Edinboro University Athletics

21st Year
Penn State ‘86


There was a time when Tim Flynn lived in the shadows of the likes of Mike DeAnna and Bruce Baumgartner.  Edinboro University has been blessed with outstanding wrestling coaches since elevating the program to Division I status in the mid-80's.  As Flynn enters his 21st season in charge of the Fighting Scot wrestlers, plus five years as an assistant coach under Baumgartner, his legacy is quite simple.  He ranks as the top coach ever at Edinboro. 
           
Flynn became Edinboro’s all-time winningest coach several years ago, breaking the legendary Fred Caro’s record for career wins.  He won his 200th career match at the EMU Duals in November 2015 against Northern Illinois and enters the 2017-18 season with a 215-90-5 career record. He has led Edinboro to five top ten finishes at the NCAA Division I National Championships, and 13 top 20 finishes. 

In October 2016, Flynn was inducted into the Edinboro Athletic Hall of Fame, joining a small list of coaches to receive the honor.

Consider that under the former Penn State All-American the Fighting Scots have dominated eastern wrestling circles during Flynn's reign, winning the Eastern Wrestling League Championship 15 of the last 20 years, including eight straight years at one point, along with the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Tournament title 17 times in his 20 campaigns.

In addition, Edinboro at one point six years ago had won 34 of 35 dual matches.  The Fighting Scots had not lost in 29 straight EWL duals, going 28-0-1, before Pittsburgh defeated them late in 2010.   

All told, Flynn has been named the EWL Coach of the Year seven times and the PSAC Coach of the Year14 times. He has had three national champions – Josh Koscheck at 174 lbs. in 2001, Gregor Gillespie at 149 lbs. in 2007, and Jarrod King at 165 lbs. in 2009. In addition, eight wrestlers have finished as runner-ups. He has produced 38 All-Americans, 61 EWL champions, and 94 PSAC champions. 

A year ago, Flynn guided the Fighting Scots to a 9-6 finish while facing the traditional strong schedule that included top-ranked Oklahoma State and third-ranked Iowa, the latter in the NWCA National Duals. The Fighting Scots sent eight wrestlers to the NCAA Division I National Championships and finished 20^th. Sean Russell became Flynn’s 38^th All-American as the redshirt sophomore captured seventh place at 125 lbs.
           
Edinboro won the EWL Championship and a sixth straight PSAC Championship, with Flynn being selected the PSAAC Coach of the Year for the 14^th time. The Fighting Scots had six EWL champions and five PSAC titlists. Edinboro recorded its fourth straight undefeated EWL regular season, and has now won 23 straight EWL duals.

Flynn guided a young team to a deceiving 8-11 finish in 2015-16 while facing a strong schedule. The Fighting Scots sent six wrestlers to the NCAA Division I National Championships and finished in a tie for 32nd, with freshman Patricio Lugo reaching the round of 12 and finishing one win shy of All-American honors.
 
Edinboro finished second at the EWL Championships, with three Fighting Scots capturing first place. The Fighting Scots won their third straight EWL regular season title and represented the EWL in the NWCA Championship Duals Series, facing Ohio State. In addition, they made it five straight PSAC Championships as six wrestlers came away with first place finishes.
 
Flynn has worked his magic nationally.  He has guided his recent editions to some of the most dominant campaigns in Edinboro history. That includes back-to-back campaigns in 2014-15 and 2013-14 that go down as the finest in school history.

In 2014-15, for the second year in a row, the Fighting Scots enjoyed an incredible run at the NCAA Division I National Championships in St. Louis. Edinboro reached the podium as one of the top four teams for the first time, finishing third as four wrestlers earned All-American honors.

Mitchell Port and Dave Habat finished as national runner-ups at 141 and 149 lbs., respectively, while A.J. Schopp (133 lbs.) and Vic Avery (184 lbs.) were third. Port and Schopp became three-time All-Americans, with Habat earning the honor for the second time. That gave Flynn 37 All-Americans.

In addition, Edinboro won its second straight Eastern Wrestling League championship and fourth straight PSAC crown. Edinboro ended the year with a 14-5 record. Flynn was named the EWL?Coach of the Year for the seventh time and PSAC?Coach of the Year for the 13th time and fourth straight year.

In 2013-14, Edinboro ended the three-day tournament in Oklahoma City with three All-Americans and a fifth-place finish, at that time the highest ever.  Port captured third place at 141 lbs., while Schopp and Habat were fourth at 133 and 149 lbs., respectively.

