WILKES-BARRE – Wilkes University Athletic Director Scott Musa has announced the hiring of Kasey Kruczek as the new head coach of the Women's Wrestling program.
 
Kruczek was tabbed to lead the newly created program (announced in the fall of 2024) into its first season of NCAA competition in 2025-26.
 
"Kasey was exactly the type of coach we were hoping for when we started this process," said Musa. "She has great experience both competing and coaching at an established women's wrestling power and is well-prepared to take over her own program. I have total confidence that she and Jon
(Laudenslager) are going to build a women's wrestling program that will match our men's program's history of success on the mat, in the classroom, and within the community," he added.
 
Kruczek comes to Wilkes after serving as assistant women's wrestling coach at Campbellsville University in Kentucky from 2021-2025. Last season, Kruczek was elevated to interim head coach for a four-month period in the fall before returning to her assistant coaching role.
 
While at Campbellsville, Kruczek helped guide the squad to the 2021-22 NAIA National Championship. She was part of all the daily tasks of the program including leading practices and competitions, travel and compliance of the program.
 
"Wilkes felt like the right fit," explained Kruczek. "The vision for building something new, especially in an area that has such strong wrestling roots, really stood out to me. It's a chance to make a lasting impact and grow something from the ground up," she added.
 
Prior to her time at Campbellsville, Kruczek was an assistant at Parkland High School for two years where she helped establish the girls wrestling program while coaching both the boys and girls teams. With close ties to the Lehigh Valley area, Kruczek also spent two years at Lehigh Valley Wrestling Club, bringing in girls for the first time in a previously all-boys program.
 
Kruczek began her coaching career in the fall of 2017 coaching at Nazareth Area High School before a one-year stint at Phillipsburg High School where she coached a state champion and most outstanding wrestler of the tournament.
 
On the mat, Kruczek was part of the first ever women's wrestling team at Campbellsville that was started in 2013-14. In only the second year of the program, the team already eclipsed a runner-up finish at the WCWA National Championships. Kruczek was also part of the 2016-17 team that placed third at the Championships.
 
"I want to build a culture that pushes our student-athletes to compete at a high level while also being good teammates, students, and people," noted Kruczek. "Development matters to me, and I want these women to leave better than they arrived in every way possible. Starting a new program is something special, and I'm looking forward to working with the administration and recruiting the right student-athletes to Wilkes who want to be part of building something together," she said.
 
Prior to her collegiate days, she was the first female to earn a varsity letter on the boys wrestling team at Easton High School. She was the Pennsylvania Folkstyle Champion in 2012 as well as a four-time Pennsylvania Freestyle state champion.
 
"Kasey grew up wrestling in the tradition rich Easton, Pennsylvania, District XI and continued at Campbellsville College for her college education," stated Wilkes Director of Wrestling Jon Laudenslager.  "She has been around great wrestling coaches, great programs for quite some time and I'm excited to help her build the women's program," he added.
 
She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design in 2017 from Campbellsville before obtaining her Master's degree from the institution in Sports Management 2023.
 
Kruczek will begin her duties at Wilkes on August 4.