Michigan State wrestling has filled out its 2026-27 coaching staff with a familiar face.
Roger Chandler announced Friday afternoon that former Spartan heavyweight and NCAA Division II National Champion Ryan Vasbinder is joining the program as an assistant coach. Vasbinder returns to East Lansing to round out a staff that also includes Chandler, associate head coach Chris Williams and assistant coach Te'Shan Campbell.
“It’s exciting to welcome a former Spartan back home in a coaching role,” Chandler said. “Ryan's experience as a competitor and coach over the past five years will make an immediate impact on our program. He understands the work ethic needed to be successful, and I look forward to him mentoring, coaching and developing our guys to achieve great things.”
Vasbinder’s coaching path since leaving Michigan State has already included two stops. After his collegiate career ended in 2023, he worked as an assistant coach at Michigan Revolution Wrestling Club in Highland, Michigan, before spending the 2023-24 season at UIndy. There, he helped develop two All-Americans and a future NCAA DII national champion.
Before his return to the Spartans, Vasbinder built a decorated college résumé at the Division II level and then in East Lansing. He came to Michigan State in 2021-22 after four seasons at McKendree University, where he won the 2021 NCAA Division II national title at 197 pounds, earned two All-America honors and qualified for the NCAA tournament three times.
He finished his McKendree career with a 99-27 record and went 10-5 against Division I opponents. That same 2021 season brought him both NWCA Region 4 Wrestler of the Year and GLVC Wrestler of the Year honors.
Vasbinder spent two seasons with Michigan State and left with a 32-23 record. He was the Spartans’ starting heavyweight during the 2022-23 campaign, went 6-9 in duals in his final season and delivered a key win in team competition with an 8-6 sudden victory decision over Princeton’s Matt Cover, a two-time national qualifier. He also picked up dual victories against Presbyterian, American, Brown, Rutgers and Illinois.
At the 2023 Big Ten Championships, Vasbinder finished 2-3 and scored two decision wins over Illinois’ Matt Wroblewski.
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