Edinboro ended the year with an 11-3 record, winning 10 of its last 11 duals. That included a 17-16 win over Pittsburgh, who was ranked sixth at the time, marking the second straight year the Fighting Scots knocked off a top ten team.   They lost a narrow 22-19 match to then top-ranked Iowa, with the other losses to eighth-ranked Virginia Tech (23-14) and 13th-ranked Virginia (20-19). The latter match came in the finals of the Virginia Duals after Edinboro had avenged its loss to Virginia Tech with a 23-9 win in the semifinals.  The Scots also had wins over nationally-ranked Rider (27-9) and Old Dominion (17-16).
 
As expected, the veteran coach received a host of honors in the aftermath of the outstanding season. They began at the end of Nationals when he was named the NWCA NCAA Division I Coach of the Year.  He shared InterMat Coach of the Year honors with Minnesota’s J Robinson, and was also selected WIN’s Dan Gable Coach of the Year.  He was named the PSAC Coach of the Year for the third straight year and the 12th time in his 17 years as Edinboro’s head coach, and was selected as the EWL Coach of the Year for the sixth time. He was named Edinboro’s Coach of the Year for the fifth time.

In 2009 the Fighting Scots finished sixth at the NCAA?Division I National Championships, tying the 1997 team for the top finish since Edinboro moved up to Division I prior to 2014. 
 
Three wrestlers earned All-American honors, marking the third time in four years with three All-Americans.  That included the third national champion to train under Flynn, as Jarrod King came away with the national crown at 165 lbs.  Paul Donahoe reached the finals at 125 lbs., marking the first time Edinboro had two wrestlers in the finals.  Donahoe would finish second, and Gregor Gillespie joined Josh Koscheck as a four-time All-American with a fourth place finish at 157 lbs.
               
All that winning led to more awards for Flynn, as he was recognized as the EWL Coach of the Year for the fifth time and the PSAC?Coach of the Year for the eighth time.  Edinboro finished the season with a 14-4-1 record. 
       
In 2012-13 Flynn was named the PSAC Coach of the Year as he guided a young team to a 10-6 finish, the PSAC Championship, and a second place finish at the EWL?Championships.  Port and Schopp became his 29th and 30th All-Americans as the Fighting Scots finished 14th at Nationals.  Port would reach the title bout at 141 lbs., the sixth wrestler under Flynn to finish as the runner-up, along with the three national champions.
      
The story was much the same in 2011-12 -- a 9-4 finish with an extremely young lineup that showcased no fewer than seven freshmen and true freshmen in the lineup. Edinboro once again enjoyed more tournament success, including the sixth PSAC championship in the last seven years, along with a second place showing at the EWL Tournament.
 
Six Fighting Scots would qualify for Nationals, with Chris Honeycutt reaching the finals at 197 lbs. before settling for a second place finish.  Schopp (133 lbs.) and Port (141 lbs.) also reached the round of 12 as true freshmen. Edinboro would finish 17th at Nationals, marking the seventh straight top 25 finish. Flynn was named the PSAC Coach of the Year for the tenth time at the end of the year.
               
The year before that Flynn may have put together one of his best coaching jobs when the Fighting Scots finished at 9-10-1. Injuries and other issues saw Flynn forced to mix and match a lineup featuring numerous youngsters, while at the same time trying to build for the future. Edinboro would see its supremacy in the PSAC and EWL finally come to an end, finishing third and fifth, respectively. Yet Flynn took five wrestlers to Nationals, and the group helped the Scots finish in a tie for 23rd. Honeycutt earned All-American honors with a fifth place showing at 184 lbs., and Torsten Gillespie (149 lbs.) and Johnny Greisheimer (157 lbs.) also reached the round of 12.
               
In 2009-10 the Fighting Scots had some up-and-down moments, but typical of Flynn teams, they peaked late in the season. After winning their fifth straight PSAC Championship in December on their home mats to tie Lock Haven for the most consecutive PSAC crowns, the Fighting Scots doubled up again at the EWL Championships, shocking teams such as Pittsburgh which seemed primed to finally wrest the title away from the Boro.
               
With an incredible run in the second and third sessions that saw Edinboro win its final 16 matches, the Fighting Scots picked up their eighth straight EWL crown, outdistancing the Panthers 135.5 to 121.5 points. Edinboro ended the year with a 9-6 record in dual matches and Flynn was recognized as the PSAC Coach of the Year for the ninth time.
               
