Frank Beasley became the tenth head coach in Mason history in 2017.
The Patriots attained five winning seasons in coach Beasley's first seven years, had 12 NCAA Qualifiers, and earned high honors in the classroom.
In his seven seasons, the Mason wrestlers have excelled under Beasley's guidance. He has coached 12 NCAA Qualifiers, including three wrestlers qualifying for the NCAA Championship in the same year on three occasions (2018, 2019, 2024). Prior to 2018, three NCAA Championship Qualifiers is the most in a season since the 2000-2001 season.
For the second consecutive season, the Green and Gold have 11 wins, which ties the most wins in a season since the 2007-08 season when the Patriots finished with a 13-5 record. The Patriots finished a program-best third place at the 2024 MAC championship, only two points out of second and besting last year's previous best sixth-place finish.
In that two-year span three Patriots have won individual MAC championships and Mason claimed conference back-to-back conference Freshman of the Year honors, Nate Higley (2023) and DJ McGee (2024).
Wrestlers Evan Maag and Malachi DuVall were crowned champions at the 2024 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championship, while teammate DJ McGee finished second to earn a berth into the NCAA Championship. A record nine wrestlers made the podium at the conference tournament. McGee was voted MAC Freshman of the Year.
Beasley ushered the Patriots from the Eastern Wrestling League (EWL) to the 13-team Mid-American Conference (MAC) in 2018.
The Patriots finished third at the 2019 Eastern Wrestling League Championships in Beasley's second season, the highest finish in the EWL Championships in program history. Mason redshirt senior Tejon Anthony claimed the first EWL title in program history, winning the championship at 149 pounds.
Several student-athletes have been named U20 and U23 All-Americans in freestyle and Greco Roman under Beasley's leadership. In addition, he has had Mason wrestlers place at the Senior U.S. Open in freestyle, highlighted by Peter Pappas' fourth place finish in 2022 at 74kg. Three wrestlers finished in the top 12 at the 2024 U20/U23 World Team Trials, including a seventh-place finish by rising senior Drew Dickson earning him All-American honors.
In 2018-19, Beasley guided the Patriots to their best season in 11 years, finishing the season with an overall record of 9-7, including a mark of 3-3 against Eastern Wrestling League opponents. Mason finished the season with a winning dual record for the first time since the 2007-08 season.
The Patriots finished third at the 2019 Eastern Wrestling League Championships with 56.5 points, the highest finish in the EWL Championships in program history. Six Mason wrestlers reached the evening session, with four in the championship match and two competing in third-place matches.
Mason redshirt senior Tejon Anthony claimed the first EWL title in program history, winning the championship at 149 pounds, while redshirt senior Matthew Voss placed second at 285 pounds, redshirt sophomore Eli Spencer placed second at 197 pounds and freshman Kolby Ho placed second at 157 pounds.
The Patriots had three wrestlers qualify for the 2019 NCAA Championships for the second straight year, with Voss (285), Anthony (149) and redshirt junior Colston DiBlasi (165) representing Mason at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa.
Under Beasley in 2017-18, the Patriots had three wrestlers qualify for the the 2018 NCAA Championships, the most by the program in 17 years. Tejon Anthony, Ibrahim Bunduka and Matthew Voss each qualified the the NCAA Championships held at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
Beasley's teams have earned high accolades for their academic success. Mason finished seventh as a team to receive a Top 30 distinction by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) in 2024. The program earned a top-10 finish for the second straight year and its fourth in the past five seasons. Mason finished with a program-best fifth place twice (2021, 2023) and narrowly missed a top 10 honor finishing 12th in 2022. Overall, George Mason Wrestling has finished in the top twelve nationally in team GPA for five straight years. With a team-high seven recipients in 2023-24, Beasley has coached 22 NWCA Division I Scholar All-American Award winners.
Wrestling earned the 2024 George Mason President's Cup, the award presented to the Mason team that has the highest cumulative team GPA. Mason Wrestling also posted a perfect 1000 APR last year.
