Jon McGovern joined the University of Dubuque as Head Wrestling Coach in the spring of 2002. Coach McGovern has taken the program that had only four wrestlers in 2002 into national prominence. The UD team placed second in the nation in 2005 and fifth in the nation in 2006 as NCAA Academic Scholar Teams. The team has improved its dual meet record every season since Coach McGovern began coaching at the University. Coach McGovern was recognized in 2006 by the National Wrestling Coaches Association as the Division III National Coach of the year. Prior to joining the staff, McGovern was competing and training full time at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He placed fourth in the final US Olympic Team Trials held in Dallas.
Coach McGovern was an assistant wrestling coach at the University of Pennsylvania from 19988-1999 where he helped coach the team to a school record 11th place national finish in the NCAA Division I Championships. In 1997-1998, he was the head assistant coach at the University of Virginia and helped coach the squad which set a school record of seven NCAA Division I National Qualifiers and a second place finish in the Athletic Coast Conference Championships.
McGovern graduated from Central College in 1992. As a Dutch, he earned the distinction of being a 3X NCAA All-American, a 3X IIAC Champion, and a 2X NCAA Champion. He graduated with a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Iowa in 1996. He trained and competed for three years under the tutelage of Dan Gable with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club. From 1996-2000, Coach McGovern trained for the 2000 Olympic Games. Coach McGovern placed 3rd at the US National Open and 3rd at the US World Team Trials in 1998, giving him US National Team status and a #3 US World Team Ranking. A native of Riceville, Iowa, McGovern was a four-time state qualifier and a three-time place winner in high school.
