LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Lock Haven University has announced that Matthew Lackey, the 2003 Big Ten Male Athlete of the Year has been named the new assistant wrestling coach for the Bald Eagles.

Lackey will assist newly appointed head coach Robbie Waller in all facets of coaching and recruiting, as the two look to bring Lock Haven back to the forefront of the college wrestling world.

Lackey comes to Mat Town, U.S.A. with quite the resume, having won a NCAA Division I National Championship in 2003.

The 2003 University of Illinois graduate was a three-time All-American with the Fighting Illini.

Lackey is very excited about the opportunity in front of him and happy to be back in the sport he loves.

“I’m excited about the opportunity and looking forward to using my knowledge of the sport to help turn the program around,” Lackey said. “We (the coaching staff) have great expectations and I’m looking forward to helping produce All-Americans and National Champions.”

“Our coaching staff has some impressive credentials and we don’t expect any less from the guys,” Lackey added.

Lackey took home two conference titles in the always strong Big Ten conference in 2002 and ’03.

Lackey also turned in a solid post-college wrestling career. He is a two time Olympic Trial qualifier and took fourth at the 2008 U.S. Senior Nationals.

An Illinois native, Lackey won two high school state championships.

Rounding out Waller’s staff is Teyon Ware, a two-time NCAA Division I National Champion at Oklahoma, who is currently training and competing with the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club.

Ware, a former Big 12 Conference Champion and four-time NCAA All-American is training for the 2012 Olympics in London, England.

Ware graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2007 with a degree in Mass Communications.

A four-time Oklahoma State High School Champion, Ware compiled a perfect 132-0 scholastic record at Edmond North High School in Edmond, Okla.

Ware will assist Waller and Lackey in all facets of the program.

Waller is thrilled that the final pieces to his puzzle have been filled and he’s looking forward to going to work with this staff and team.

“Matt (Lackey) is going to be an outstanding coach,” Waller said. “We are lucky to have gotten him this late in the season and the team’s already taken to him, which is a positive.”

Waller says the coaching staff’s credentials speak for themselves, saying the team wants to get to the top of the sport just like they have.

Lackey and Ware have assumed immediate responsibilities with the squad.