Prior to Mason, Beasley spent five seasons as a member of the North Carolina State coaching staff, including two as the associate head coach. He helped lead the Wolfpack to four straight top-20 finishes at the NCAA Championships, the longest such stretch in school history. In that span, Beasley coached two NCAA Champions, seven All-Americans, seven individual Atlantic Coast Conference Champions (ACC) and 31 NCAA Qualifiers, including 18 in the past two years. NC State sent a school-record 10 NCAA Qualifiers to the 2017 NCAA Championships.
Beasley helped NC State to one of its best seasons in 2015-16. The Wolfpack won the 2016 ACC Championship, finishing in 11th place at the NCAA Championships, the best finish since a school-best seventh in 1993. NC State finished the 2016 regular season ranked #2 in the final NWCA/USA Today Coaches Poll, the highest ranking in school history. The Pack tied the school record with three All-Americans in 2016.
As the Wolfpack’s recruiting coordinator, Beasley’s efforts produced three top-fifteen recruiting classes, including the top-rated class in 2016 by both FloWrestling.com and InterMatWrestling.com. Following their first campaign at NC State, Beasley and the Pack wrestling staff signed a top-10 recruiting class in the spring of 2013, No. 4 according to D1CollegeWrestling.
Prior to NC State, Beasley gained coaching experience with three collegiate programs. As head assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at Binghamton for one season, Beasley helped the squad to a 14th place finish at the 2012 NCAA Championships. Five wrestlers qualified for the national championships and all five finished in the top sixteen, with two All-Americans. He was the head assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for the University at Buffalo, helping steer that program to its finest three-year span in team history. The Bulls sent 14 wrestlers to the NCAA Championship over Beasley’s tenure and crowned five individual conference champions.
Before Buffalo, Beasley was an assistant coach at his alma mater Bloomsburg for two seasons. He helped the program produce its first All-American in more than a decade and nine national qualifiers. In addition, the Huskies won 12 duals in 2006-07, the program’s most wins in 16 seasons.
Beasley has international experience, most recently helping Team USA win a world championship at the UWW World Championships held in Paris in August 2017. He was the personal coach at the world championships of world bronze medalist, Nick Gwiazdowski. Beasley has been the head coach of the Wolfpack Regional Training Center. He coached the Wolfpack Regional Training Center that finished 2nd in the RTC Club Cup this year at the U.S. Open. He was the head coach of the NWCA All-American Team in 2009 and 2010. In 2009, he took the team to South Korea, with one wrestler recording a victory against a 2008 Olympian. In 2010, he took the team to Russia, where the team went undefeated in dual meets and produced some individual wins over world medalists. In addition, Beasley has conducted camps and clinics all over the country.
A native of Odin, Illinois, he enjoyed an elite wrestling career at Lincoln College and Bloomsburg, earning NJCAA All-America honors at Lincoln in 2004 (165 lbs.). He was a starter and team captain at Bloomsburg, finishing fourth at the 2006 EWL Championship. Beasley accumulated almost 90 collegiate wins with nearly half coming by pin.
Beasley recently became a George Mason University graduate as he earned his second Master's Degree in the winter of 2023. Beasley earned a MBA from George Mason's nationally ranked Costello College of Business.
His multitude of academic achievements included becoming a two-time Academic All-American, four-year National Dean’s List honoree and recipient of education and English department honors at Bloomsburg. Beasley earned a dual degree in English and education from Bloomsburg in 2006, graduating Cum Laude. He then received his master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Bloomsburg, graduating Summa Cum Laude.
Beasley has been passionate about celebrating the rich history of George Mason wrestling that dates back more than 50 years to the 1972-1973 season. He championed the George Mason Wrestling Hall of Fame established in 2023 with an inaugural 10-member class that made a significant and lasting mark on George Mason University Wrestling. In addition, Beasley celebrated fifty years of wrestling history with the 50th Anniversary of Wrestling Gala in 2022.
