Bio

Jake Kadel is in his second season as Head Women’s Wrestling Coach.

In his first year at the helm, Kadel turned the program into a national contender, finishing fourth at the NAIA National Championship.  Of the team's nine national qualifiers, five earned All-America status with three winning national titles (Mia Palumbo at 109, Adaugo Nwachukwu at 136, and Ashley Lekas at 170).  Four individuals won Heart of America Athletic Conference crowns in his first season, while Kadel also headed six Heart Scholar-Athletes and three NAIA Scholar-Athletes.

Kadel came to WPU from Iowa Wesleyan University where he served on the men’s and women’s staffs from 2021-2023, including being promoted to head coach of each for the 2022-2023 campaign.  That season, the IWU women placed second at the Heart of America Athletic Conference Championship and sent 11 women to the NAIA National Championship.  From there, five individuals earned All-America status, including one national champion, as the Tigers placed seventh as a team.

Kadel coached one men’s national qualifier during the 2022-2023 season as well.

A native of New London, Iowa, Kadel is a 2015 graduate of the University of Iowa with a degree in Human Physiology.  While at Iowa, he competed for the Hawkeye wrestling program and owned a 23-18 career record.

Kadel has previous coaching experience as an assistant at St. John's Jesuit High School in Ohio, as an instructor at Hard Drive Performance Center in Cedar Rapids, and as a volunteer at Ubasa Wrestling Academy in North Liberty.

A tremendous prep wrestler, Kadel posted a career mark of 189-13 at New London HS.  He was a four-time state placer (twice second and twice third) and four-time conference, sectional, and district champion.  At the time, he ranked fifth in the state of Iowa in career wins (189).

Kadel also has his Master's of Biomedical Science from the University of Toledo in 2019.