Justin Oliver is set to begin his third season as an assistant coach at Northwestern University in 2025-26, working primarily with Northwestern's middle weights. Oliver, a former All-American and four-time NCAA qualifier, arrived in Evanston after serving as an assistant coach at the University of Northern Colorado during the 2022-23 season.
Over his first two seasons in Evanston, Oliver has overseen multiple NCAA Championship qualifiers, including 2025 All-American and fourth-place national finisher at 157 lbs, Trevor Chumbley. Also in 2025, Sam Cartella (149 lbs) became the first Wildcat first-year or redshirt-first-year to qualify for the NCAA Championships since 2021.
Prior to joining Storniolo's staff, Oliver enjoyed a successful stay at Northern Colorado, highlighted by his work with Andrew Alirez, who finished a perfect 28-0 on his way to winning a national championship at 141 pounds. Alirez was one of two Big 12 Conference champions for the Bears this past season, joining Stevo Poulin, who claimed the league's 125-pound crown.Â
No stranger to the Big Ten Conference, Oliver spent the 2021-22 campaign as a volunteer assistant coach at Michigan State University. After closing the year at 10-4 overall in dual action, the Spartans put four student-athletes on the podium on the Big Ten Conference Championships and qualified five for the national meet.
Oliver cut his teeth in the coaching ranks at the University of Buffalo, where he specialized with the Bulls' lower weight classes. He helped guide four wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, a group highlighted by Troy Keller, who became the first 165-pound wrestler in program history to repeat as a Mid-American Conference (MAC) champion in 2020.
During his time as a student-athlete, Oliver piled up 137 wins between stays at Central Michigan University (2014-18) and North Carolina State University (2018-19). The Davison, Mich. native qualified for the NCAA Championships in each of his final three years with the Chippewas, taking home All-America honors at 149 pounds following a seventh-place finish in 2016. He took third at 149 pounds at the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championships in his lone season with the Wolfpack, closing his collegiate career with a fourth trip to the NCAA Championships.
An All-Academic selection by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), Oliver earned his bachelor's degree in organizational management from Central Michigan in 2018. He went on to earn a graduate certificate in statistical analytics from North Carolina State in 2019.
Over his first two seasons in Evanston, Oliver has overseen multiple NCAA Championship qualifiers, including 2025 All-American and fourth-place national finisher at 157 lbs, Trevor Chumbley. Also in 2025, Sam Cartella (149 lbs) became the first Wildcat first-year or redshirt-first-year to qualify for the NCAA Championships since 2021.
Prior to joining Storniolo's staff, Oliver enjoyed a successful stay at Northern Colorado, highlighted by his work with Andrew Alirez, who finished a perfect 28-0 on his way to winning a national championship at 141 pounds. Alirez was one of two Big 12 Conference champions for the Bears this past season, joining Stevo Poulin, who claimed the league's 125-pound crown.Â
No stranger to the Big Ten Conference, Oliver spent the 2021-22 campaign as a volunteer assistant coach at Michigan State University. After closing the year at 10-4 overall in dual action, the Spartans put four student-athletes on the podium on the Big Ten Conference Championships and qualified five for the national meet.
Oliver cut his teeth in the coaching ranks at the University of Buffalo, where he specialized with the Bulls' lower weight classes. He helped guide four wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, a group highlighted by Troy Keller, who became the first 165-pound wrestler in program history to repeat as a Mid-American Conference (MAC) champion in 2020.
During his time as a student-athlete, Oliver piled up 137 wins between stays at Central Michigan University (2014-18) and North Carolina State University (2018-19). The Davison, Mich. native qualified for the NCAA Championships in each of his final three years with the Chippewas, taking home All-America honors at 149 pounds following a seventh-place finish in 2016. He took third at 149 pounds at the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Championships in his lone season with the Wolfpack, closing his collegiate career with a fourth trip to the NCAA Championships.
An All-Academic selection by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), Oliver earned his bachelor's degree in organizational management from Central Michigan in 2018. He went on to earn a graduate certificate in statistical analytics from North Carolina State in 2019.