| Lenny Bernstein |
|
|
Lenny Bernstein enters his 13th season (1993-present) at the helm of the Virginia Wrestling program. During his coaching tenure, Bernstein has developed Virginia wrestling into one of the more prominent wrestling programs in the country. His track record of success is proof of that statement. At UVa, Bernstein has coached six All-American wrestlers, watched his team make 12 consecutive NCAA Championship appearances, crowned 25 ACC Champions and guided Virginia to 94 team victories to name a few highlights.
Six of Virginia's nine All-Americans have come during the Lenny Bernstein era. The last two seasons, Bernstein has produced recruiting classes ranked in the Top 25 including his 2005-06 class which was rated as high as the 15th best class in the nation. Those figures simply reflect the impact he has made and demonstrate the foundation he has put in place for the wrestling program he has built in Charlottesville.
Bernsein, who assisted George Edwards with the UVa wrestling team from 1990-93, employs a style of coaching that strives to get the most out of each individual's abilities. Such an approach has paid big dividends.
"A lot of times when guys go into programs, they may be stifled by the style of that program," said Bernstein. "I prefer to take what a wrestler already has and work on those strengths."
Last season (2004-05), Virginia finished 6-11 overall, 1-4 in the ACC and had two wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Championships. Bernstein coached Paul Bjorlo to an ACC Championship while Will Durkee and Rocco Caponi finished as ACC runner-ups in their weight classes. Bjorlo and Caponi both qualified for the NCAAs. The Cavaliers captured the Virginia Intercollegiates State Championship, after four Cavaliers were crowned individual champions.
Off the mat, Virginia's wrestling program was ranked No. 22 in the country for the best overall team grade point average and was listed among the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) All-Academic Top-30 teams for its 2.96 team GPA.
In 2003-2004, Virginia finished 10-7 overall, 3-1 in the ACC and placed 16th nationally following the NCAA Championships. For the second time in his career, Bernstein coached a pair of All-American wrestlers in the same season as he helped guide 141-pounder Scott Moore and 165-pounder Tim Foley to two of the most decorated wrestling careers ever at UVa. Moore, who was ranked #1 in the country for most of the year, finished the season with a record of 51-1, 17-0 in dual matches and shattered the former career fall record at Virginia (28) with 34 falls in just one year of competition. Foley also turned in a stellar season going 38-7 overall, 16-1 in dual matches with 13 falls and etched his name in numerous categories in the Virginia wrestling record books. The duo of Moore and Foley earned ACC Championships for their respective weight classes. The pair also competed in the NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Mo., where Moore placed third and Foley placed eighth nationally. The Cavaliers' 3-1 record in the ACC also extended a streak where Virginia finished .500 or better in the conference for the 10th consecutive season. That feat marked the second longest streak for a .500 season-or-better in the ACC by a UVa squad.
Two seasons ago (2002-03), Virginia finished the year with a record of 12-5 overall and posted a perfect 4-0 mark in the ACC. It was UVa's most overall wins ever and the Cavaliers' best league finish in 28 seasons-since the 1975 squad went 12-3 (4-0 ACC). Among UVa's ACC dual-match victories that season was an especially memorable 20-17 win at North Carolina on January 24, 2003. The victory was UVa's first over UNC since Feb 22, 1975. Virginia won 12 of its final 14 matches in 2002-03 and closed out the season by winning eight consecutive duals.
In addition to winning the state championship in 2002-03 at the Virginia Intercollegiates, the Cavaliers had two individual ACC Champions crowned at the ACC Tournament in Bob Seidel (141) and Josh Etu (HWT), and had four wrestlers qualify and three individuals compete at Nationals in Kansas City, Missouri.
In 2001-02, UVa finished 8-10 overall, 2-2 in the ACC. Bernstein guided three wrestlers to an ACC Championship after Joe Alexander (133), Tim Foley (157) and Jimi Massey (184) won their respective weight classes. Bernstein also coached three wrestlers in the 2001-2002 NCAA Wrestling Championships in Albany, N.Y. when Ryan Painter (HWT), Foley and Massey competed in the event. Massey was just one win away from becoming the eighth All-American wrestler at Virginia. UVa also won five of its final six duals matches, including a season-high four match win streak in dual action, to close out the year.
In 2000-2001, UVa finished 6-8 overall, 2-2 in the ACC. Bernstein coached UVa to a first place finish at the Virginia Intercollegiates where six Cavaliers took first place and three members of the team finished runner-up. Greg Francesca (165) and Massey (184) won their respective weight classes at the ACC Championships and joined Alexander (133) at the NCAA Championships in Iowa City, Iowa. For his outstanding coaching achievements, Bernstein was named the Coach of the Year in Virginia for the third time in eight years.
