PISCATAWAY, N.J. -- Rutgers wrestling head coach Scott Goodale announced the addition of former collegiate standout Mikey Labriola as an assistant coach ahead of the 2024-25 season. Labriola, a five-time All-American and 2023 national runner up at Nebraska, was most recently a member of the Lehigh Valley Wrestling Club Regional Training Center prior to his appointment "On the Banks."

"We are extremely excited to welcome Mikey to the Rutgers wrestling family," Goodale said. "Mikey is one of the top freestyle wrestlers in the country and will be a valuable resource for our student-athletes. Mikey's ties to Pennsylvania are also invaluable as we continue to recruit the best wrestlers from the Keystone State for our program."

"I am beyond grateful and excited to join the Rutgers wrestling family," Labriola said. "I cannot thank Coach Goodale and the Rutgers staff enough for this great opportunity. I look forward to working with a talented group of wrestlers and I am eager to help them reach their highest potential on and off the mat. I cannot wait to feel the energy and hear the fans in Jersey Mikes Arena!"

Labriola wrestled from 2017-23 at Nebraska, where he produced 120 collegiate victories and established himself as one of the top 174-pound wrestlers in the country. During his time in Lincoln, Labriola was a five-time Big Ten place winner, five-time national qualifier and five-time All-American for the Cornhuskers. During his final season with the Cornhuskers, Labriola went 30-2 en route to runner-up finish at the Big Ten and national championships.

A native of Easton, Pennsylvania, Labriola enjoyed a standout scholastic career at Bethlehem Catholic under head coach Jeff Karam, where he racked up 166 career victories and earned back-to-back state titles in 2016 and 2017. As a senior in 2017, Labriola finished 44-0 en route to the 2017 Pennsylvania state title at 170 pounds.

Rutgers finished No. 14 in the final NWCA Coaches Poll last season and produced multiple All-Americans for the eighth time in nine seasons under Goodale. Dylan Shawver (133) and Yaraslau Slavikouski (HWT) finished seventh in their respective weight classes at the 2024 NCAA Wrestling Championships – the 10th time in 11 years Rutgers has produced at least one All-American. Eight Scarlet Knights qualified for nationals, the most since all 10 starters qualified in 2016. RU also finished sixth at the 2024 Big Ten Wrestling Championships, which included an individual title from Shawver, seven conference place winners and 87.5 team points - its best team result since 2016.

Rutgers finished 12-5 during the dual season and earned a final No. 14 ranking in the NWCA Coaches Poll - its 12th top 25 finish in the poll under Goodale. The Scarlet Knights once again finished in the top 10 in national home attendance as it averaged more than 4,000 per home dual in 2023-24. Twelve student-athletes earned Winter Academic All-Big Ten recognition, while three individuals – Slavikouski, John Poznanski (197) and Anthony White (165) - were named NWCA Scholar All-Americans.

On the recruiting trail, RU signed the No. 4 overall recruiting class in the country, according to Intermat's final rankings released earlier this summer. It marks the highest-rated rookie class under Goodale since he and his staff inked the No. 4 overall class during the 2007-08 cycle.