Corey Luce is entering his third season as an assistant coach with the New York University wrestling team, and will continue to work primarily with the team’s lower and middle weight classes.
Luce’s expertise proved instrumental as NYU produced its most memorable season ever last winter. The grapplers went 16-1, captured their fourth University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship, finished an all-time best 12th at the NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships, and ended the season ranked a program-high #13 in the final Brute-Adidas National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Team Rankings. Seniors Stephen Hult (141 pounds) and Takafumi Hashimoto (157) earned All-America honors after placing third and fifth, respectively, in their weight classes. In addition, senior Nick Coleman (184) also qualified for the nationals.
NYU’s performance in 2007-08 followed up a strong 2006-07 season, as the team went 15-9-1 in dual meets during Luce’s first season with the program.
Luce joined the NYU staff after five seasons as an assistant wrestling coach and recruiting coordinator at Hunter College. During his tenure with the Hawks, Luce helped produce four national qualifiers and two All-Americans, as well as the program’s first-ever New York State Champion.
Prior to his stint at Hunter, Luce served as an assistant coach for one season at Maritime College.
“Coach Luce has a real passion for the sport,” said NYU head coach Bruce Haberli. “He really enjoys teaching technique, running workouts, wrestling with the guys, and recruiting. Anything at all that has to do with the sport he loves to be involved in.”
A 2000 graduate of Wilkes University with degrees in elementary education and psychology, Luce wrestled for the Colonels for two seasons following his transfer from Lock Haven University. A scholarship wrestler for the NCAA Division I Bald Eagles, Luce was a placewinner at several tournaments (Penn State Open, West Virginia Open, Wilkes Open) during his career. Wrestling in the 118 and 125-pound weight classes, he was a member of Lock Haven’s squad that finished fourth in the nation at the NCAA Division I Championships during his sophomore season.
Luce eventually earned a master’s degree in physical education from Queens College in 2006.
Luce also has experience as a head wrestling coach, having served at both Dickey Elementary School (1996-97) in Lock Haven and Dalton High School (2000-01) in Manhattan.
A native of Wilkes-Barre, PA, Luce resides in Manhattan.
