Adrian College

Bill Schindel was named the second head coach in the modern era of the Adrian College men's and women's wrestling programs on May 17, 2016. For the last six years, he has focused solely on the men's side while the College created a head coaching position for the women. Schindel enters his tenth season at Adrian in 2025-2026.

Schindel, a two-time Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, comes to Adrian after posting a 46-20 (.697) dual-match record in four years at the University of Mount Union in Alliance, Ohio.

And in his first season, Schindel has overseen steps toward taking Adrian to the next level. For the men, junior Zach Rieger became the first Bulldog ever to earn Scholar All-American accolades twice from the National Wrestling Coaches Association. The co-captain also finished in third place in the Midwest Regional at 285 pounds to earn his first berth in the 2017 NCAA Division III Men's Wrestling National Championships. On the women's side, Adrian picked up its first-ever dual-match victory against Ferrum College, 19-15, on Jan. 6, 2017, at the NWCA Duals in Fort Wayne, Ind.

During the 2017-18 campaign, Rieger repeated as a NWCA Scholar All-American and set the school record for career victories while ranking among the national leaders in pinfalls. Rieger won five Invitationals along the way en route to a school-benchmark 38 wins, 157-pound sophomore Dylan Steward captured three and freshman Jake Burns went 5-0 at the Nuway College Mat Mayhem Open to claim the 197 title. 

In 2018-19, the Bulldogs set program records for the modern era with an 8-3 dual-match record, points in a match (51-6 at Lakeland) and margin of victory (45 points at Lakeland). Adrian had a second-place finish in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association, which honored sophomore Devon Pingel (184 pounds) as the first all-conference Bulldog since 1979.

Bulldog benchmarks continued to be set during the 2019-20 campaign. Adrian produced two National Wrestling Coach Association All-Americans (junior Devon Pingel at 197 pounds and sophomore 285 Isaiah Espinoza), a NWCA Scholar All-America trio (junior Noah Nieman, freshman Dylan Wellbaum and Pingel), two NCAA Championship qualifiers in Espinoza and Pingel, and four All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association standouts (sophomore 165 Derick Duvall, Espinoza, 149-Nieman, Pingel).

Other highlights from the 2019-20 season include:

• Finished 2-1 for second place in the MIAA. 
• Defeated MIAA rival Alma on Jan. 16 by a 27-21 score for the first time since the 1980-81 season (36-10).
• Shut out Penn State-Behrend 53-0 on Nov. 16 to establish school records for points scored (53) and margin of victory (53 points).
• Four All-MIAA standouts--the most since 1971 when AC also had four all-conference performers (118-Mike Selleck, 126-Neal Fuchs, 177-Eric Larson, 190-Steve Fugaban). 
• Two qualifiers to the NCAA Division III Championships for the first time in the modern era (since 2015-16), as Adrian is credited with sixth NCAA appearance (2020-16-1979-77-76-75).
• Junior Devon Pingel (197 pounds, #7) and sophomore Isaiah Espinoza (285, #8) were nationally ranked by the National Wrestling Coaches Association in the same week on Jan. 29--the first time that has happened in program history.
• Six placers in the NCAA Central Region Championships--also a program first for the most in a single season.
• The Bulldogs were in the upper-half of the regional championships for the first time ever, finishing in ninth place out of 18 schools.
• Adrian hosted the 2020 NCAA Division III Central Regional for the first time in school history on Friday-Saturday, Feb. 28-29, drawing nearly 1,000 visitors to campus.

Recently, Schindel successfully led a bid to secure the 2020 NCAA Division III Wrestling Central Region Championships hosted by Adrian College for the first time in history. In 2025, Schindel and company also kick-started a new club wrestling program at Adrian College, set to compete in the NCWA.

Schindel led Adrian to its first MIAA Championship in 2022-23 and after the 2023-24 season, Schindel was named the MIAA Coach of the Year after leading the Bulldogs to back-to-back conference championships in 2023 and 2024.

Schindel has been active in the community by creating wrestling camps for multiple ages groups. He also organized the first-ever Adrian Bulldogs Invitational in November 2017 that brought in nine teams and 1,000 spectators to campus. 

In 2015-16, Mount Union went 12-9 in dual matches (3-2 OAC) and was 9th out of 18 teams with 47-1/2 points in the NCAA Division III Mideast Regional. Schindel coached All-American Jeremy Border who advanced to the NCAA Championships for a third straight year and is one of only five wrestlers in school history with over 100 career wins. The team also had two other places at the regional meet.

In 2014-15, Schindel led the Purple Raiders (14-3 in dual matches) to their second OAC title in the last three years and a third-straight second-place finish at the NCAA Mideast Regional with OAC Coach of the Year honors. Mount Union also had four national qualifiers with one earning All-American honors. In addition, the team finished seventh at the National Wrestling Coaches' Association duals.

Schindel led the 2013-14 Purple Raiders to an eighth-place finish at the NWCA National Duals, second in the OAC and second at the NCAA Mideast Regional. Mount Union (12-5 overall) had three national qualifiers and a pair of All-Americans on its way to a 17th place finish at the NCAA Championships.

In his first season, the Purple Raiders (8-3 in duals) claimed the 2013 OAC title and finished second in the NCAA Mideast Regional.

He spent one season as an assistant coach at Mount Union and assisted in every facet of the program as the Raiders won the OAC title and finished 15th at the NCAA Division III Championships. During his tenure with the Purple Raiders, there have been six All-Americans, 14 national qualifiers, nine NWCA Scholar All-Americans and 16 All-OAC First Team selections.

Schindel made the move off the mat after a stellar career at Mount Union as a three-time All-American after placing third at NCAA Division III National Championships in 2011, seventh in 2010 and eighth in 2009.  A three-time OAC Champion at 197-lbs., he ranks ninth on the school's all-time wins list with an 83-17 record over his three-year career.

Schindel's accomplishments off the mat are just as impressive as those on it. He was a two-time NWCA Scholar All-American and received the Clyde Lamb Award, which is presented annually to the top male and female student-athlete from each OAC institution.

A native of Tallmadge, Ohio, he attended Akron Archbishop Hoban High School and has both a bachelor's degree in education and master's in educational leadership from Mount Union.

*Updated as of July 2, 2025*
Coach Schindel's Career Record at Adrian