A two-time winner of the NCAA Division III Coach of the Year award, Steve Marianetti, a former NCAA Champion and assistant wrestling coach at the University of Illinois, is entering his 22nd season as head wrestling coach at Elmhurst University in 2023-24.

Marianetti's squads have repeatedly ranked among the nation's best, earning Marianetti a pair of NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year awards. His squads have also earned seven CCIW Championships with Marianetti earning CCIW Coach of the Year honors seven times. He led Elmhurst to three straight CCIW Championships from 2005-2007 and 2011-13. The Bluejays also took home the team title in 2017.  In his 18 seasons as the coach of the Bluejays, Marianetti has coached five national champions, 31 All-Americans, 50 national qualifiers, 51 CCIW champions and 10 CCIW Most Outstanding Wrestlers. His teams have earned eight  top-15 national finishes, including seven in the top-10, at the NCAA Championships.

In just his third season as the team's head coach in 2005, Marianetti guided the Bluejays to their then best season in school history. The wrestling team ended the year with a 16-3 record and won their first-ever CCIW Championship. At the NCAA Championships, three Bluejays earned All-America honors while the team finished eighth in the country. Marianetti was named the NWCA Division III Coach of the Year.

In 2012-13, Marianetti topped the 2005 season finish by guiding Elmhurst to its sixth CCIW title and a second-place team finish at the NCAA Championships. Marianetti coached five Bluejays to All-America honors including national championships won by Joe Rau (184 pounds) and Mike Benefiel (197 pounds). Marianetti was named the NWCA Division III Coach of the Year for the second time in his career.

In 2013-14, Marianetti coached Ryan Prater to an undefeated national championship at 149 pounds. Prater became the third Bluejay wrestler in the last two seasons to win an individual NCAA Championship. 

In 2012, he guided Elmhurst to its fifth CCIW Championship and a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Championships. Joe Rau and Dalton Bullard both placed third in the nation in their respective weight classes to earn All-America honors.

In 2009, Marianetti directed the Bluejays to a seventh-place finish at the NCAA Championships, establishing the Bluejays' best-ever national finish at the time. Mark Corsello and Jake Oster both earned All-America honors with Oster becoming the first Bluejay to win a national title. 

In 2017, Marianetti guided the Bluejays to its seventh CCIW title, earning CCIW Coach of the Year honors for the seventh time in his career. Three Bluejays qualified for the NCAA Championships. In 2018, three Bluejays qualified for the NCAA Championships with Anthony Munoz and Jimmy McAuliffe earning All-America honors. In 2019, Keone Derain became the latest Bluejays' All-American by placing seventh at the NCAA Championship at 157 pounds. During the pandemic shortened season of 2020-21, Marianetti coached McAuliffe to the NWCA Division III Individual Championship at 141 pounds. McAuliffe captured All-America honors again at 141 pounds during the 2022 NCAA Division III Wrestling Championships. 

A four-time Academic All-Big Ten Conference selection Marianetti is a 1995 graduate of the University of Illinois (UI) with a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing. He earned his master's degree in advertising from Illinois in 2001. He was a first-team GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American in 1995 and was a two-time National Wrestling Coaches Association Academic All-American.

While a member of the UI wrestling team, Marianetti was one of the most decorated athletes at Illinois. He was a three-time All-American and won the NCAA Division I national championship at 150 pounds in 1995. He also held the Illini single-season mark for wins with 44, and ranks second on the school's career wins list with 120.

After graduation, Marianetti continued competing in freestyle wrestling, earning a gold medal at the 1997 Pan-American Championships, silver medals at the 1998 Goodwill Games and World Cup, and a gold medal at the 1998 U.S. National Championships. Marianetti represented the United States at the 1998 World Championships in Tehran, Iran.

Chris is entering his 21st season of NCAA coaching experience at his alma mater Elmhurst University. During his time there he has helped guide individuals to 5 national championships, 3 national runner-up finishes, 25 All-American finishes and 35+ NCAA tournament berths. Chris has also been a part of 7 Top 10 NCAA team finishes, including the 2013 team that captured the NCAA Runner-Up trophy, along with multiple CCIW Conference team titles. He is now greatly looking forward to helping guide the younger generation of wrestlers to be the best that they can be on and off the mat.

