One of Penn State’s greatest wrestlers is staying home. Coming off his first Olympic games appearance, Zain Retherford is set to join the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club (NWLC) staff.

The Nittany Lion is a three-time national champion, four-time All-American, and three-time Big Ten champion. He is one of six collegiate wrestlers to win the Hodge Trophy twice. Retherford was also named NCAA Most Dominant Wrestler three times and Big Ten Wrestler of the Year twice. He boasted an astounding 128-3 record during his time in Happy Valley with all of his losses coming as a freshman.

As a freestyle wrestler, Retherford represented the United States in a multitude of contests. The Nittany Lion won gold in the 2023 World Championships and the 2023 Pan American Championships. Retherford competed in front of a home crowd in April during the Olympic Trials where he beat fellow Penn State alumnus Nick Lee to qualify as the United States representative for the 65kg weight class in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

The NWLC is a State College-based training center that regularly produces competitors on the global stage, including many Penn Staters. Rutherford will join Cael Sanderson, Cody Sanderson, Casey Cunningham, Lee, Jake Varner, and Mark McKnight as coaches with the center.