BURNABY, B.C. – Simon Fraser University is excited to announce the appointment of decorated wrestler Nishan Randhawa to the role of Head Coach, SFU Women's Wrestling, and accomplished leader Gord Sturrock to the position of Mentor Coach, SFU Women's Wrestling.
 
The pair will serve in their respective roles until the end of the 2026-27 university season.
 
"Nishan and Gord bring a rare combination of elite competitive experience and deep coaching expertise to our Women's Wrestling program," said Breanne Watson, SFU Director, Athletics & Business Operations. "Nishan's success on the international stage speaks for itself, and in his recent work as an assistant coach with the Red Leafs, he has already shown he can translate that into results for our athletes. Pairing him with Gord's decades of coaching, teaching, and program-building experience gives our student-athletes exceptional support as we head into the 2026-27 season. We're confident this leadership team will continue to elevate the women's program."
 
Randhawa wrestled for SFU from 2015 to 2020 and graduated with a Criminology degree in 2021. He has been representing Canada on the international stage for more than a decade.
 

A disciplined athlete with an excellent work ethic, he has used the knowledge gained through a global career to help SFU wrestlers reach their goals.
 
Randhawa has been coaching with the Red Leafs wrestling program for the last two seasons. He was the lead assistant coach last season and spent the 2024-25 campaign as a volunteer assistant coach.
 
Randhawa is a seven-time senior national champion and has represented Canada at four senior World Wrestling Championships, three under-23 world tournaments and three junior world meets.
 
Wrestling in the 97-kilogram weight class, He won the gold medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, and the bronze at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile.
 
The wrestler from Abbotsford, B.C., also captured bronze at the 2025 Pan American Championships in Monterrey, Mexico.
 
In 2015, Randhawa won the 96-kg bronze medal at the World Junior Wrestling Championships in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil.
 
Since 2015, Randhawa has also been serving as a volunteer coach with the Guru Gobind Singh Wrestling Club in his hometown, preparing athletes with well-coordinated schedules of practices and individual training. His range of work also included analyzing match video to tailor strategies, guiding athlete nutritional plans and running drills to improve coordination and skills development.
 
"It is an honour to be named the head coach of the Simon Fraser University women's wrestling program," said Randhawa. "SFU has shaped who I am, both as an athlete and as a person, and I am grateful for the opportunity to give back to a program that has such a proud tradition of excellence. I am excited to begin this next chapter and help guide the next generation of student-athletes as they pursue their goals.
 
"My vision is to build a culture where athletes are challenged to reach their full potential while feeling supported every step of the way. I want every wrestler who joins this program to leave not only as a better competitor, but as a stronger, more confident individual. I am proud to lead this program and look forward to building on its legacy."
 

A volunteer coach with the Red Leafs since 2021, Sturrock will now strengthen the SFU Women's Wrestling leadership team as Mentor Coach.
 
He brings decades of elite-level competition and coaching experience to the program.
 
Sturrock is a National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) Master Coach Developer, certified to deliver a wide range of education to help future coaches, and has been an instructor of upper-level Sport Science courses within the Bachelor of Physical Education and Coaching degree program at Douglas College in New Westminster, B.C., since 2007.
 
Additionally, he is currently coordinator for the school's Graduate Diploma in Physical and Health Education program, a program designed for teachers to gain more experience in physical and health education with a laddering opportunity into a Master's program through the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David.    
 
From 1992 to 2007, Sturrock taught in the Coquitlam School District, and prior to that, he was a teacher in London, Ont.
 
He coached on various provincial and national teams from 1992 to 2002. Sturrock was a senior women World Team Coach in 1996, a Pan American Team Coach for junior and senior men in 1997 and a World Team Coach for junior men and women in 1999.
 
His first experience with SFU came in the period between 1996 and 2000, when he served as a volunteer coach with the women's team. During this time, he also coached with the Burnaby Mountain Wrestling Club and the Douglas College varsity program.
 
Sturrock led New Westminster Secondary School to two BC high school boys team championships (2016 and 2017) during his tenure as coach (2012 to 2018).
 
Since 2020, Sturrock has been a high-performance coach advisor for both BC Wrestling and Wrestling Canada Lutte.
 
Between 1979 and 1991, Sturrock was a member of Canada's national wrestling team, winning bronze and silver medals on the world stage as a junior competitor, and was inducted into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.
 
He was honoured with a Sport BC President's Award, which are given to "outstanding volunteers from Sport BC member organizations who go above and beyond in supporting their sport and community," in 2024.
 
Sturrock completed his PhD in Curriculum Theory and Implementation from SFU in 2018. He also holds a Master of Education degree in Curriculum Development (2004) and a Bachelor of Science (Teachable Major in Biology) (2000) from SFU. Sturrock has a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto (1989) and a Bachelor of Physical Education from Western University (1987). He completed York University's Special Education Specialist program in 1989.
 
"While my role as an assistant wrestling coach with the SFU women's program is not new to me, I am excited and optimistic about the opportunity to work closely with our new head coach, Nishan Randhawa," said Sturrock. "Nishan brings a strong wrestling pedigree, a wealth of experience, and a genuine commitment to helping each athlete reach their full potential while contributing to the overall success of the team.
 
"I was fortunate to be among the first coaches to work closely with SFU women's wrestlers in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Four years ago, I had the opportunity to return to the program as an assistant coach under Justin Abdou, and together we enjoyed considerable success. Throughout its history, SFU wrestling has established a tradition of excellence on both the men's and women's sides, thanks in large part to the legacy built by Mike Jones and many others who helped shape the program.
 
"I am proud to be part of that tradition and grateful for the opportunity to continue contributing to its success. I am particularly excited to work alongside Nishan Randhawa, whose leadership, vision, and passion for the sport will undoubtedly elevate the program to even greater heights."
 
Randhawa will begin on July 15, while Sturrock will start on August 1.
 
The 2026-27 NCAA women's wrestling season will begin in November, when SFU visits Forest Grove, Ore., for Pacific University's Mike Clock Open.