The EWL title was followed up by another strong showing at the NCAA Division I National Championships, with the Fighting Scots finishing 16th as six wrestlers made the trip to Omaha, Nebraska. For the fourth time in five years Flynn produced multiple All-Americans. This time it was Jarrod King bringing home third place at 165 lbs. and unseeded Torsten Gillespie finishing sixth at 149 lbs.
               
The 2005-06 Fighting Scots finished with a perfect 12-0 record, the only Division I team in the country to go undefeated. They dominated the PSAC Championships, as nine wrestlers reached the finals and six earned championships, both PSAC records.
               
Next came the EWL Tournament, where despite just two wrestlers capturing first place, nine earned a trip to Nationals, as Edinboro outdistanced West Virginia for its fourth straight EWL crown. Flynn would later be named the EWL Coach of the Year for the fourth time.
               
Finally came a memorable three-day stay in Oklahoma City. Edinboro departed the NCAA Division I National Championships with three All-Americans and an eighth place finish, the highest since the 1997 team finished sixth. The three All-Americans were the most since 2000.
               
The 2006-07 team came back with the second straight top ten finish at Nationals, finishing ninth. The Fighting Scots once again had three All-Americans, including the program’s third national champion, and second under Flynn, as Gregor Gillespie brought home the title at 149 lbs.
               
Edinboro ended the year with a 17-1 record, a school record for wins, and finished the regular season ranked sixth, the highest in school history. The lone loss came to eighth-ranked Penn State, and the Scots avenged that loss with a 19-17 win later in the season to finish first in the Virginia Duals.
               
The Fighting Scots once again won the PSAC Championship, as all ten wrestlers earned All-PSAC honors with at least a third place finish, including five champions. Three grapplers came away with first place finishes at the EWL Tournament, and eight qualified for Nationals. Flynn was later named the PSAC Coach of the Year for the sixth time.
               
The 2007-08 Edinboro edition appeared primed for a third straight top ten finish as all ten wrestlers qualified for Nationals. But the Fighting Scots had a rough showing at Nationals, finishing in a tie for 21st. One of the few bright spots was Gregor Gillespie placing fifth at 157 lbs. to earn All-American honors for the third time.
               
In addition, Edinboro dominated the EWL Tournament and PSAC Championships, with Flynn being named the PSAC Coach of the Year. Edinboro tied the PSAC record with seven individual champions.
               
In 2005, the Fighting Scots finished 28th at Nationals, the first time that Edinboro had not finished in the top 25 during Flynn’s tenure. However, the Fighting Scots could still take solace in Shawn Bunch’s second place finish at 133 lbs. He became just the sixth Boro grappler to earn a runner-up spot.
               
Edinboro previously recorded a 12th place finish in 2001 and a 14th place finish in 2002 under Flynn, plus a pair of 15th place finishes.
 
In 2004-05, Flynn took a young and inexperienced lineup, and one which would battle injuries throughout the year, and led it to a 9-5-1 record.
               
It would have been easy to use the inexperience and injuries as an excuse, particularly when the Fighting Scots failed to win their fourth straight PSAC title. Instead, Flynn rallied his grapplers to a resounding first place finish at the EWL Tournament. Bunch was the lone individual champion, but six Fighting Scots qualified for Nationals. Flynn was recognized as the PSAC Coach of the Year in 2004 after guiding Edinboro to a 10-3 finish and a third straight PSAC title. In ‘03 he was named both the EWL and PSAC Coach of the Year.
               
The 2003-04 Fighting Scot edition matured as the year went on, easily capturing the PSAC crown as five grapplers brought home individual titles, one shy of the school record. Just over a month later the Fighting Scots rallied from six points down entering the final session to tie West Virginia for the EWL championship. A record-tying four Scots were crowned champions, with six Edinboro wrestlers qualifying for Nationals.
               
Edinboro also won the EWL dual meet title for the fourth time in six seasons, unseating West Virginia with a 25-13 upset of the Mountaineers in Morgantown and ending WVU's 19-match EWL winning streak. The Fighting Scots posted a perfect 7-0 record in EWL competition.
               
A youthful Edinboro squad surprised the experts by finishing with a 10-5 record in 2003, winning both the EWL and PSAC Championships. The Scots only finished third during the EWL dual meet season, but thanks to four first place finishes and all ten wrestlers placing no lower than fourth, Edinboro outdistanced West Virginia to reclaim the EWL Tournament crown from the Mountaineers. The PSAC Championship featured four individual champions. Matt King went on to place fourth at 165 lbs. at Nationals, with eight Scots qualifying for Nationals.
               
