Wrestling
Pendleton, Chris
Chris Pendleton
- Title:
- Head Coach
Chris Pendleton, one of the most successful collegiate wrestlers in the history of the sport, was selected to lead the Oregon State program on March 29, 2020. Through five seasons at Oregon State, Pendleton has the Beavers as Pac-12 and national contenders.
Oregon State is coming off the 2025 Pac-12 Championship, the second in three seasons under the direction of Pendleton. Three - Maximo Renteria (125), Nash Singleton (141) and TJ McDonnell (184) - won individual conference titles and advanced to their first NCAA Championships in Philadelphia.
Trey Munoz (184) capped the 2023-24 season with his third-place finish at the 2024 NCAAs after his individual Pac-12 championship. It not only was Munoz's second consecutive top-six finish but also marked the second student-athlete in the Pendleton era to finish top-four at the NCAAs. Gill Coliseum saw a wrestling-crowd record (8,540) against top-ranked Penn State to open the home slate for 2024-25.
The first Pac-12 team championship - with five winning individual titles - highlighted the third season at the helm of the Beavers for Pendleton in 2022-23. Seven qualified for the NCAA Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, five - Brandon Kaylor (125), Cleveland Belton (141), Matthew Olguin (165), Aaron "Mateo" Olmos (174) and Trey Munoz (184) - qualified automatically after winning individual conference titles.
OSU finished 29th at the NCAA National Championships where Trey Munoz clinched All-American honors after finishing in sixth place.
Pendleton's third season included bouts against ranked nonconference foes including Penn State, Oklahoma State (in front of a crowd of almost 7,000), Cornell and Princeton.
Oregon State finished 12th at the 2022 NCAA National Championships, the Beavers’ best finish in a decade. Brandon Kaylor (125), Devan Turner (133), Grant Willits (141) and Hunter Willits (157) all earned All-America honors, the team’s most in a single year since 1995.
The Beavers placed second at the Pac-12 Championships, just a half point out of first, with Trey Munoz taking the conference title at 184 pounds. Kaylor (125), Grant Willits (141), Hunter Willits (157), Ryan Reyes (197) and Gary Traub (heavyweight) all finished second at the tournament in Tempe. OSU, meanwhile, placed eight wrestlers at the NCAA Championships after Pac-12s, the team’s most in more than a decade.
Kaylor, Turner, Grant Willits and Hunter Willits were all named Pac-12 Wrestlers of the Week during the season; the four selections tied for the most in the conference.
Not surprisingly, after all those team accolades, Pendleton was named the Pac-12’s Coach of the Year. He joins Joe Wells (1994) as the only Oregon State coaches to earn the honor within their first two seasons in Corvallis.
In Pendleton’s first season at the helm in 2020-21, Oregon State went 4-5 in duals that included wins over Pac-12 foes Cal Poly and Little Rock. OSU finished second at the Pac-12 Championships with 123.0 team points, just 15 points behind first-place Arizona State. Pendleton coached Turner (133) and Grant Willits (141) to their second individual Pac-12 Championship titles. He led Hunter Willits (157), Reyes (184), and J.J. Dixon (197) all to a runner-up finish at the Pac-12 Championships. Kaylor (125) also earned a top-three finish, third-place, at the Pac-12 Championships.
Six wrestlers -- Kaylor, Turner, Grant Willits, Hunter Willits, Reyes, and Dixon -- qualified for the 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championships in the first season under Pendleton. Beaver wrestlers posted a combined overall record of 88-80 (.524) and 44-46 (.489) in duals. In 2021, OSU went 51-45 in matches decided by decision and 23-16 in major decision matches.
Pendleton arrived at Oregon State after spending the previous six seasons as an assistant coach at Arizona State. The Sun Devils had won three of the last four Pac-12 titles prior, including scoring 141.5 points (most by ASU since 1993) on its way to the conference crown earlier this month. ASU finished the shortened season ranked No. 6 in the country and defeated seven top 20 teams, including snapping No. 1 Penn State’s 60-match win streak.
During his six-year campaign in Tempe, he solidified himself as one of the premier coaches in the country.
Pendleton represented the United States as one of the USA Wrestling Freestyle Junior Team assistant coaches in Finland in August 2017.
During his time at Wyoming, the Cowboys made great strides, guiding his wrestlers to back-to-back West Regional titles, two-straight All-American honors and multiple conference championships. Pendleton also earned the Cowboys their fourth regular-season Mountain West dual title in six years.
In his time as a student-athlete at Oklahoma State, Pendleton was considered one of the top athletes in the sport. A two-time NCAA Champion and three-time All-American selection at 174 pounds, Pendleton led Oklahoma State to three-straight NCAA Team Championships in 2003, 2004 and 2004, while accumulating an overall collegiate record of 118-12. Pendleton was also the Big 12 champion in his weight class in both 2003 and 2005. In 2012, InterMat tabbed him one of the 10 Best College Wrestlers of the 2000s.
Pendleton is a key figure for Team USA. He was a three-time national team member as a competitor and has since served as a coach.
