Louis Piszker was named Lourdes University’s head women’s wrestling coach in the summer of 2022, becoming the program’s second head coach. He began his career at Lourdes as an assistant coach for men’s wrestling staff prior to the inaugural 2016-2017 season, a position he also still retains.
In his first season at the helm of the women’s squad, he helped Stefana Jelacic earn NAIA All-American accolades after finishing seventh at 109 pounds. She was also a Second Team All Mid-South Conference selection.
His wrestlers have had success in the classroom as well, with five grapplers named to the MSC All-Academic Team and one earning NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors under his tutelage.
On the men’s side, Piszker has been a part of a Lourdes program that produced the school’s first NAIA All-American in 2019 when Nick Henneman finished in fourth place in the 141-pound weight class. The Gray Wolves had two more All-Americans in 2021 as Henneman finished fifth while Noah Clary was eighth at 174 pounds. Henneman then became a three-time All-American in 2022.
Piszker helped a school-record six wrestlers qualify for the NAIA National Championships in 2022. He helped in developing the Gray Wolves’ first NAIA National Qualifier, Ray Porter, at 125 pounds in 2017, and Porter went on to become a four-time national qualifier. In all, while a member of the staff, Lourdes has had 25 total NAIA National Qualifiers.
Since joining the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference in 2020-2021, Lourdes has had two conference champions and 11 Second Team All-WHAC selections.
Lourdes produced the Sooner Athletic Conference Wrestler of the Year in 2020 as well as the SAC Newcomer of the Year in both 2018 and 2019. Another grappler registered the most falls at the SAC Championships in 2019. The Gray Wolves have also had seven competitors named SAC Wrestler of the Week for their work on the mats with two being named NAIA National Wrestler of the Week.
In the classroom, Lourdes student-athletes have produced 14 members of the SAC All-Academic Team while 11 more have garnered WHAC All-Academic Team honors since the move to the new league. A total of 22 Lourdes wrestlers have earned NAIA Scholar-Athlete accolades.
He previously coached wrestling at Kenton High School and Bowling Green High School.
Piszker wrestled three seasons at Ohio Northern University, where he was a member on three Ohio Athletic Conference championship teams. He was a member of the Scholar All-American Team in 2011 while with the Polar Bears. Piszker also spent one year at Olivet College, where he was an All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association selection.
Piszker is a 2012 graduate of Ohio Northern with a degree in health and physical education.
