Entering his 10th season as head coach of Cal Poly wrestling in 2025-26, Jon Sioredas has led one of the most impressive transformations in all of Division I wrestling.
When Sioredas took over the program prior to the 2016-17 season, the Mustangs had no NCAA qualifiers at the time. Today, Cal Poly has produced six All-Americans in the past six seasons, earned a national Top 25 ranking five straight years, broke into the top 10 for the first time in 39 years in 2022 and achieved a Top 15 InterMat Team Tournament ranking in 2024-25.
During the 2022-23, the Mustangs went undefeated in Pac-12 duals (5–0), with statement wins over No. 8 Arizona State, No. 26 Oregon State, and Stanford, capturing the program’s first-ever Pac-12 dual meet title. For his leadership, Sioredas was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year.
Cal Poly’s rise has been powered by elite athletes and sustained national relevance. In 2025, Zeth Romney placed third at the NCAA Championships to become the program’s highest finisher in the 133-pound weight class and was crowned the Pac-12 Wrestler of the Year. Evan Wick closed his collegiate career as a four-time All-American, Bernie Truax earned All-American honors three times, and Tom Lane was recognized as an All-American during the COVID-canceled championship season.
Cal Poly’s success under Sioredas has extended beyond the mat. The team recently set a school-record GPA, reflecting a deep commitment to academic excellence. Sioredas has also led record-breaking fundraising efforts, setting new highs in both total dollars raised and number of donors helping fuel the program’s continued growth.
At the heart of Cal Poly’s resurgence is a culture grounded in values — “We make aligned decisions that reflect who we are on the mat, in the classroom, and in life,” Sioredas said. “Our mission is simple: earn a meaningful degree, build a reputation of excellence on campus and in the community and compete to become NCAA All-Americans and national champions.”
Notable achievements in Coach Sioredas’ tenure:
Athletic Accomplishments
NCAA Division I All-Americans: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
Top 25 Nationally Ranked Program: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Top 15 Nationally Ranked Program: 2022, 2025
Academic Achievements
Highest Team GPA on record: 2025
100% Graduation Rate of Senior Class: 2017–2025
NCAA Academic Progress Rate: Top 10 in the nation (2017–19)
Recruiting Successes
Ten Top 100 Recruits: 2019–2025
Seven Nationally Ranked Transfers: 2020–2025
Top 25 Nationally Ranked Recruiting Class: 2019
Fundraising Progress
Highest fundraising total in program history: 2025
Double-digit growth in donor support year-over-year
Greatest number of individual donors in program history
Before Cal Poly, Sioredas served as head coach at Grand Canyon University, guiding the program through its transition from Division II to Division I. In just two seasons, he built depth across all weight classes and signed a nationally ranked recruiting class, including three Top 100 recruits.
Sioredas was an assistant coach at Chattanooga for two seasons, helping lead the Mocs to a No. 19 national ranking and a sweep of the conference regular season and tournament titles. He had five wrestlers qualify for NCAAs during his tenure, two of whom were seeded in the Top 10.
Prior to Chattanooga, Sioredas spent six seasons on staff at Old Dominion University. There, he helped the Monarchs break into the Top 25 four times, develop four All-Americans and one NCAA finalist, and rank among the nation’s top teams in GPA with 10 NWCA All-Academic honorees.
Across his 19-year coaching career, including 11 as a head coach, Sioredas has worked with 10 nationally ranked teams, coached 10 NCAA All-Americans, 66 national qualifiers, and 18 Academic All-Americans. He has also recruited seven Top 25 ranked classes.
As a competitor, Sioredas was an NCAA All-American at Chattanooga, placing fifth at 165 pounds at the 2005 NCAA Championships. He was a two-time Southern Conference champion, SoCon Wrestler of the Year, and Tournament MVP.
A 2005 Chattanooga graduate, Sioredas holds a degree in sociology and anthropology and was later inducted into the Tennessee at Chattanooga Athletics Hall of Fame. He earned an MBA from Nova Southeastern University in 2009 and completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Performance Leadership from Cornell University in 2023.
A native of Chesapeake, Virginia and a 2000 Great Bridge High School graduate, Sioredas was a Virginia state champion, All-American and national champion, amassing a 181-13 career prep record, becoming the fourth winningest wrestler in Virginia high school history.
Coach Sioredas and his wife, Michele, live in San Luis Obispo with their son, Braden.
Jon Sioredas
