USA GRECO-ROMAN COACHES
MATT LINDLAND National Greco-Roman Coach
Matt Lindland was named USA
Wrestling National Greco-Roman Coach in May 2014. He coaches the nation’s elite Greco-Roman athletes and guides the develop- ment of the program. Lindland is the fourth full-time National Greco- Roman Coach. At the 2014 World Championships, his first as National Coach, Andy Bisek won a bronze medal at 74 kg, the first U.S. Greco-Roman World or Olympic medal since 2009, and the team placed 12th in the standings. In 2015, Bisek won another bronze medal, and the USA placed 13th as a team. Lindland served as World Team Coach for the 2013 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team in Budapest, Hungary. He served as an assistant at the two colleges where he attended, Clackamas CC and the University of Nebraska. Lindland was the top ranked Middleweight in MMA for a num- ber of years. He also coached at his own gym, Team Quest. Lindland won a silver medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, competing at 76 kg. In 2001, Lindland went up a weight class to compete at to 85 kg and won a World silver medal He won a gold medal at the 1999 Pan American Games, as well as the 1996 World Cup. He was an 1991 NJCAA nation- al champion for Clackamas CC and transferred to the Univ. of Nebraska, where he was a top star for the Cornhuskers.
CHRIS SABA Olympic Coach
Saba was a coach for the 2016 U.S. team which competed at the Pan American Olympic Qualifier in Frisco, Texas which was led by champion Jordan Holm (85 kg). He coached the 2015 Pan American Championships team which won the Greco-Roman team title. Saba has coached a number of USA Senior teams on international tours, including two trips to Cuba, plus events in Bulgaria and other locations. Saba served with the coaching staff at the 2015 U.S. World Championships, which were held in Las Vegas. Saba regularly helps coach top Greco-Roman athletes who train at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. He attends workouts often, training with the athletes and providing coaching support to the Greco-Roman program. For many years, he served as a Greco-Roman coach for the national power New York Athletic Club and coached top athletes at the U.S. Open and the World Team Trials. As an athlete, Saba competed on the 1997 and 1998 U.S.
World Team, and was the U.S. Open champion in 1997 and 1998. He was second in both the 1996 and 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Saba won silver and bronze medals at the Pan American Championships. He was a starter for Syracuse and was fourth in the 1988 New York State Championships for Bethlehem Central High.
24 USA Wrestling Rio Media Guide
MOMIR PETKOVIC Assistant National
Greco-Roman Coach Momir Petkovic joined USA
Wrestling as its Assistant National Greco-Roman Coach in May, 2002. He works with the top Senior ath- letes and coaches at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. He helped lead the U.S. to the team title at the 2007 World Championships, the first and only time the USA has won a Greco- Roman World Team title, led by three medalists. Petkovic has worked with two USA Wrestling National Greco- Roman Coaches, Steve Fraser and Matt Lindland. During his tenure, the USA has won 11 World medals, including golds from Dremiel Byers (2002) and Joe Warren (2008). Also, Rulon Gardner (2004) and Adam Wheeler (2008) claimed Olympic bronze medals during his time as coach. He moved to the United States with his family in 1986. Petkovic served as a club coach for the New York Athletic Club. He was a volunteer coach for the 2000 U.S. Greco-Roman Olympic Team and the 2001 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team. He assisted at the 1988 U.S. Olympic Training Camp. Petkovic was a 1976 Olympic gold medalist, competing for the former Yugoslavia. He also claimed three World silver medals (1978, 1979, 1981) and a World bronze medal (1977) during his career. Petkovic placed fourth in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Calif.
MARK HALVORSON Olympic Coach
Halvorson served as 2014 U.S. Greco-Roman World Team Coach in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The United States placed 12th in the World, with Andy Bisek (75 kg) win- ning a bronze medal.
He was also on the coaching
staff at the 2015 World Championships in Las Vegas, and the 2013 World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Halvorson also led the 2014 Pan American Championships team in Mexico City, Mexico. He is a personal coach for Olympian and three-time U.S. World Team member Robby Smith.
He was the Head Coach of the 2013 Junior Greco-Roman
World Team in Bulgaria. In 2012, he coached at the Cadet World Championships in Azerbaijan, and the Junior World Championships in Thailand. Halvorson was a 2006 UWW Junior World Team coach. He was assistant coach for the 2003 University World Team at the Olympic Hopes Tournament in Hungary. Halvorson was Team Leader for the 2001 UWW Junior World Team and Head Coach of the 2000 UWW Cadet World Team. He served as the U.S. coach in all three styles at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore. He is head wrestling coach for the Community Youth Center of Concord, Calif. Halvorson is tournament director for the suc- cessful Junior Greco-Roman World Duals. He also works as the varsity wrestling coach at successful De La Salle High School.
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