During the 1999-2000 season, UVa turned in a record of 5-6 overall, 2-2 in the ACC and finished the year 23rd at Nationals. The Cavaliers were paced by 125-pound sensation Steve Garland (30-5 overall, 10-1 dual matches), who made an outstanding run in the NCAA Wrestling Championships in St. Louis, Missouri. Garland finished as national runner-up after posting a 4-1 record in the NCAA Championships. He was tabbed an All-American after an outstanding season and became the fourth Cavalier to gather All-American honors during Bernstein's coaching tenure at UVa. Garland also became the first ever wrestler from Virginia to compete in the NWCA All-Star Classic.
Josh Etu (HWT) broke new ground in UVa wrestling history as well. Etu became the first ever Virginia wrestler to win not one, but two University National Championships. Etu won both the University Greco-Roman Championship and the University Freestyle Championship. P.J. Bory (141) and Ryan McGrath (184) also contributed to Virginia's success that season by winning their respective weight classes at the 2000 ACC Championships.
In 1998-1999, Virginia finished 9-5-1 overall, 2-2 in the ACC and finished the year 23rd at Nationals. At the 1999 ACC Championships, Craig Fenstermaker (197), Jim Harshaw (165) and Matt Roth (125) came away with titles in their respective weight classes, while John Pozniak (149) finished runner-up. Harshaw became only the fifth Cavalier to win three ACC titles in Virginia wrestling history. Harshaw and Roth both gathered All-American honors in 1999, becoming the second and third individuals to record the feat at UVa in the 1990s.
In 1997-98, the Cavaliers successfully defended their state wrestling team title, smashing their own record for points in the tournament while claiming six individual titles, including sweeping Outstanding Wrestler and Coach-of-the-Year honors for the second consecutive season. Virginia put together a seven-match win streak leading up to the ACC Championships, where for the third time in four years the Cavaliers took home the silver. In the process, three Cavaliers won ACC titles and for the second consecutive year, seven Virginia athletes qualified for NCAAs.
Bernstein's 1996-97 Cavaliers took a huge step towards new heights by winning the VISWC and taking second place at the 1997 ACC Championships. Bernstein was named Coach of the Year in Virginia in recognition of his work. Seven Cavaliers qualified for the NCAA Championships, the largest group UVa had ever sent.
In 1995-96, Virginia finished 9-8 overall and sent five wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. The previous year, the Cavaliers placed second at the 1994-95 ACC Championships and sent five wrestlers to the NCAA Tournament.
In Bernstein's first season as UVa head coach in 1993-94, the Cavaliers had their best finish in five years after placing fourth in the ACC Championships. In addition, three UVa wrestlers advanced to NCAAs. Mike Krafchick placed fifth at the NCAA meet in 1994, earning All-America honors in Bernstein's inaugural season.
Some of Bernstein's recruiting classes have been regarded among the best in the nation. Another solid recruiting class this season has Bernstein and the Cavaliers looking to make a strong impact on the ACC and improve on their third place finish from last year.
In high school, Bernstein went 110-0, won the National Prep School Championships three times and won the World Junior Championship in his weight class. He attended the University of North Carolina, compiling a career record of 96-34-6, including 32 pins. Bernstein won two ACC championships in three trips to the conference finals and earned All-America honors after placing fourth in the country in 1987. He also won the Gorrian Award for recording the most falls at the 1987 NCAA Tournament.
Bernstein graduated from UNC in 1989, earning degrees in math and speech communications. He served as an assistant coach at UNC for one season before going to UVa, where he worked on a master's degree in sports psychology while assisting with the Virginia program.
Bernstein brings a host of wrestling knowledge and experience to the head coaching job at Virginia. In addition to his previously mentioned success, Bernstein coached the 1990 Maryland All-Star Cadet free-style team and the 1991 Maryland All-Star Junior Freestyle team at Nationals.
Four assistant coaches under Bernstein have gone on to become a Division I head wrestling coach: Jim Akerly (American), Charlie Branch (Eastern Michigan), Brendan Buckley (Columbia) and most recently Jim Harshaw (Slippery Rock).
Bernstein is married to the former Wendy Brown of Chapel Hill, N.C. The couple has three children, Patrick Jordan, Bethany Ruth and Brian.
|
