ALTOONA, Pa. — On April 25, Penn State Altoona Athletics announced Tyshawn White will be the new head coach of its NCAA Division III men’s and women’s wrestling program.
White comes to Penn State Altoona from Division II Chadron State College, where he served as an assistant coach for an Eagles men’s wrestling team that won the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and made a D-II Super Region postseason appearance last season. He will now lead Penn State Altoona’s resurrected wrestling program, which was announced last summer as an addition to the department’s NCAA sport offerings after previously being discontinued in the 1980s.
“We are indeed fortunate to have such a gifted, aspirational coach as Tyshawn be at the helm at the resurgence of men’s wrestling and the inauguration of women’s wrestling at Penn State Altoona,” said Penn State Altoona Chancellor Ron Darbeau. “His knowledge, skills and desire to build these programs, as well as his genuine love of coaching, will make him a true asset to our campus. We look forward to years of success in both programs as the campus ushers in a new era of growth — with athletic success being a principal driver.”
White has deep Pennsylvania ties and a firsthand knowledge of the wrestling community in the region. A native of Harrisburg, he graduated from Central Dauphin High School and went on to wrestle collegiately at Lock Haven, Clarion and Shippensburg Universities.
“I am very pleased to welcome Tyshawn White to our department. I believe he has the drive and determination to build the foundation of our wrestling programs,” said Penn State Altoona Director of Athletics Brent Baird. “His knowledge and skill will be great assets for him to be successful. I know his knowledge of wrestling talent in central Pennsylvania will allow him to establish recruiting contacts that will bring the best available wrestlers to Penn State Altoona. I look forward to working closely with Coach White to build a successful program.”
White is eager to bring his knowledge and passion of wrestling to Penn State Altoona as it reintroduces the men’s program and establishes a women’s program.
“I am humbled and grateful for the opportunity to develop Penn State Altoona wrestling. The campus is beautiful, and the community is more supportive and welcoming than I could have imagined,” White said. “Men’s wrestling has been my home and passion since I began wrestling myself, and now getting to help write the history for women’s wrestling here at Penn State Altoona is a privilege. I can’t thank the athletics department enough for supporting me in this role, and I am eager to get started, meet my teams and show the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference what we can do.”
At Chadron State from August 2023 to April 2024, White was part of a coaching staff that led the Eagles to an RMAC championship this past season, and the team went on to compete in the NCAA Division II Super Region 6 Championships. White was responsible for lightweights from 125 to 149 pounds while also assisting in management, development and success, with an emphasis on athlete education, safety and opportunity.
Prior to his time at Chadron State, White served as an assistant coach at Division III Messiah University from July 2021 to January 2022. There, he assisted in recruiting, training and evolution of the Messiah wrestling team.
White also had a highly successful wrestling career as a collegiate student-athlete. From 2016-18, he wrestled at Lock Haven, including being part of an Eastern Wrestling League champion team with the Bald Eagles, before moving on to Clarion for the 2018-19 season. After a year off from wrestling, he competed at Glenville State University during a COVID-shortened 2020-21 season.
From there, White moved on to Shippensburg, where he experienced his most successful season on the mat. He earned NCAA Division II All-American honors in the 2021-22 season, thanks to a third-place finish at 125 pounds at the Division II National Championships.
In his collegiate career overall, White was also a two-time first-team All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference selection at 125 pounds, once with Shippensburg and once with Clarion.
Before his collegiate career, White was an accomplished four-year high school wrestler, spending one year at Bishop McDevitt High School before competing his next three seasons at Central Dauphin under the tutelage of coach Jeff Sweigard. White was a four-time PIAA State Championships place-winner and ranked among the top 20 wrestlers overall in Pennsylvania upon his high school graduation.
White obtained a bachelor of arts degree in criminal justice from Lock Haven, and he is working toward completing a master of arts degree in sports management from Chadron State.
Penn State Altoona’s men’s and women’s wrestling teams will begin NCAA intercollegiate competition in 2024-25. The teams’ schedules will be announced this summer.
For more information on Penn State Altoona’s NCAA Division III athletics program, visit the Penn State Altoona Athletics site.