All-Time Record at McKendree (NAIA/NCAA) | 210-96 OVERALL | 136-39 NCAA / 36-4 GLVC
All-Time Numbers | 12 Individual Champions | 91 All-Americans
James Kisgen was named the head men’s wrestling coach in December of 2002 when McKendree announced the addition of men’s wrestling as a varsity athletic program. Kisgen built the program to where it stands in present day as a top-10 NCAA Division II program.
Kisgen came to McKendree from Lindenwood University, where he served as Dean of Students and was an assistant wrestling coach for four years. He has pushed the program to a multitude of All-American honors and double-digit individual national champions.
As part of NCAA Division II (All-Time NCAA Record | 136-39 NCAA / 36-4 GLVC - under Kisgen)
John Vougt and Julian Smith became the first Bearcats to win NCAA DII regional titles in 2014. Darren Wynn became the first in program history to win a NCAA DII National Championship in 2016, followed by Michael Pixley in 2019. Kisgen’s team has won three consecutive Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) titles, two consecutive Regional Championship titles, had 23 NCAA DII All-Americans, and set the highest NWCA National Duals tournament placement in program history in 2020. Kisgen has been a four-time National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Coach of the Year and a three-time GLVC Coach of the Year. Since joining the GLVC, the Bearcats have won four of five league titles.
2023: 17th place finish at DII nationals...2 All-Americans (Mejia 125, Kvien 197)...4 national championship qualifiers...4th (78.5 points) at NCAA Super Region IV with 1 regional champion (Josh Jones, 184)...6 All-GLVC performers with three first team selections...5 NWCA Scholar-Athletes...won 200th duel ever with a 21-12 victory over Gannon at National Duals in Louisville...
2022: 9th place finish at DII Nationals...2 All-Americans (Peterson 165, Filipek 184)...6 NCAA national qualifiers...GLVC Coach of the Year honors...GLVC Wrestler of the Year (Kuehl 285)...reclaimed GLVC Championship (4th in 5 seasons)...7 All-GLVC selections...5 NWCA Scholar All-Americans...5th place at NWCA National Duals (4-1)...3x GLVC Wrestler of the Week honors...won 15-straight duals to finish season
2021: GLVC Wrestler of the Year at the 2021 GLVC Championships; two individual Regional Champions at NCAA Division II Super Regional 4 Tournament, 5th at NCAA Division II National Championship with 1 individual National Champion, NWCA Region 4 Wrestler of the Year and Rookie of the Year
2020: 2
nd place at NWCA National Duals; GLVC Champions with one Wrestler of the Year and Coach of the Year at GLVC Wrestling Championship; and Regional Champions with four individual Regional Champions at NCAA DII Super IV Regional Tournament
2019: 4
th at NWCA National Duals; GLVC Champions and Coach of the Year at GLVC Championship; Regional Champions with four individual Regional Champions and Coach of the Year at NCAA DII Midwest Regional Tournament; and 3
rd place with one National Champions at NCAA DII National Championship
2018: 2
nd place with three Regional Champions and Coach of the Year at NCAA DII Super II Regional Tournament; GLVC Champions with one Wrestler of the Year and Coach of the Year at GLVC Wrestling Championship; and 7
th at NCAA DII National Championship
2017: 5
th at NWCA National Duals; 2
nd place with two Regional Champions and Coach of the Year at NCAA DII Super Regional Tournament; and 5
th at NCAA DII National Championship
2016: 4
th at NCAA DII Super Regional Tournament and 8
th place with one National Champion at NCAA DII National Championship
2015: 6
th at NWCA National Duals; 5
th place with one Regional Champion at NCAA DII Super II Regional Tournament; and 7
th at NCAA DII National Championship
2014: 2
nd place with two Regional Champions NCAA DII Super Regional Tournament and 10
th at NCAA DII National Championship
As part of the NAIA/NCWA (All-Time NAIA Record | 74-57)
Starting in 2003-04, the Bearcats sent eight wrestlers (’04), nine (’05, ’06), 11 (’07), and 12 (’09, ’10, ’11) to the NAIA National Championships. They finished that first year fourth in the NAIA Regional Tournament and 15
th at the National Championship. Mike Miller became the first McKendree wrestler to become a National Champion in 2007. The 2008 season was the most successful finish in the conference as the Bearcats became Regional Champions, had one National Champion and Kisgen was named Coach of the Year by the NWCA and NAIA. Andrew Sanchez became the first McKendree wrestler to be named NAIA Wrestler of the Year in 2011 and Kisgen was honored with his second Coach of the Year award. Starting in 2012, Kisgen's program had 21 individuals qualify for the national tournament in two seasons as members of the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA). The Bearcats had 10 All-Americans in the two National Championship tournaments.
2013: Regional Champions with five individual Regional Champions at NCWA Great Lakes Regional Tournament and 2
nd place with two National Champions at NCWA National Championship
2012: 4
th place with one Regional Champion at NCWA North Central Regional Tournament and 9
th at NCWA National Championship
2011: 5
th at NWCA National Duals; 3
rd place with two Regional Champions at NAIA East Regional Tournament; and 3
rd place with two National Champions and Coach of the Year at NAIA National Championship
2010: 4
th at NWCA National Duals; 3
rd place and two Regional Champions at East Regional Qualifier; and 5
th place with one National Champion at NAIA National Championship
2009: 4
th at NWCA National Duals; 3
rd place with three Regional Champions at East Regional Tournament; 3
rd place and two National Champions at NAIA National Championship
2008: 4
th at NWCA National Duals; Regional Champions with four individual Regional Champions and Coach of the Year at NAIA East Regional Tournament; and 2
nd place with one National Champion and Coach of the Year at NAIA National Championship
2007: 4
th place with one Regional Champion NAIA Eastern Regional Tournament and 8
th place with one National Champion at NAIA National Championship
2006: 4
th place with one Regional Champion at NAIA East Regional Tournament and 20
th at NAIA National Championship
2005: 4
th at NAIA East Regional Tournament and 12
th at NAIA National Championship
2004: 4
th at NAIA Regional Tournament and 15
th at NAIA National Championship
In the program’s history, McKendree has had 11 national champions and 36 regional champions; eight runners-up, six third- and 10 fourth-place finishers, eight fifth-place finishes, six sixth-place finishers, 12 seventh-place finishers and five eighth-place finishers under Kisgen’s guidance.
A native of Devils Lake, North Dakota, Kisgen was a four-time All-American 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-lbs. as a freshman and 158-lbs. 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-lbs. 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. In the spring of 2011, Kisgen was inducted into the North Dakota High School Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Kisgen resides in Freeburg, along with his wife Donna, daughter Kylie and their son Cooper.