Beasley established three annual team awards (the Dan Wotring Outstanding Wrestler, the Jerry Mullins Coaches' Appreciation Award, and the Elia Ahmadian Uncommon Man Award) the to honor some members of the Mason Wrestling Community that have made a significant impact on the program.
One of Mason's top sport-specific fundraisers, Beasley spearheaded efforts to expand and renovate the program's wrestling room. In 2023, the wrestling room was named the Wotring Family Wrestling Room to honor former wrestler Dan Wotring and his family's passionate support spanning more than five decades. Beasley also established the first coaching endowment for the George Mason University Athletics Department in 2021. The wrestling team under Beasley's leadership often leads the Giving Day Challenge and the Alumni-Athlete Giving Challenges with hundreds of donors each year. For the 2024 Giving Day, wrestling accounted for over 21% of all donors and over 27% of funds raised for the athletics department.
Beasley is married to the former Lyndsey Snyder and the couple has two children, Franklin, and Anna.
HC Record
2017-18 | 4-13 (0-6 EWL)
2018-19 | 9-7 (3-3 MAC)
2019-20 | 9-9 (3-5 MAC)
2020-21# | 0-4 (0-2 MAC)
2021-22 | 9-8 (3-4 MAC)
2022-23 | 11-8 (3-4 MAC)
2023-24 | 11-9 (3-4 MAC)
53-58 (0-6 EWL) (15-22 MAC)
NCAA Qualifiers
2017-18: Tejon Anthony (149) Ibrahim Bunduka (125) Matthew Voss (285)
2018-19: Tejon Anthony (149) Colston DiBlasi (149) Matthew Voss (285)
2019-20: Colston DiBlasi (149)
2022-23: Nate Higley (149), Peter Pappas (157)
2023-24: DJ McGee (157), Evan Maag (165), and Malachi DuVall (184)
NWCA All-Academic Team
2020: 9th
2021: 5th
2022: 12th
2023: 5th
2024: 7th
NWCA All-Academic
2019 Colston DiBlasi, Matt Voss
2020 Colston DiBlasi, Alex Madrigal, Neil Schuster
2021 Josh Jones
2022 Alex Madrigal, Avery Bassett, Kaden Cassidy, Jonathan List, Logan Messer
2023 Logan Messer, Anthony Glasl, and Peter Pappas
2024: Kaden Cassidy, Malachi DuVall, Tyler Kocak, Evan Maag, Chad Nix, Paul Pierce, Brandon Wittenberg
Dean Heil joined the Patriots as the head assistant coach in June 2024..
A former Oklahoma State standout, Heil is a two-time National Champion and three-time All-American at 141 pounds. The Brunswick, Ohio native is a four-time World Team Qualifier and 2016 Olympic Trials Qualifier.
"Dean brings a wealth of knowledge and an impressive pedigree to the program," said Beasley. "He has competed on the senior level the last several years, wrestling and training all over the world. The program and our student-athletes will benefit tremendously from his extensive experience and ultimate success as an NCAA Champion and elite wrestler."
Dean becomes the only wrestling coach in the Mid-American Conference to win a NCAA Division I National Championship.
He captured back-to-back NCAA titles in 2016 and 2017, as well as three consecutive All-America campaigns from 2015-17. He finished his decorated career with 116 wins, ranking 22nd all-time in OSU program history.
The 2018 Oklahoma State graduate is also a four-time NWCA All-Academic Team member.
Heil's collegiate coaching experience includes a stint at Campbell University. He originally joined the staff as director of wrestling operations in May 2018 before serving as an assistant coach.
Max Murin joined the coaching staff in September 2024.
Murin comes to Mason after an outstanding career on the mat for wrestling powerhouse Iowa Hawkeyes.
"Max competed with the kind of tenacity and pace that we want from our team," said Beasley. "He will be a great role model for the young men in our program as they emulate and learn from him. Max brings tremendous passion and energy for the sport of wrestling. I'm excited for the positive impact that Max will make on George Mason Wrestling."
