Glen Lanham is the head coach of Duke wrestling in Durham, North Carolina, and has led the program since being introduced on April 16, 2012. Over his first 13 seasons, he has overseen major growth for Duke wrestling, helping the Blue Devils establish new standards both nationally and within the ACC. Under Lanham, Duke has sent at least two wrestlers to the NCAA Championships in seven seasons, posted consecutive top-25 NCAA team finishes in 2018 and 2019, and produced three NCAA All-Americans, six All-ACC wrestlers accounting for 12 conference honors, and 16 individual NCAA qualifiers who have combined for 33 national tournament bids. In his 13th season, Lanham guided heavyweight Connor Barket to his first NCAA Championship appearance. Barket and redshirt freshman Aidan Wallace both earned national rankings, and together they combined for 46 wins. Barket’s 24 victories ranked as the fifth-highest single-season total by a Duke heavyweight, while Wallace’s 22 wins tied for the third-most ever by a Duke wrestler at 165 pounds. Duke also hosted the 2025 ACC Championships inside Cameron Indoor Stadium, where Barket finished fifth to secure his NCAA berth. The previous season, Lanham coached a youthful lineup that included four freshmen starting every dual match. Redshirt freshman Barket led the team with 16 wins, while Gaetano Console added nine victories and freshmen Raymond Adams and Kwasi Bonsu each gained valuable experience across more than 20 matches. Although 2023-24 marked the first season of Lanham’s Duke tenure without an NCAA qualifier, the Blue Devils continued to excel academically with a league-leading nine wrestlers on the All-ACC Academic Team for the second straight year and a 12th consecutive season with at least one NWCA Scholar All-American. Lanham’s teams rebounded well after the pandemic years. In 2022-23, senior heavyweight Jonah Niesenbaum posted a career-best season, earning All-ACC honors and qualifying for the NCAA Championships for the first time after finishing second at the ACC Championships. He ended the year 26-6 with five wins over ranked opponents. In 2021-22, Duke finished 7-10 in duals and qualified both Josh Finesilver and Matt Finesilver for the NCAA Championships, while Kaden Russell earned ACC Wrestler of the Week recognition. Josh and Matt combined for a 57-17 record, and Josh advanced to the round of 16 at the NCAA tournament. In the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 campaign, Lanham again guided Josh Finesilver to the NCAA Championships, where he won three matches against ranked opponents and came close to earning All-America status. Earlier in Lanham’s tenure, Duke built some of the strongest teams in program history. In 2019-20, a very young lineup featured six freshmen or redshirt freshmen starters, and Mason Eaglin emerged as the team’s lone NCAA qualifier after going 3-3 against ranked opponents and posting a winning conference dual record. In 2018-19, despite limited depth, Duke qualified five wrestlers for the NCAA Championships for the second straight season. Mitch Finesilver won his first ACC title at 149 pounds and finished fourth nationally to earn All-America honors, while Matt Finesilver was All-ACC runner-up and Josh and Zach Finesilver also advanced to the NCAA Championships. That team also excelled in the classroom, finishing ninth nationally in team GPA and earning NWCA Scholar All-America honors for all five NCAA qualifiers.
The 2017-18 season was a breakthrough year for the program. Duke finished in the top 25 nationally for the first time in program history, and the four Finesilver brothers all qualified for the NCAA Championships in the same season, a first in NCAA wrestling history. Jacob Kasper earned his second All-America honor with a fourth-place finish, while Mitch Finesilver came within one match of the podium. Kasper also won his first ACC title at heavyweight, and the Blue Devils finished fourth at the ACC Championships. In 2016-17, Kasper earned All-America status with a sixth-place NCAA finish, becoming the second wrestler under Lanham to earn the honor. That year also marked the third straight season in which Duke sent at least three wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. Lanham had already made history in 2016, when Conner Hartmann became Duke’s first three-time All-American and first four-time NCAA qualifier. Hartmann finished seventh nationally at 197 pounds, and Duke sent four wrestlers to the NCAA Championships for the second straight season, another first for the program. That team also recorded two top-25 victories, including a win over No. 13 North Carolina that was the highest-ranked win in school history at the time and Duke’s first over the Tar Heels since 2004. A victory over No. 23 Purdue gave the Blue Devils their second ranked win of the year and only their third Big Ten win in program history. Lanham’s third season was one of the best early statements of his tenure. Duke qualified a program-record five wrestlers for the NCAA Championships and finished 28th nationally, then its highest team placement. Marcus Cain, Mitch Finesilver, Hartmann, Kasper, and Immanuel Kerr-Brown all advanced to the national tournament, with Hartmann earning another All-America finish. Three Duke wrestlers advanced to the second day of NCAA competition for the first time in program history, and the Blue Devils placed fourth at the ACC Championships, their best conference finish in years. Throughout Lanham’s time at Duke, academic success has remained a consistent strength. His teams have produced multiple NWCA All-Academic honorees in several seasons, recorded high national team GPA finishes, and regularly placed wrestlers on the All-ACC Academic Team. Duke’s classroom results have often matched its competitive gains, with seasons in which the program ranked among the top Division I teams nationally in GPA. Lanham’s tenure has been defined by steady program-building, stronger national visibility, improved postseason depth, and a clear track record of developing both NCAA qualifiers and All-Americans. By sending wrestlers to the national tournament in large numbers, guiding multiple athletes to ACC podium finishes and national recognition, and elevating Duke’s academic standing, he has helped establish one of the strongest stretches in the history of Duke wrestling.
