Donnie Vinson said he’s grateful to have worked under, in his words, “two of the best head coaches - Rob Koll and Pat Popolizio.”
Now an assistant at the Spartan Combat RTC and the associate head coach at Cornell University, Vinson said he can’t wait to get started with his new boss - Mike Grey.
“[Koll and Popolizio] both have done wonders for me and I couldn’t be more fortunate that they led me and taught me. I’ve learned from them what successful traits are in a head coach and I see them in Mike.”
Vinson and Grey worked closely together from 2014-17, when Vinson served as the volunteer assistant on the Big Red staff. The relationship between the two continued, even when Vinson left for North Carolina State.
“Mike’s been a mentor and a friend for the past 10 years,” Vinson said. “We talked about coaching together again for a while. Recently, the stars aligned and now we’re all set. Mike works incredibly hard - he’s in the trenches doing everything the kids need and everything the program needs. He’s put me in a bigger role, with more responsibility, and I’m so excited to spread my wings and take ownership.”
Vinson spent much of his life in upstate New York, making the state finals twice while at Whitney Point High School and going on to star at Binghamton University. He was a two-time Colonial Athletic Association Wrestler of the Year and had an epic All-American run at the 2012 NCAA tournament, where he dropped his first round match at 149 pounds and responded with seven consecutive victories to take third. Vinson finished his Bearcat career as the school’s all-time leader in wins and spent a year on the coaching staff at his alma mater before moving to Ithaca. He’s pleased to be back.
“Family was a huge factor,” he said. “My wife and I eventually wanted to make our way back up North. I don’t think a better opportunity could possibly have come along. It was great at NC State. We were hitting our stride. I appreciate the experience there so much. We had some great recruiting classes and more on the way.”
Grey mentioned that Vinson thinks about that topic often, saying, “I think Donnie even dreams about recruiting.”
It showed in Raleigh, as the Wolfpack brought in consensus top six recruiting classes three of the past four years, including the #4 ranked group by both FloWrestling and Matscouts in 2021.
“I’d say it’s pretty accurate, that recruiting is always on my mind,” Vinson said. “I feel like that’s my true craft. Everyone in the sport knows how to wrestle and how to teach wrestling. What I enjoy above and beyond that is getting to know guys, where they fit in, what they want to do. Cornell has recruited really well, so I know I have big shoes to fill.”
But Vinson knows it’s not just about bringing talent into the program. He’s been part of significant development wherever he’s been.
During his four years in Raleigh, the Wolfpack boasted 35 NCAA qualifiers, 15 All-Americans and an NCAA champion. The team won three ACC titles and wrestlers like Kevin Jack, Tariq Wilson, Hayden Hidlay, Thomas Bullard and Daniel Bullard were among those Vinson mentored.
Meanwhile, the Big Red featured 11 All-Americans, three NCAA champions and two more finalists while Vinson was at Cornell, with three Ivy and EIWA crowns.
Vinson fully expects performances at that level - and beyond - in the coming years in Ithaca both at the RTC and in the NCAA.
“The new era will be awesome,” he said. “New resources, new facilities, a refreshing new outlook with a staff of young and ambitious people. There’s a lot of positive energy and excitement. I believe there will be a ton of success at the national and at the world level. I couldn’t be more excited."