Oklahoma State University Athletics
Eric Guerrero
February 27, 2009 | Cowboy Wrestling
Guerrero's NCAA Team Championships
2003 - Strength and Conditioning Coach
2004 - Strength and Conditioning Coach
2005 – Assistant Coach
2006 - Assistant Coach
Guerrero's NCAA Individual Championships
1997 - 126 pounds
1998 - 126 pounds
1999 - 133 pounds
NCAA Individual Champions Coached By Guerrero
2005 – Zack Esposito, 149 pounds; Johny Hendricks, 165 pounds; Chris Pendleton, 174 pounds; Jake Rosholt, 197 pounds; Steve Mocco, Heavyweight
2006 - Johny Hendricks, 165 pounds; Jake Rosholt, 197 pounds
2008 - Coleman Scott, 133 pounds
Guerrero's Big 12 Team Championships As A Coach
2001 - Oklahoma State (Strength and Conditioning)
2003 – Oklahoma State (Strength and Conditioning)
2004 – Oklahoma State (Strength and Conditioning)
2005 – Oklahoma State (Assistant Coach)
2006 – Oklahoma State (Assistant Coach)
Guerrero's International Wrestling Experience
1999 FILA Freestyle World Championships
2001 FILA Freestyle World Championships
2001 U.S. Open Champion
2002 FILA Freestyle World Championships
2002 U.S. Open Champion
2003 FILA Freestyle World Championships
2003 World Cup Champion
2003 U.S. Open Champion
2004 Athens Olympics - Team USA
2004 U.S. Open Champion
Three-time NCAA individual champion and 2004 Olympian Eric Guerrero is in his fifth year on the Oklahoma State wrestling staff. During his time in Stillwater, he has been a key figure in four of the Cowboys' NCAA team championships and five of OSU's Big 12 team championships.
Guerrero joined John Smith's staff as a strength and conditioning coach in 2000-01. His work in the weight room and in conditioning helped prepare Oklahoma State for NCAA team championships in 2003 and 2004. He was promoted into the position of assistant coach following the 2004 season, and the success continued as the Cowboys won their third and fourth consecutive NCAA team titles with Guerrero on board in 2005 and 2006, respectively.
The San Jose, Calif., native coached 2007 NCAA individual champion Coleman Scott, 2006 NCAA individual champions Johny Hendricks and Jake Rosholt, 2005 NCAA individual champions Zack Esposito, Hendricks, Chris Pendleton, Rosholt and Steve Mocco and assisted in the development of 2003 NCAA individual champs Johnny Thompson and Rosholt and 2004 NCAA individual champion Pendleton.
A decorated wrestler himself, Guerrero won NCAA individual championships in 1997, 1998 and 1999 at the age of 19, 20 and 21, respectively, and he represented the United States at the 2004 Athens Olympics. Guerrero was a four-time All-American in college and was a four-time USA senior freestyle champion. Additionally, Guerrero was a two-time USA FILA junior world freestyle champion and won the 1995 USA junior freestyle championship.
As an international competitor, Guerrero made his first USA national team while he was still just a junior in college. He earned his first berth in the World Championships following his college career in 1999. Guerrero won four U.S. Open titles from 2001 to 2004, won a World Cup Championship in 2003, was a member of the World Team five consecutive years and helped the Gator Wrestling Club win three national team titles.
Guerrero compiled a 117-13 overall record during his time as a wrestler at Oklahoma State from 1996-99, highlighted by a perfect 31-0 record his senior year in which he recorded a fall, 12 technical falls and seven major decisions. He is one of only 10 four-time All-Americans in the decorated history of Oklahoma State wrestling. Additionally, he was recognized as a two-time Academic All-American.
With Guerrero serving as one of the team leaders, the Cowboys won 68 consecutive dual matches spanning from the last four duals of his freshman year through the end of his senior year. The Cowboys won three conference championships during Guerrero's time competing, claiming the 1996 Big 8 championship and the 1997 and 1998 Big 12 titles.
He dominated the field at the 1999 NCAA Championships, picking up technical fall victories over Clarion's Brad Collins and UC Davis' David Yi in his first two matches before claiming a 10-2 major decision win over Northern Iowa's Eric Keller in the third round. A 1-0 win over Fresno State's Stan Greene followed in the semifinals before Guerrero handed Iowa State's Cody Sanderson a 3-1 defeat in the title bout.
His route to the 1999 NCAA Championship was similar to his journey to the 1998 crown, as he claimed a technical fall win over Bucknell's Solomon Webb in the first round before winning an 11-0 major decision over Virginia's Matt Roth in the second round. A technical fall win over Lock Haven's Terry Showalter in the third round set up a 2-1 victory over Iowa State's Dwight Hinson in the semifinals. Guerrero beat Wisconsin's Eric Jetton by a 5-4 margin in the championship match.
