TJ Ruschell enters his third season as an assistant coach with the Mocs. He is the younger brother of UTC's second-year head coach Kyle Ruschell. Prior to joining the staff at UTC, TJ spent the previous season as a volunteer assistant at Clarion. There he helped lead the Golden Eagles to a third place conference finish in the regular season.
TJ’s primary focus was the middleweight classes, which proved beneficial for Clarion as 165-pound senior Evan DeLong qualified for the NCAA Championships for the first time in his career.
Prior to his time at Clarion, TJ served a brief stint as an assistant coach at Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.). The team finished fifth at the 2018 NAIA Championships with five Blue Raiders earning All-American honors. Ruschell worked closely with 149-pound national champion Cam Tessari, as well as other middleweight wrestlers during his time at Lindsey Wilson.
Ruschell competed for the University of Wisconsin from 2012-2017. During his tenure as a Badger he compiled a 54-52 overall record at the 149 and 157-pound weight classes. Although his final season was shortened by a knee injury, TJ came back in December to reach as high as 15th in the FloWrestling rankings while posting a 16-11 overall record and a 5-3 dual meet record. This earned him an at-large bid to the 2017 NCAA Championships in St. Louis.
TJ was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten Selection; as well as a National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Academic All-American in 2017. Ruschell graduated from Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics in 2016. He also earned a Master's degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis from UW in 2018.
A native of Crittenden, Kentucky, Ruschell attended Ryle High School where he compiled a 219-21 career record – the best in school history - and was a four-time state placer and four-time regional champion, winning a state championship his junior season. These impressive credentials earned him an induction into the Ryle High School Athletic Hall of Fame this April.
