Bio

Drew Sams is in his first season as Head Men’s Wrestling Coach.

A native of Oskaloosa, Sams returns to his hometown after spending the past three seasons as the head assistant coach at Graceland University in Lamoni.  While at GU, he coached 10 national qualifiers and three All-Americans.  In 2024, the Yellowjackets placed second at the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship; all 12 of his athletes placed in the top six at the Championship.

Graceland also excelled academically during Sams’ tenure, including finishing third in the NWCA Scholar All-American team standings.  He guided 14 NAIA Scholar-Athletes and 16 NWCA Scholar All-Americans.  GU also won the 2023-2024 Heart Musco Sportsmanship Award.

Sams was also an instructor of Health and Movement Science at Graceland during the 2023-2024 school year.

A graduate of Graceland in 2021 with a degree in Allied Health, Sams was a four-time NAIA national qualifier and an All-American in 2021.  A three-time team captain, he was a strong scholar who twice was named to the NAIA NWCA all-academic team as well as to numerous academic lists at GU.

Sams, who also received his Master’s of Nutrition and Human Performance degree from GU in 2023, owns numerous certifications from the National Academy of Sports Medicine, including being a Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Coach, and Corrective Exercise Specialist.

Sams and his wife Rachel have a son, Meyer.