1988-90.  In addition, Andrassy has helped bring in two top-20 recruiting classes since 1999.    Andrassy becomes just the sixth head coach in the 75-year history of Kent State wrestling, joining A.S. Roberts (1927-29), Joe Tabor (1942-43), Joe Begala (1929-42, '45-71), Ron Gray (1971-96) and Romano (1996-2003).    "I'm very excited that Laing Kennedy and Kent State have given me the opportunity to be the head coach," said Andrassy.  "Since I was recruited here in 1990, this is a position I've always wanted.  I'm looking forward to continuing the tradition of Kent State wrestling and making the program even more of a national power in wrestling."    As a wrestler at Kent State, Andrassy posted a career record of 106-25-1 and still ranks third in all-time victories at the school.  He posted a record of 26-6 his junior season en route to the MAC championship at 158 pounds and was 27-7 as a senior in earning one of the MAC's wildcard bids to the NCAA Championships.  At the national meet, he won two of his four matches and finished one match away from All-America status.    Andrassy, 31, earned a bachelor's degree in rhetoric and communications from Kent State in 1995 and a master's in sport management in 2002.  Since 2000, he has served as a part-time instructor in KSU's physical education department.    A native of Macedonia, Ohio, he and his wife, the former Jennifer Marolt, reside in Northfield with their daughters, Megan (4) and Emily (2).