A two-time All-American for the Hawkeyes, Murin was a five-time NCAA Qualifier the never finished outside the top 12 at the NCAA Championships. He helped lead Iowa to a NCAA Team Championship in 2021.
"I am thrilled to join the George Mason Wrestling program, especially during such an exciting period of growth," said Murin. "Over the past few years, the program has made incredible strides, and I'm eager to contribute to its continued success. I've had the privilege of working with outstanding coaches and being part of exceptional wrestling programs in the past. Now, I look forward to sharing the knowledge and experience I've gained to support the program and the University in any way I can."
The native of Ebensburg, PA, Murin trained with the Young Guns Wrestling Club that produced a generation of elite wrestlers. He was a multiple time Pennsylvania State Champion for Central Cambria High School.
At Iowa, Max was a four-time Big Ten place winner. He also won the Midlands Invitational and the Soldier Salute Championships.
Off the mat Murin accumulated academic awards including being named a NWCA Academic All-American four times. He earned Big Ten Distinguished Honors and was Academic-All Big 10 all four years.
Murin graduated from the University of Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology, Law, and Justice. He received a Master's in Sports and Recreation Management at Iowa.
Peter Pappas joins the George Mason Wrestling Coaching staff after competing for the green and gold. Pappas spent his final year of collegiate eligibility as a leader for the Patriot Wrestling Team that produced 11 dual meet wins. He finished his 2022-2023 season with a 24-5 record. Pete became the first MAC Champion in program history and was a NCAA National Qualifier. He was seeded 23rd at the NCAA Championships where he won a bout. He also won the ARMS Software Patriots Open and was second at the Keystone Classic. Pappas went 11-2 in dual matches for the Patriots.
In freestyle, Pappas has been ranked in the top ten in the country in the senior division at 74 kg for the last year. He finished 4th at the 2022 US open at 74 kg and qualified for the World Team Trials in 2022.
Pappas will graduate in May with his Master’s Degree in Sports Management. He was named to the Academic All-MAC team and as a NWCA Academic All-American.
Pappas was a three-time New York State finalist and a large school state champion as a senior. As a high school senior, he finished a perfect 42-0 and posted a 183-10 career record. In addition, he was a two-time Super 32 place winner and a two-time NHSCA All-American.
Coach DePalma five seasons as an assistant coach at George Mason University before starting the Palm Wrestling Academy. After coaching at Edinboro University in the 2018-2019 season, he joined the George Mason University Wrestling staff. He has helped coach 6 division 1 National Qualifiers, 2 alternates and George Mason University’s first three Mid-American Conference Champions and two MAC Freshmen of the Year.
The native of Jeannette, Pa. wrestled for the Fighting Scots as a redshirt freshman in 2012-13 before transferring to Kent State. He wrapped up his competitive career with the Golden Flashes, earning All-American honors as a senior.
After graduating from Kent State in 2016, DePalma spent two years as a resident athlete at The Ohio State University Ohio Regional Training Center. He trained under World Team member Tervel Dlagnev and competed in numerous international freestyle wrestling competitions. He competed in both the 2017 and 2018 U.S. Opens, before retiring from competition to begin his coaching career.
DePalma started for Kent State for three seasons at 149 lbs. He capped his career with an All-American performance at the 2016 NCAA Division I National Championships. He finished fifth at 149 lbs., going 6-2 with wins over the number four, five and nine seeds. He was a three-time national qualifier for the Golden Flashes.
DePalma won the 2016 Mid-American Conference Championship and placed third at the MAC Championships both his sophomore and junior seasons. He went 2-2 at Nationals, including a win over seventh seed Gus Sako of Virginia. He totaled 11 wins over nationally ranked opponents.
As a Fighting Scot, DePalma finished third at the PSAC Championships and fifth at the EWL Championships. He was named to the 2013 Amateur Wrestling News All-Rookie Team.
Overall, DePalma had 97 wins in his collegiate career.
To participate in the RTC practice, all participants must have a current USA Wrestling card, meet the RTC qualifications, and contact Coach Beasley before attending as space is limited.
