ARCATA, Calif. — Cal Poly Humboldt Athletics has announced the hiring of Anthony Mancini as the new head coach of the men's wrestling program after a national search was conducted. Mancini becomes the next leader of the Lumberjacks as the program continues to build momentum in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) and across NCAA Division II.
"We are excited to welcome Coach Mancini to Cal Poly Humboldt," said Executive Director of Athletics
Dr. Nick Pettit. "Anthony brings a strong track record of competitive success, student-athlete development, and coaching experience. We look forward to continuing to build on the momentum and foundation that Lennie and
Jim Zalesky have established over the past two years."
Mancini arrives at Humboldt after serving as an assistant coach at San Francisco State since July 2021, where he played a key role in revitalizing the Gators' program following the COVID-19 hiatus. During his tenure, San Francisco State posted winning dual records in two of the last three seasons while excelling both on the mat and in the classroom. The program produced more than 60 Academic All-Americans, eight national qualifiers, three All-Americans, and a national champion.
"I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity to lead the wrestling program at Cal Poly Humboldt," said Mancini. "I'm excited to work with this outstanding group of student-athletes as we push the program to new heights and represent the university and community with pride. Go Jacks!"
Mancini's coaching experience also extends to the international stage. He has served as an assistant coach for Puerto Rico's national team at the U23 World Championships and led Team Philippines at both the U20 and U23 World Championships, further demonstrating his ability to develop talent at the highest levels of competition.
Prior to his time in San Francisco, Mancini was a volunteer assistant coach at Nebraska-Kearney, where he also competed at 184 pounds for the nationally ranked Lopers during the 2020-21 season. He primarily worked with the 184, 197, and heavyweight wrestlers. That season, Nebraska-Kearney finished as the NCAA Division II National Runner-Up and produced nine All-Americans.
As a competitor, Mancini compiled a 15-4 record as a graduate student while helping lead the Lopers to a Top Five national ranking throughout the season. He was ranked second nationally heading into the postseason before suffering an ACL injury at the NCAA Division II Regionals.
Mancini began his collegiate career at Franklin and Marshall, where he competed from 2014-19 and served as a three-year team captain. After redshirting the 2017-18 season, he missed the 2018-19 campaign due to injury before graduating with a bachelor's degree in Sociology.
Beyond his collegiate and international experience, Mancini has demonstrated a commitment to growing the sport of wrestling at the grassroots level. He helped found Beat the Streets Lancaster, a nonprofit organization dedicated to introducing youth to wrestling, including one of the first girls wrestling programs in Pennsylvania. He also served as the head coach of the Barn Burners Wrestling Club.
Mancini now takes the reins of a Humboldt program poised for continued growth as the Lumberjacks look ahead to the upcoming season under new leadership.
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