Pitt-Johnstown's Pat Pecora set to become winningest coach in college wrestling history

The Pitt-Johnstown wrestling team will host No. 11 Mercyhurst in a PSAC matchup Friday.

If the No. 4 Mountain Cats are victorious, coach Pat Pecora will earn his 617th victory and become the all-time winningest coach in college wrestling history.

Pecora tied former Oregon State coach Dale Thomas, who took over the all-time wins record when he surpassed Kent State’s Joe Beglia’s 284 victories in 1974, on Jan. 31 when the Mountain Cats shut out Shippensburg, 44-0. Thomas coached from 1956-1990 and ended his career with a 616-168-13 overall record.

The longtime Pitt-Johnstown wrestling coach, who took over the wrestling program in 1976 and also has been the athletic director since 2008, is in his 44th season and has produced a career coaching record of 616-151-8.

Along the way, Pecora has accomplished a lot as the head of the program. He’s a three-time NWCA Coach of the Year. He led the Mountain Cats to NCAA Division II National Championships in 1996 and ’99.

He also garnered 22 NCAA Regional titles and four consecutive PSAC team championships. Eleven wrestlers have produced top-five national finishes while 23 have earned top-10 and 35 have produced top-20.

This season, the Mountain Cats are 19-3 overall and are 5-0 in the PSAC.

On Feb. 15, the Mountain Cats will close out their regular season against Gannon on senior night, before they begin the postseason with the NCAA Division II Super Region I tournament at Mercyhurst on Feb. 29.