WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue Wrestling head coach Tony Ersland announced the promotion of Leroy Vega to head assistant coach on Tuesday morning, rewarding his dedicated service to the program since joining in 2019.
"We are thrilled to be able to promote Leroy to the head assistant position," Ersland said. "Every year he's been with us he has become more and more instrumental in growing this program and we are confident that he will continue to help us reach our goals. His success on the recruiting trail and development of our guys in the room is invaluable to this team and I am excited to keep working alongside him."
Vega takes the step up after serving as an assistant coach for the 2023-24 season. He had previously served as the team's player development associate and as a volunteer assistant for his first three years with the Boilermakers.
Specializing in coaching the lighter weights, Vega has played a vital role in the program's success in the early part of the lineup in recent years. His influence helped bring Matt Ramos to West Lafayette and his coaching helped develop him into Purdue's 60th All-American and 13th NCAA finalist. In his five seasons on staff, he has coached seven All-Americans, 32 NCAA qualifiers, and 26 Big Ten placewinners.
The upcoming 2024-25 seasons will be Vega's sixth with the Boilermakers. Before joining the program, he spent eight years as the head coach of his alma mater Portage High School in northwestern Indiana. During his span as head coach, Vega had 41 Indiana High School Athletic Association state tournament qualifiers, with 10 appearing in the finals and three Portage wrestlers claiming an individual title. In 2015, the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association named Vega its coach of the year.
Vega wrestled collegiately at Minnesota from 1999 to 2002 and scattered his name throughout the legendary program. Individually, Vega earned All-America honors three times at 125 pounds and captured the Big Ten Conference 125-pound title in 2002. His performances helped the Gophers win three Big Ten team titles and back-to-back NCAA team titles in 2001 and 2002.
"We are thrilled to be able to promote Leroy to the head assistant position," Ersland said. "Every year he's been with us he has become more and more instrumental in growing this program and we are confident that he will continue to help us reach our goals. His success on the recruiting trail and development of our guys in the room is invaluable to this team and I am excited to keep working alongside him."
Vega takes the step up after serving as an assistant coach for the 2023-24 season. He had previously served as the team's player development associate and as a volunteer assistant for his first three years with the Boilermakers.
Specializing in coaching the lighter weights, Vega has played a vital role in the program's success in the early part of the lineup in recent years. His influence helped bring Matt Ramos to West Lafayette and his coaching helped develop him into Purdue's 60th All-American and 13th NCAA finalist. In his five seasons on staff, he has coached seven All-Americans, 32 NCAA qualifiers, and 26 Big Ten placewinners.
The upcoming 2024-25 seasons will be Vega's sixth with the Boilermakers. Before joining the program, he spent eight years as the head coach of his alma mater Portage High School in northwestern Indiana. During his span as head coach, Vega had 41 Indiana High School Athletic Association state tournament qualifiers, with 10 appearing in the finals and three Portage wrestlers claiming an individual title. In 2015, the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association named Vega its coach of the year.
A great motivator and comedian. 🙌
— Big Ten Wrestling (@B1GWrestling) March 6, 2024
We Mic'd up Assistant Coach Leroy Vega at a @PurdueWrestling practice and you're going to want to watch this! 😅 pic.twitter.com/tgNnPIHjfc
Vega wrestled collegiately at Minnesota from 1999 to 2002 and scattered his name throughout the legendary program. Individually, Vega earned All-America honors three times at 125 pounds and captured the Big Ten Conference 125-pound title in 2002. His performances helped the Gophers win three Big Ten team titles and back-to-back NCAA team titles in 2001 and 2002.