Frank Beasley enters his seventh season as head coach of the George Mason wrestling team for the 2023-24 season. In 2017, he became the tenth head coach in Mason history.
Under Beasley’s leadership, the program won 11 matches in 2022-2023 for the first time in well over a decade. In each season with Beasley at the helm other than his first season and the shorted covid season, the Patriots have produced winning records.
The 2022-2023 season was one for the record books. In addition to the 11 dual meet wins, Peter Pappas became the school’s first MAC Champion. Nate Higley was also a MAC finalist and MAC Freshman of the Year. The GMU team had their best ever MAC tournament finish during the season. Seven wrestlers on the team won over 20 matches and two wrestlers had more than ten pins.
In 2021-2022, the Patriots finished with 9 dual meet wins and another winning record. Alex Madrigal was one of the nation’s leaders in technical falls. He was also a NCAA Alternate. Logan Messer was the GMU Athletic Department’s Freshman of the Year after a 27-win season. The Patriots finished in the top ten in the country in team GPA and crowned five Academic All-Americans.
The 2020-2021 COVID season was a shorted season with only a few matches. The Patriots had multiple Academic All-Americans in that season as well.
In 2019-2020, the Patriots matched the previous seasons' nine-win mark in the program's first season as members of the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
Mason opened MAC play with a solid 19-18 win against Clarion (Nov. 17). The Golden Eagles were ranked fifth in the preseason MAC coaches' poll, while the Patriots were sitting at 13th in the 15-team conference. The Patriots got conference wins against Bloomsburg and Edinboro.
In the final match of the regular season, the Patriots defeated Big 10 opponent Maryland, 18-16 in College Park. Mason's win broke Maryland's four-match win streak against the Patriots. The Green and Gold last defeated the Terps by a narrow margin, 17-16, at College Park on Nov. 9, 2014.
Mason produced three NWCA Division I Scholar All-American Award winners in 2019-20. In the team race, the Patriots finished ninth with a 3.3216 GPA, the highest in program history since finishing eighth in 2005. The mark is the best in the 15-team Mid-American Conference, with five other MAC teams in the top 30.
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 2018 NCAA Championships, the most by the program in 17 years. Tejon Anthony, Ibrahim Bunduka and Matthew Voss each qualified the NCAA Championships held at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio.
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.
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. In addition, Beasley will complete his MBA at George Mason in the fall of 2023.
Beasley is married to the former Lyndsey Snyder and the couple has two children, Franklin, and Anna.
Camden Eppert enters his sixth season on staff at George Mason University Wrestling for the 2023-2024 season. Prior to this season, he was elevated from Assistant Coach to Associate Head Coach.
In the first five seasons, Eppert helped guide the Patriots to four seasons with nine or more dual meet win seasons, including an impressive 11-8 mark in 2022-23, their best season in 15 years.
The Patriots finished sixth at the 2023 MAC Wrestling Championships with 83 points, the highest finish in the MAC Championships in program history. Six Mason wrestlers placed at the conference tournament with two finalists and one champion.
Mason redshirt senior Peter Pappas claimed the first MAC title in program history, winning the championship at 157 pounds, while redshirt Freshman Nate Higley placed second at 149 pounds. Nate Higley was named the Freshman of the Year for the MAC Conference.
The Patriots had two wrestlers qualify for the 2023 NCAA Championships with Pappas (157) and Higley (149) representing Mason at BOX Center in Tulsa, OK. This is now Eppert’s seventh NCAA Qualifier he has coached while at Mason.
Prior to Mason, Eppert spent three years as a volunteer assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin. With the Badgers, he assisted in recruiting, student-athlete development and helped establish the Badger Regional Training Center (RTC) for post-graduate athletes.
Eppert helped Wisconsin earn a sixth place Big Ten finish in 2017-18 and an eighth-place finish in 2016-17. While at Wisconsin, Eppert helped establish a consistent top-20 team in the country each year. During his tenure with the Badgers, he coached 16 NCAA qualifiers and three NCAA All-Americans.
Prior to coaching at Wisconsin, Eppert spent the 2015-16 season at the USA Wrestling Regional Training Center in Madison, training and learning under University of Iowa great, Barry Davis.
Before joining the RTC, Eppert spent the 2014-15 season as assistant wrestling coach and assistant strength and conditioning coach at Wabash College. He helped guide the team to a third-place finish at the NCAA D3 Championships and worked with two National Champions and two All-Americans.
A native of Anderson, Ind., Eppert was a two-time NCAA National Qualifier (2011, 2012) and four-time Big Ten Championships place winner (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014) in his four years at Purdue. Eppert was also an Asics University Freestyle All-American.
Eppert was team captain of the Boilermakers for three season and his pursuit of excellence extended beyond the mat and into the classroom. He earned the Big Ten Conference Distinguished Scholar Award and the Team Player Award in 2014. The 125-pounder was also a four-time Academic All-Big Ten and three-time NWCA All-Academic selection.
Eppert attained his bachelor’s degree in science in public health promotions from Purdue University in 2014. He earned his master’s degree in Kinesiology from University of Wisconsin in 2017. He is also three courses away from earning his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from George Mason University.
Coach DePalma is currently entering his 6th season as an assistant coach. Prior to the 2023-2024 season, DePlama was elevated from Assistant Coach to Head Assistant Coach. After coaching at Edinboro University in the 2018-2019 season, he joined the George Mason University Wrestling staff. He has helped coach 3 division 1 National Qualifiers, 2 alternates and George Mason University’s first ever Mid-American Conference Champion in the 2022-2023 season. To finish the 2022-2023 season, DePalma helped the Mason Patriots to their highest ever Mid-American Conference Team finish coming in at 6th place.
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.
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.
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.