Chris is a graduate of Elmwood Park HS and wrestled collegiately at Elmhurst. While there, he was a 4-time letter winner, and captained the team his junior and senior seasons. He was inducted into the Elmhurst University Athletics Hall of Fame, along with the 2013 NCAA Runner-up team as part of the 2023 induction class.

Chris currently resides in Lombard with his wife Samantha, and daughters Olivia and Liliana.

Ricardo began wrestling at he age of fourteen as a Freshman at Hinsdale Central High School.  He was a 3 year varsity letter winner and was voted MVP of his senior year team.

After high school Ricardo went on to attend Elmhurst University where he graduated with a degree in exercise science in 2005.  During his time there he was a member of the men's wrestling team and was a 3-time team captain and a 2-time National qualifier earning All-American honors his senior year at the 2005 NCAA Division III Men's Wrestling Championships at 157 lbs. During his collegiate wrestling career (2001–2005), he racked up over 100 wins (a school record at the time). He was also a two-time CCIW Champion and was named the CCIW's "Most Outstanding Wrestler" during the 2003–04 season. Lamas returned to Elmhurst after graduation to serve as an assistant wrestling coach for a number of years.

After college, Ricardo started his MMA career where he fought for organizations such as the WEC and the UFC.  He was ranked amongst the top 10 fighters in the world in his division for the majority of his career and became the number one contender in 2014 awarding him a world championship title fight against Jose Aldo.  He still holds a record for the second most finishes in the featherweight division and was awarded 3 post-fight bonuses for “submission of the night” against Cub Swanson, “performance of the night” where he again won by submission against Charles Oliveira and “fight of the night” against Bill Algeo.  Ricardo is also a second-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Daniel Valverde.

Ricardo is a NASM certified personal trainer and has 19 years of personal training experience working with children, adults and athletes of all kinds.  He is a co-owner of UFC Gym Naperville where he works full time as the Fitness Director.

John Jung is entering his 33 year of coaching. A veteran of the high school coaching ranks, Jung spent 9 years as a assistant coach at Downers Grove south high school and Hinsdale Central High School. He then spent 4 years as head wrestling coach at St. Charles North High School during this time period having municipal state placer and 2 state finalists.

Jung spent 20 years as the head assistant at Elmhurst University having 5 National Champions, 31 All-Americans, 8 CCIW Championships and 7 top 10 finishes. In 2012, Jung was honored as the Division III National Assistant Coach of the Year after helping Elmhurst to their best-ever season. The team won its third straight CCIW Championship and took home a second-place finish at the NCAA Championships as five wrestlers earned All- American honors.

Jung wrestled Division 1 at Drake University where he was a 4 year letter winner and a Espoir Greco All- American.

Coach Ronny grew up and continues to reside in Hoffman Estates.  He started his wrestling career at the age of 9 years old for the Palatine Panthers Wrestling Club.

Ronny attended Fremd High School in Palatine where he finished 4th place in state his senior year and was a 2x IHSA state qualifier under former coach, Ralph Cortez.  He graduated in 2012 and committed to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater but later transferred to Elmhurst University top wrestle for Illinois wrestling legend, Steve Marianetti.

He graduated from Elmhurst with an Education degree in 2018.  After graduation, Ronny joined Ricardo Lamas and Matt Kuschert as an inaugural employee at the UFC Gym Naperville where he is the assistant Director of Youth Programs coaching a variety of classes as well as personal training.

Still hungry to compete at an elite level, he joined Ricardo and Matt and began his amateur MMA fighting career in 2018 and later reached professional ranks in February 2021.  Ronny also holds a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

When he is not coaching, working or training, he enjoys spending quiet time with his Daschunds Remmy and Finn as well as his family.