Pendleton is still active in the U.S. freestyle scene and wrestles in various competitions throughout the world. In April 2014, he competed in the ASICS Las Vegas/Open Wrestling Championships at 97 kilograms (213 pounds). Pendleton was also a three-time member of the U.S. National Team under Arizona State head coach Zeke Jones.
Coach Pendleton was the California prep champion at 145 pounds at Lemoore High School. He is a 2006 graduate of Oklahoma State with a bachelor’s degree in sociology.
Pendleton and his wife, Selanee, have one son, Ryker.
LEEMORE HIGH SCHOOL
PERSONAL
Individual Wrestling Accomplishments
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:
“It’s exciting to see Chris move forward in his career to become a head coach. OSU has hired one of the best young coaches in the country, and in doing so has made all of our jobs tougher on the West Coast.” Oklahoma State five-time NCAA Championship Head Coach John Smith
"I would like to wish Chris good luck as the new head wrestling coach at OSU. I'm personally going to miss his passion and knowledge for the sport of wrestling. OSU is getting a great coach, but a better young man." Scottie Graham, Arizona State University Associate Athletic Director
"I'm extremely happy for the opportunities that lie ahead for Chris. I had the privilege of being his teammate at Oklahoma State. There is no doubt in my mind, after following his successes since then, that he can make Oregon State into a national contender. He has all of the attributes needed to make a great coach. He has a proven track record that speaks for itself while coaching at Arizona State. I look forward to seeing his success in the future.” Pat Popolizio, North Carolina State head coach and National Wrestling Coaches Association President
“I was really impressed with his interview and background. I think Chris is going to be a great coach at Oregon State. He had been a winner every place he has been and I have no doubts he will be a winner at OSU. I'm looking forward to coming back to Corvallis and watching a competitive team bringing a lot of excitement to the matches.” Greg Strobel, a two-time Oregon State NCAA champion and National Wrestling Hall of Fame member
Oregon State is coming off the 2025 Pac-12 Championship, the second in three seasons under the direction of Pendleton. Three - Maximo Renteria (125), Nash Singleton (141) and TJ McDonnell (184) - won individual conference titles and advanced to their first NCAA Championships in Philadelphia.
Trey Munoz (184) capped the 2023-24 season with his third-place finish at the 2024 NCAAs after his individual Pac-12 championship. It not only was Munoz's second consecutive top-six finish but also marked the second student-athlete in the Pendleton era to finish top-four at the NCAAs. Gill Coliseum saw a wrestling-crowd record (8,540) against top-ranked Penn State to open the home slate for 2024-25.
The first Pac-12 team championship - with five winning individual titles - highlighted the third season at the helm of the Beavers for Pendleton in 2022-23. Seven qualified for the NCAA Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma, five - Brandon Kaylor (125), Cleveland Belton (141), Matthew Olguin (165), Aaron "Mateo" Olmos (174) and Trey Munoz (184) - qualified automatically after winning individual conference titles.
OSU finished 29th at the NCAA National Championships where Trey Munoz clinched All-American honors after finishing in sixth place.
Pendleton's third season included bouts against ranked nonconference foes including Penn State, Oklahoma State (in front of a crowd of almost 7,000), Cornell and Princeton.
Oregon State finished 12th at the 2022 NCAA National Championships, the Beavers’ best finish in a decade. Brandon Kaylor (125), Devan Turner (133), Grant Willits (141) and Hunter Willits (157) all earned All-America honors, the team’s most in a single year since 1995.
The Beavers placed second at the Pac-12 Championships, just a half point out of first, with Trey Munoz taking the conference title at 184 pounds. Kaylor (125), Grant Willits (141), Hunter Willits (157), Ryan Reyes (197) and Gary Traub (heavyweight) all finished second at the tournament in Tempe. OSU, meanwhile, placed eight wrestlers at the NCAA Championships after Pac-12s, the team’s most in more than a decade.
Kaylor, Turner, Grant Willits and Hunter Willits were all named Pac-12 Wrestlers of the Week during the season; the four selections tied for the most in the conference.
Not surprisingly, after all those team accolades, Pendleton was named the Pac-12’s Coach of the Year. He joins Joe Wells (1994) as the only Oregon State coaches to earn the honor within their first two seasons in Corvallis.
In Pendleton’s first season at the helm in 2020-21, Oregon State went 4-5 in duals that included wins over Pac-12 foes Cal Poly and Little Rock. OSU finished second at the Pac-12 Championships with 123.0 team points, just 15 points behind first-place Arizona State. Pendleton coached Turner (133) and Grant Willits (141) to their second individual Pac-12 Championship titles. He led Hunter Willits (157), Reyes (184), and J.J. Dixon (197) all to a runner-up finish at the Pac-12 Championships. Kaylor (125) also earned a top-three finish, third-place, at the Pac-12 Championships.
