Jason Russell is entering his 9th season as the head wrestling coach at Thomas More University during the 2025-26 academic year.
In the second season of G-MAC competition, the wrestling program went 5-11 in duals and 1-5 in conference duals. Sophomore Cole Thomas won the programs second individual G-MAC championship in the 141lb. weight class. Thomas More had 10 individual qualifiers for the NCWA National Championships, with three Saints earning NCWA All-American honors, and three earning NCWA Scholar All-American honors.
In the Saints inaugural season in Division II and the G-MAC, the team finished with a 5-6 overall dual record and 1-2 in conference. Russell helped lead the team to a fifth place finish at the G-MAC Championships. second place finish at the NCWA GLC Tournament, and third place finish at the NCWA National Championships. Dualton Mayer captured the program's first ever G-MAC Individual Championship title in the 285lb weight class and was named First Team All-Conference. The team had 10 National Qualifiers for the NCWA National Championship. Cole Thomas (141lb weight class) and Ryan Moore (149lb weight class) both won the NCWA National Championship in their respected weight classes.
During the 2022-2023 season, the Saints achieved their best finish in program history with a 7th place team finish at the NAIA National Tournament. Ryan Moore, Wilder Wichman and Daulton Mayer all earned their third individual All American honors while Shay Horton and Kailan Keith were NAIA National Tournament Qualifiers. Daulton Mayer won the 285 lb class in the Mid-South Conference Tournament and became the Saints first wrestler to earn the Mid-South Conference Wrestler of the Year award. Daulton Mayer, Dru Baker, Joseph Hunt, Zachary Watson, Zavier Campsey and Ian Daugherty were named National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-Americans.
In his 5th season (2021-2022), five Saints qualified for the NAIA National Tournament highlighted by a 9th place team finish. Ryan Moore, Wilder Wichman and Daulton Mayer all earned their second individual All American honors while Shay Horton and Andrew Taylor were NAIA National Tournament Qualifiers. Ryan Moore won his second conference championship the 149 lb class in the Mid-South Conference Tournament, while Wilder Wichman earned his first Mid-South Conference Championship at 157 lbs. Shay Horton, Daulton Mayer and Andrew Taylor were named National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-Americans. Russell was named the 2022 Mid-South Conference Coach of the Year.
In 2020-21, the Saints had four wrestlers qualify for the NAIA National Championship. Russell had the Saints ranked as high as 20th in the nation during the 2020-21 season and had four wrestlers individually ranked. Ryan Moore won the 141 class in the Mid-South Conference Tournament and was named MSC Wrestler of the Tournament and Daulton Mayer was named MSC Freshman of the Year. Four Saints Qualified for the NAIA National Tournament where the team finished eighth. Ryan Moore became the first Saint to wrestle in a national championship of any weight class, finishing runner-up. Wilder Wichman placed third in the 157 weight class and Daulton Mayer finished seventh at 197. The team was named a NWCA Scholar All-American Team with a 3.291 GPA,
Russell came to Thomas More after serving as an assistant coach the last two seasons at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. At Whitewater, he helped lead the Warhawks to the 2016 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship, while coaching four NCAA Qualifiers during the 2015-16 season and Jordan Newman to the NCAA Division III Championship at 184 lbs. Russell assisted Whitewater’s recruiting efforts, monitored the program’s academic success, scouted and handled the team’s social media presence.
Prior to coaching at Whitewater, Coach Russell served as a volunteer assistant at Heidelberg University in Tiffin, Ohio during the 2014-15 season. At Heidelberg he coached NCAA All-American Richard Dowdley and NCAA Qualifier Nino Majoy. Russell also handled scouting and fundraising planning for the Student Princes.
Russell earned his Bachelor of Arts in History from Heidelberg in 2014, where he was a four-time varsity letter winner and a 2014 NCAA National Qualifier. He had a 69-29 career record and was a 2013-14 Heidelberg Scholar Athlete as well as a second team All-Ohio Athletic Conference selection in 2014. Russell will earn his Masters of Science Education in Athletic Administration from Wisconsin-Whitewater this May.
Russell lives in Anderson Ohio with his wife Jillian and son Jude.