Achievements:

Elmhurst University Wrestling Team - 2016-2017 season

• 1st place CCIW Conference Team Champions
• 2nd place - CCIW Conference 141 lbs - 2017
• Pete Wilson Tournament Finalist - 2017

UW-Whitewater Wrestling Team

• Division III National Team Runner Up - 2014
• Division III 3rd Place Team - 2015
• 3x WIAC Team Champions
• 4th Place - WIAC Conference 133 lbs - 2015

2012 - Asics All-American

2011 - Illinois Greco State Champion/Member of IL National Team competing in both freestyle and Greco

2010 - Midwest Nationals Finalist

William Fremd High School

• 4x Varsity Letter Winner in Wrestling; 4th place at State - 2012
• 2x IHSA State Qualifier
• 2x Wrestling Team Captain
• 2x Varsity Letter Winner in Football

Matt Kuschert and his partners have dreamt of creating a top-tier wrestling program in the western suburbs for many years. That dream has come to fruition with the creation of Top Dog Wrestling Club. The club is intended to serve experts and beginners alike, and the coaching staff boasts over 100 years of high school and college coaching experience. Kuschert is entering his twentieth season coaching at the NCAA level at Elmhurst University. Over that time, he has helped carry the Elmhurst Bluejays to seven conference team titles, seven top-ten finishes at the NCAA DIII National Tournament, 31 All-Americans, 50 National qualifiers, and over 50 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Champions.

As a competitor, Kuschert racked up over 100 college wins at Oakton Community College and Elmhurst University and was the first NJCAA Midwest Regional Champion and National Qualifier for Oakton Community College. At Elmhurst, he was a two-time runner up at the CCIW championships and three-time Academic All-American. As a four-year captain, Kuschert helped lead the team to their first CCIW title in the history of the University en route to an 8th place finish at the NCAA DIII National Championships. The 2005 team set the tone for the next couple of decades as the Bluejays were consistently amongst the top programs in the nation.

Kuschert currently owns and operates the UFC GYM in Naperville with his business partner and college teammate, Ricardo Lamas. He serves as the General Manager of the facility, and personally trains all ages and ability levels including kids, teens, collegiate and professional athletes, suburban moms and dads, and everyone in between.

Matt has Bachelor of Science in Biology with a minor in Chemistry and a Master’s Degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Kuschert currently resides in St. Charles with his wife, Jaime, and their two children, Danny and Allie. When Kuschert isn’t training and coaching amateur and professional athletes, you can find him engaging in strength training, conditioning, and playing various sports leagues with family and friends.

Keone grew up and currently resides in St. Charles. He started wrestling when he was seven years old for the St Charles East Wrestling Club. He eventually wrestled for the Martinez Fox Valley Elite Wrestling Club under Jose Martinez and Nathan Martinez. 

Keone attended St. Charles East High School and was a 3x IHSA state qualifier under current coach, Jason Potter. He graduated in 2015 and committed to Elmhurst College to wrestle for Illinois wrestling legend, Steve Marianetti. 

During his time at Elmhurst, Keone was a NCAA DIII All-American and 2x NCAA DIII national qualifier. He graduated from Elmhurst with an Exercise Science degree in 2019. After graduation, Keone was a graduate assistant coach at Elmhurst while working on his Masters of Business Administration.

Currently, Keone works for Dig insights, a Market Research / Consumer Insights organization. He is an assistant coach for Steve Marianetti at Elmhurst University where he has coached for the last 5 years. When he is not coaching / working, you can find him on a golf course, spending time with his wife Marissa, or doing jiu jitsu. 

Achievements:

-1x NCAA DIII All-American

-Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Brown Belt under Ricardo Lamas

-2x NCAA DIII National Qualifier

-3x NCAA DIII Academic All-American

-Elmhurst Male Athlete of the Year 2019. 

-4 Year varsity starter at Elmhurst College

-3x IHSA State Qualifier

Tim began his wrestling career at Wolfpack wrestling club out of East Leyden high school.
He went on to wrestle for St. Charles North high school as a four-year varsity starter.
He competed collegiately for two years at Coe College before transferring to Elmhurst University.
After competing in college and graduating with a degree in sports management he left to coach at Downers Grove South high school. After three seasons there, he returned to Elmhurst University as the graduate assistant coach.
Tim completed a Masters degree in business administration and still coaches at the university.  Tim is currently employed at UFC Gym Naperville as a wrestling, BJJ, striking, and strength and conditioning coach where he is also pursuing a career in Mixed Martial Arts.

Achievements:
1x IKWF state qualifier
3x IHSA state qualifier
1x IHSA state place winner
2x Fargo qualifier
4 year varsity starter collegiately
155lbs EFN amateur champion
Brazilian jujitsu brown belt