Six wrestlers -- Kaylor, Turner, Grant Willits, Hunter Willits, Reyes, and Dixon -- qualified for the 2021 NCAA Wrestling Championships in the first season under Pendleton. Beaver wrestlers posted a combined overall record of 88-80 (.524) and 44-46 (.489) in duals. In 2021, OSU went 51-45 in matches decided by decision and 23-16 in major decision matches.
Pendleton arrived at Oregon State after spending the previous six seasons as an assistant coach at Arizona State. The Sun Devils had won three of the last four Pac-12 titles prior, including scoring 141.5 points (most by ASU since 1993) on its way to the conference crown earlier this month. ASU finished the shortened season ranked No. 6 in the country and defeated seven top 20 teams, including snapping No. 1 Penn State’s 60-match win streak.
During his six-year campaign in Tempe, he solidified himself as one of the premier coaches in the country.
Pendleton represented the United States as one of the USA Wrestling Freestyle Junior Team assistant coaches in Finland in August 2017.
During his time at Wyoming, the Cowboys made great strides, guiding his wrestlers to back-to-back West Regional titles, two-straight All-American honors and multiple conference championships. Pendleton also earned the Cowboys their fourth regular-season Mountain West dual title in six years.
In his time as a student-athlete at Oklahoma State, Pendleton was considered one of the top athletes in the sport. A two-time NCAA Champion and three-time All-American selection at 174 pounds, Pendleton led Oklahoma State to three-straight NCAA Team Championships in 2003, 2004 and 2004, while accumulating an overall collegiate record of 118-12. Pendleton was also the Big 12 champion in his weight class in both 2003 and 2005. In 2012, InterMat tabbed him one of the 10 Best College Wrestlers of the 2000s.
Pendleton is a key figure for Team USA. He was a three-time national team member as a competitor and has since served as a coach.
Pendleton is still active in the U.S. freestyle scene and wrestles in various competitions throughout the world. In April 2014, he competed in the ASICS Las Vegas/Open Wrestling Championships at 97 kilograms (213 pounds). Pendleton was also a three-time member of the U.S. National Team under Arizona State head coach Zeke Jones.
Coach Pendleton was the California prep champion at 145 pounds at Lemoore High School. He is a 2006 graduate of Oklahoma State with a bachelor’s degree in sociology.
Pendleton and his wife, Selanee, have one son, Ryker.
LEEMORE HIGH SCHOOL
- 2000 California State Champion at 145 pounds
- Earned Most Outstanding Wrestler
- Posted a 68-2 record during his senior season including 58 falls
- 2X NHSCA All-American
- Named first-team All-American by Wrestling USAmagazine
PERSONAL
- Son of Bill and Lisa Pendleton
- Has two brothers, Jacob and William
- Enjoys weight lifting, reading, skiing, wakeboarding
- Sociology major
- Born on Jan. 21, 1982.
Individual Wrestling Accomplishments
- Oklahoma State Wrestling Team 2001-2006
- 2X National Champion at 174 lbs: 2004 and 2005
- 3X All-American: 2003, 2004, 2005
- 4 National Championship Team Titles: 2001-2005
- Team Captain: 2005
- Big 12 Champion at 174 lbs.: 2003 and 2005
- Reno Tournament of Champions Champion: 2004, 2005
- National Duals Champion: 2005
- National Duals Outstanding Wrestler: 2005
- Voted Top Ten Wrestler of the 2000’s by Intermat
- International Freestyle
- 3x United States National Team Member
- 2013 World Team Trials Runner Up
- 2013 US Open Runner Up
- 2012 Olympic Team Trials Finalist
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:
“It’s exciting to see Chris move forward in his career to become a head coach. OSU has hired one of the best young coaches in the country, and in doing so has made all of our jobs tougher on the West Coast.” Oklahoma State five-time NCAA Championship Head Coach John Smith
"I would like to wish Chris good luck as the new head wrestling coach at OSU. I'm personally going to miss his passion and knowledge for the sport of wrestling. OSU is getting a great coach, but a better young man." Scottie Graham, Arizona State University Associate Athletic Director
"I'm extremely happy for the opportunities that lie ahead for Chris. I had the privilege of being his teammate at Oklahoma State. There is no doubt in my mind, after following his successes since then, that he can make Oregon State into a national contender. He has all of the attributes needed to make a great coach. He has a proven track record that speaks for itself while coaching at Arizona State. I look forward to seeing his success in the future.” Pat Popolizio, North Carolina State head coach and National Wrestling Coaches Association President
“I was really impressed with his interview and background. I think Chris is going to be a great coach at Oregon State. He had been a winner every place he has been and I have no doubts he will be a winner at OSU. I'm looking forward to coming back to Corvallis and watching a competitive team bringing a lot of excitement to the matches.” Greg Strobel, a two-time Oregon State NCAA champion and National Wrestling Hall of Fame member
Beaver Wrestling Tailgate at Parker Plaza - Nov. 2
Friday, November 01
230103 Pendleton
Wednesday, January 04
Oregon State Wrestling At 2022 NCAA Championships
Thursday, March 24
2011 Oregon State Wrestling Webisode - Prepping for the Pac-10s
Thursday, April 11