The Fighting Scots posted a 10-4 ledger the year before, extending their EWL unbeaten streak to 25 straight matches before an injury-ravaged team suffered a loss at Lock Haven. The Boro edged Lock Haven in the PSAC Championships, and later went on to finish second to West Virginia at the EWL Tournament. Seven Fighting Scots qualified for Nationals at EWLs, with Koscheck and Cory Ace going on to earn All-American status at Nationals. Ace finished eighth at 133 lbs.
               
Edinboro finished with an 11-3-1 record in 2001, concluding the campaign with an EWL unbeaten streak of 22 matches. The streak was interrupted by a 16-16 tie with Virginia Tech early in the season, but Edinboro went on to finish as the regular season EWL champion for the sixth time in the last eight years, including the last three seasons. The Scots were 21-0-1 during their 22-match unbeaten streak. Edinboro then easily outdistanced Lock Haven at the EWL Championships.

To top it off, a record-tying nine Fighting Scots qualified for Nationals, helping the Boro finish with an all-time high point total in Iowa City, IA. The 12th place finish led all eastern schools, and was the highest finish by an Edinboro squad since the 1996-97 squad finished sixth. Flynn was recognized as the EWL Coach of the Year following the 2001 season.

Flynn came to Edinboro following three seasons as a graduate assistant coach at his alma mater, Penn State. In his first season as head coach the Fighting Scots were only 7-7 in dual matches, but went on to win the PSAC Championship and the EWL Championship. It marked the first-ever EWL crown for Edinboro. With a record nine wrestlers going to Nationals, the Boro placed 15th at Nationals.

In 1998-99, the Fighting Scots closed out the season with eight straight wins to finish at 11-3-1. For the second year in a row they captured the PSAC and EWL crowns, with eight Scots heading to Penn State for the NCAA Tournament. Edinboro finished 18th among the 79-team field. Flynn was recognized as the EWL Coach of the Year thanks to a perfect 7-0 league mark.

Edinboro's unbeaten dual match streak reached 19 in 1999-2000 before Central Michigan handed the Scots an 18-15 defeat. It would be the only setback that year, as Flynn's third team went 14-1. That included a first-ever win over Penn State by a 19-14 count in State College. Edinboro had lost its previous eight meetings with the Nittany Lions. In addition, the Scots took first place at the prestigious Virginia Duals.

The Scots would win their third straight PSAC and EWL titles, with Flynn recognized as the PSAC Coach of the Year for the third straight year. He was also honored as Edinboro's Coach of the Year in 1999-2000. Eight more wrestlers headed to Nationals, securing a 15th place finish for the Scots.
   
Joining the program as an assistant coach prior to the start of the 1992-93 season, Flynn assisted Baumgartner to a 56-21 record during his five year period as an aide, including a perfect 14-0 dual match record and a 6th place finish at Nationals, the best in school history, in '95-96.

The Scots won three out of four EWL dual meet championships from 1994-97, with perfect 6-0 records each year, and claimed just the second PSAC Championship in school history in 1994-95.
               
Following three standout seasons at Vista High School in Vista, CA, Flynn moved east to finish his prep career at Annapolis Senior High School in Annapolis, MD. He went on to enjoy a stellar career at Penn State, captaining the 1986-87 squad while earning All-American honors at 134 lbs. He went 30-10-1 as a senior, winning the EWL title and finishing seventh at Nationals. The Nittany Lions enjoyed one of their greatest seasons ever with an 18-1-1 record and a third place finish at the NCAA Tournament.
               
Flynn finished with a 105-32-2 record, still ranking among the all-time career leaders in victories for the Nittany Lions. He also won the EWL title as a junior in 1986 while competing at 126 pounds, finishing with a 30-7-1 mark. He qualified for Nationals as a sophomore as well after finishing second at the EWL Championships. He was four-time Midlands Championships place winner, a two-time Mat Town USA champion, and was an Espoir National freestyle runner-up in 1984.
 
Flynn graduated from Penn State in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in Business Management.  He later earned his master's degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance in 1990.  He and his wife, Tanya, reside in Edinboro with their two children - Logan, 19 years old and a sophomore at Edinboro, and Riley, 16 years old.