Lonnie Morris started the JWU (Providence) wrestling program in 1997 and currently stands as the third-winningest active head coach and sits in the top 20 in NCAA wrestling history across all levels of competition.
During his 26 years at the helm of the Wildcats program, Morris has accumulated over 440 wins, won six regional championships (2007, 2017-20, 2023), and produced 57 All-Americans – including six national champions: Jay Albis (125 lbs., 2018 & 2019); Hayden Brown (141 lbs., 2021); Mike Ross (165 lbs., 2021); Michael DiNardo (285 lbs., 2021); and Joziah Fry (125 lbs., 2023 & 2024).
The Wildcats finished fourth at the national championship in 2023-24 and saw five student-athletes receive All-America honors in 2023-24: Patrick Wisniewski (165 lbs.), Ryan DeVivo (197 lbs.), Victor Perlleshi (141 lbs.), Dylan Harr (197 lbs.), and Joziah Fry (125 lbs.), who became the first repeat national champion since Albis in 2018-19. Morris’ staff was named Staff of the Year by the New England Wrestling Association (NEWA).
In 2022-23, Morris was named National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Coach of the Year for the third time (2017, 2019) while his staff was tabbed NCAA Northeast Staff of the Year. The Wildcats won more than 30 matches in 2022-23 and 10 student-athletes received all-region recognition, six of whom went on to compete at the NCAA Championship in Virginia. Fry finished the season a perfect 43-0 to become the fifth student-athlete in JWU history to win a national championship with both Harr (197 lbs.) and Hayden Brown (149 lbs.) finished third and fourth in the nation, respectively.
Morris – who was named NEWA Rookie Coach of the Year in 1998 – has been named NEWA Coach of the Year on six occasions (2000, 2004, 2007, 2014, 2017, 2023). The Wildcats, meanwhile, captured 11 titles in the now-disbanded Pilgrim Wrestling League (2000, 2002, 2005-12, 2017) and have claimed 11 NEWA Duals (2002, 2006, 2008-09, 2017-20, 2022-2). In December of 2018, JWU ascended to the top spot in the NWCA Top 25 for the first time in program history.Â
Away from the mat, the Wildcats are annually ranked among the nation’s best in the classroom as 85 student-athletes have garnered academic All-America status under Morris’ watch. In 2011, his Wildcat squad was crowned as the national GPA champions.
A 1996 graduate of Rhode Island College with a degree in physical education, Morris was an NCAA Division III All-American, a two-time New England champion, and an All-New England honoree four times as a heavyweight from 1990-94. He stands as one of only four wrestlers with 100+ wins in Anchormen history.
Morris is a member of the NEWA Hall of Fame and was inducted into the RIC Hall of Fame in 2006, the Rhode Island Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2011, and the NWCA Hall of Fame in 2019. He has also served as NWCA President and served on numerous NCAA committees.
Morris resides in Barrington with his wife, Katherine, and children Cortney, Taylor, and Jack.
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