2000 NCAA Runner Up
2000 ACC Wrestler of the Year
1997 ACC Champion
2006 NWCA National Asst. Coach of the Year
2010 ACC Coach of the Year
2x ACC Team Champions
Former Cavalier All-American Steve Garland is serving in his 12th season as head wrestling coach at Virginia. A master motivator, recruiter and coach, Garland has worked diligently to push the Cavaliers among the nation's elite. The results of Garland's perseverance are evident.
In Garland's first 11 seasons at Virginia, the Cavaliers earned 10 All-America honors and 17 ACC individual titles while qualifying 66 to the NCAA Championships and recording Top-25 team finishes at NCAAs in six of the last eight years. He also led the Cavaliers to two ACC Championships, claiming the title in 2010 and 2015.
Virginia has had at least one All-American in six of the last eight seasons. UVA has a 134-63 dual record during Garland’s tenure, as he ranks second in dual wins in school history. The Virginia wrestling program also has been a standout in the classroom; in 2013 UVA was honored by the NWCA as one of the top academic teams in the nation.
Garland and his staff have brought in 11 straight Top-25 recruiting classes, including a program-best No. 5 ranking for the 2015 class. His 2007 recruiting class, which included UVA’s first three-time NCAA All-American, Chris Henrich, was ranked No. 5 nationally by W.I.N. Magazine and No. 8 by InterMat.
In the most recent season, 2016-17, Garland coached George DiCamillo (141 pounds) and Jack Mueller (125 pounds) to All-America honors. DiCamillo became the third NCAA finalist in program history, while Mueller advanced to the semifinals and became the program’s first freshman to earn All-America honors. DiCamillo was named the ACC Wrestler of the Year, while Mueller was named the ACC Freshman Wrestler of the Year.
In the 2015-16 season, Garland coached five wrestlers to NCAA Championship appearances, including three-time ACC Champion George DiCamillo (133 pounds) who became only the seventh wrestler in UVA history to earn three ACC Championships in his career.
Virginia won its second ACC Championship under Garland in 2015 and earned a 19th-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Three Cavaliers made the NCAA Round of 12 and seven qualified for NCAAs, with Nick Sulzer (165 pounds) advancing through to claim All-America honors for the third straight year as he became the second three-time All-American in program history. Virginia rolled to the ACC Championship by 14.5 points over Pitt as Sulzer and George DiCamillo each won titles while all 10 Cavaliers finished in the top four at their respective weight classes. UVa defeated four ranked opponents during the dual season, including a pair of top-10 foes, Edinboro and Pitt.
Garland won ACC Coach of the Year honors in 2010 as the Cavaliers won the ACC title for the first time since 1977. UVa took 15th place at the NCAA Championships – the second-best NCAA finish in program history. A school-record eight Cavaliers qualified for the NCAA event. At the ACC Championships, Henrich and freshman Mike Salopek won individual championships but the championship was a total team effort. All 10 competing Cavaliers reached the semifinal round and posted finishes of fourth place or better. Henrich finished 35-3, while Brent Jones earned the Gorrarian Trophy at the NCAA Championships.
Garland, a 2000 Virginia graduate, was a three-time Atlantic Coast Conference finalist and winner of the ACC championship at 125 pounds in 1997. He qualified for the NCAA championships in each of his three years of competition. At the 2000 NCAA Championships, Garland earned All-America honors, falling in the national title match after he upset the top seed, Jody Strittmatter of Iowa, 9-7 in overtime, in the quarterfinals. Garland currently is tied for 14th all-time in career wins at UVA (91).
In 2000, Garland was named the ACC Wrestler of the Year. In his career, he compiled 91 wins, including a 30-5 mark during his senior season, when he competed in the NWCA All-Star meet. He also was a member of the 50th Anniversary Atlantic Coast Conference Team.