Wrestling
- Title:
- Assistant Coach
- Email:
- wrestling@umich.edu
David Bolyard is in his eighth season as an assistant coach with the University of Michigan wrestling program. Before joining the Wolverine program, he served the head coach at Eastern Michigan University for four seasons (2015-18) and named the 2018 Mid American Conference Coach of the Year.
The Wolverines have posted a 63-22 dual-meet record since Bolyard's arrival on staff, including a 38-18 mark in Big Ten duals, and boasted four top-five finishes at the NCAA Championships, a Big Ten team championship, two NCAA champions in Nick Suriano (125 pounds, 2022) and Mason Parris (heavyweight, 2023) and 22 NCAA All-Americans -- as well as four NWCA All-Americans after the Covid-19 pandemic canceled the 2020 NCAA event. Parris was also named the 2023 recipient of the prestigious Hodge Trophy, presented annually to the nation's top college wrestler.
Michigan boasted one of the most successful seasons in the 100-year history of the program in 2021-22. The Wolverines posted a 12-1 dual-meet record, captured the Big Ten championship for the first time since 1973 and claimed second place at the NCAA Championships. Suriano captured the 125-pound NCAA title to cap a perfect 16-0 season at 125 pounds, while U-M tied a program record with six total All-Americans. Myles Amine, who also earned Co-Wrestler of the Big Ten Championships, became the first ever five-time NCAA placewinner with a runner-up finish at 184 pounds, while Will Lewan (157 pounds), Cameron Amine (165), Logan Massa (174) and Parris (Hwt) also reached the podium.
Bolyard served four years at the helm of the EMU program and, in 2017-18, coached the Eagles to one of the most successful seasons in school history before the program was cut three days after the NCAA Championships. EMU claimed third place at the 2018 MAC Championships, sending four wrestlers to their respective finals and tying a program record with five NCAA qualifiers. Sa'Derian Perry became the fifth NCAA All-American in program history and first since 1999.
His teams were also successful in the classroom, placing 11th or better in the NWCA All-Academic standings in each of his four seasons, including a first-place finish in 2015. The Eagles boasted 24 Academic All-MAC team members while six earned NWCA All-Academic honors over his tenure.
Before ascending to EMU's head coaching position, Bolyard spent seven seasons as the Eagles' top assistant and two as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Central Michigan.
During a standout collegiate career at CMU (2002-05), Bolyard claimed NCAA All-America honors in 2004 after placing sixth at 165 pounds and was a four-time NCAA qualifier. A 2005 MAC individual champion, he posted a 109-38 career record, including a then-record 21 straight wins as a senior, and still ranks 10th among CMU's all-time wins leaders.
Bolyard, a native of Akron, Ohio, earned a bachelor's degree in entrepreneurship from Central Michigan in 2005 and a master's degree in athletic administration in 2008. He and his wife, Amanda, have two children, Maddox and Scarlett, and live in Saline.
