WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The newly announced women's wrestling program at Otterbein University has its first associate head coach in the form of Chris Kline, who officially starts in the role shortly after Labor Day.

Kline, emerging from a summer candidate pool, will join the staff to team with Brent Rastetter (Director of Wrestling) as the duo helps launch the 22nd intercollegiate varsity sport at Otterbein.

"I am truly thankful and excited for this opportunity," Kline began. "Developing a program from the ground up will have its challenges, but I am so eager to help grow the culture and see what the future holds. There seemed to be an instant connect from the moment I met Coach Rastetter. We were automatically on the same page and I love his vision..."

A local product, Kline grew up just minutes from campus as a standout wrestler at Westerville North High School. He was a 3x state qualifier, 2x state placer and OHSAA state champion as a senior after going a perfect 43-0. Afterwards, Kline went on to wrestle and receive his bachelor's degree (health service administration) from Ohio University in 2012.

"Westerville is truly home," continued Kline. "I didn't want to just become a coach, but to also do it in the right setting. Having been around this sport since I was a little kid, I really want to take all of those moments – good and bad – and input that into the overall experience of my teams. The whole development of the person is more important than just producing elite wrestlers. With the right foundation and culture, we will make Otterbein a true hub and attractive environment for the sport."

After college, Kline began coaching as an assistant at Westerville North and then most recently served as the head coach at Hilliard Davidson High School. He has also been working as an account coordinator for CoverMyMeds and currently resides in Granville with his wife, Kallie, and their two young children – a daughter (Ellie) and son (Jaxon).

"Moments with my wife and kids are special," added Kline, who just celebrated his five-year anniversary with Kallie. "I hope to share them with the family atmosphere at Otterbein and start meeting all kinds of new people. We look forward to becoming invested with other programs and execute together."

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WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT KLINE:

"We are thrilled to welcome Coach Kline to the family. Building a program from scratch is a unique endeavor that requires a special skillset. Chris has a reputation of creating positive and supportive team environments. He has strong ties to the local wrestling community, a deep technical knowledge base of the sport, and specific experience in freestyle. His background is ideally suited to develop a vibrant program with growth-focused team culture." – Dr. Greg Lott (Director of Athletics)

"From our first conversation, Chris stood out as someone whose vision for the program aligned with what we felt would give the young ladies the best student-athlete experience. I'm very excited to welcome him aboard and see what we accomplish together." – Brent Rastetter (Director of Wrestling)

"Coach Kline has a great wealth of knowledge ready to share, and being from the Columbus area will certainly be a factor in recruiting. When we were walking him around campus, I got the feeling that he was very comfortable. I think he will give the women's program a hot start and set it up for success in coming years." – Nathan Leko (Senior, Men's Wrestling)
 
"I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Coach Kline on his interview visit and know he will be a great fit. He possesses the freestyle knowledge to be successful and, from his tour around campus, you could tell he felt home. He already has so many connections and relationships in the area. I look forward to seeing what he will accomplish." – Garrett Thomas (Senior, Men's Wrestling)

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