Rob Koll (1988) - Patterson Medal Winners - University of North Carolina Athletics

Rob Koll

Induction:
1988
Class:
1988

1988 — Rob Koll: Wrestling (State College, Pa.)
One of the most outstanding wrestlers in ACC history. A national champion, a three-time ACC champion and one of four Tar Heels to earn All-America honors four times. Koll won the 158-pound national championship in 1988 under head coach Bill Lam to complete a 41-1-0 season. He finished third in the NCAA Championships in 1986 and 1987 and eighth in 1985. Koll won three straight ACC championships at 158 pounds from 1986-88.

Koll holds UNC career records for most match wins (155), single-season wins (47 in 1986-87) and is second in career wins by fall (49) and single-season wins by fall (18). He wrestled in the 1990 and 1993 World Cup, winning his weight class on both occasions. He also served as an alternate on the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team. A 1992 World Cup Grand Prix champion, he finished fifth at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo and was the 1989 Pan Am Games champion. He won national freestyle titles in 1990 and 1991 and was the runner-up at the 1989 Olympic Festival.

Koll has been a college head coach for 30 years, 28 at Cornell, two at Stanford, coaching 16 NCAA champions at Cornell, prior to being named the eighth UNC head coach in history prior to the 2023-24 season.