ATCHISON – Benedictine College Athletic Director Charlie Gartenmayer announced the transition of leadership for the Raven Wrestling Program on Tuesday with the hiring of Eric Mateo as the next head coach for Benedictine Wrestling.
 
"We are excited to announce Eric as the next leader of Benedictine Wrestling," Gartenmayer said. "His vision for our program aligns with what we believe our program is capable of achieving and we look forward to having him join our staff and the Benedictine Community."
 
Coach Mateo joins Benedictine after serving as the head coach at Avila University in Kansas City, Mo., where he served as head coach since 2023.
 
"I would like to thank God for the opportunity to become the Head Wrestling Coach at Benedictine College," Coach Mateo said. "I would also like to thank President [Steven] Minnis, Athletic Director Charles Gartenmayer, Associate Athletic Director Michael Faucett and the entire administration for entrusting me to lead this program."
 
During his time at Avila, Coach Mateo's program earned 29 KCAC placers, seven NAIA National Qualifiers with 1 NAIA All-American and a top three finish in the KCAC Championship. His program also averaged over a 3.0 GPA while retaining 75 percent of his roster from season to season.
 
"Benedictine has a clearly defined vision for education and student development," Coach Mateo said. "The holistic approach to the student-athlete experience aligns closely with my coaching philosophy — developing the whole person and using wrestling as a tool to grow academically, athletically, and personally. The commitment to academic and athletic excellence is evident the moment you step on campus."
 
Coach Mateo has four pillars on which his program at Benedictine will be built on – belief, excellence, one more, and expect to win.
 
"Belief is the foundation of everything we do — faith in God, faith in the process, faith in teammates, and faith in oneself," Coach Mateo said. "Excellence means committing to continual growth and pursuing high standards in all areas of life. One More represents the daily mindset of pushing beyond limits — one more rep, one more step, one more effort. Expect to Win reflects the confidence that comes from preparation, discipline, and a commitment to doing things the right way.
 
"I am excited to begin working with this program and to compete in the Heart of America Conference. Most importantly, I look forward to helping student-athletes grow, achieve their goals, and reach their full potential — both on the mat and in life."
 
Coach Mateo graduated from the University of Central Missouri with a Bachelor of Science in Safety Management in 2015. He competed for the Mules wrestling program where he competed at 133 and 141 pounds. He was an NCAA Div. II national qualifier as a redshirt sophomore in 2012-2013.
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