McKendree University Athletics

    James Kisgen is entering his sixth season as the head coach of the McKendree University wrestling program.
    Kisgen has single-handedly built the McKendree wrestling program from the ground up. Starting in 2003-04, the Bearcats sent eight wrestlers to the NAIA National Championships, followed by nine in 2004-05 and 2005-06, 11 in 2006-07 and 12 the last two seasons.
    McKendree has had four national champions, three-runners-up, two third and three fourth place finisher's, four sixth-place finishers, three seventh-place finishers and five eighth-place finishers under Kisgen’s guidance. The Bearcats were also national runner-up in 2007-08 and Kisgen was named NAIA National Coach of the Year and NAIA East Region Coach of the Year. McKendree finished in third place as a team at the 2009 NAIA Wrestleing National Championships.
    Kisgen came to McKendree from Lindenwood University, where he served as dean of students and was an assistant wrestling coach for four years. He was named head coach of the Bearcat program in December 2002 after university officials announced that wrestling would be added as a varsity sport.
    While completing requirements for his bachelor’s degree from the University of North Dakota in 1997, Kisgen began his coaching career as an assistant coach for the Fighting Sioux. He then took a position as assistant coach at Anderson (S.C.) College in 1998-99.
    A native of Devils Lake, North Dakota, Kisgen was a four-time All-America wrestler during his collegiate career. He began his career at Bismarck State Junior College in North Dakota. There, he earned National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) All-America honors at 150 pounds as a freshman and 158 pounds as a sophomore.
    Kisgen then moved on to the University of North Dakota, where he was a two-time NCAA Division II All-American at 158 pounds.
    Kisgen resides in Freeburg, along with his wife Donna and their three-year old daughter Kylie.