Chris Leese enters his fourth season as Shippensburg University Assistant Wrestling Coach in 2025-26. Leese arrives at Shippensburg after serving as the Head Wrestling Coach at Penn State Mont Alto from 2016-2022.
In 2022-23, Leese guided a roster that featured 16 newcomers to a 9-9 dual meet record, and the Raiders sent multiple wrestlers to the NCAA Division II Championships for the first time in eight years (Avery Shay, Danny Scheib), with Shay earning All-America honors.
At Mont Alto, Leese coached 24 National qualifiers, three All-Americans and seven USCAA/NCWA Academic All-Americans. Coached Mont Alto’s first National Champion, Luke Lardarello, in 2022 and was the 2020 Mid East Conference NCWA Coach of the Year.
He led the Nittany Lions to a school record 16-5 dual meet record and a MEC Team Championship in 2020, and a 39-44 record all time.Â
Leese previously led the wrestling programs at Carlisle and Fairfield, starting the Fairfield wrestling program back in 2002.
He also was an Assistant Wrestling Coach at Shippensburg University from 2001-02, and more recently coached middle school/junior high wrestling at Boiling Springs from 2015-16.
Leese is a 1995 graduate of Kutztown University. He was a two-year captain and four-year letterwinner for the Golden Bears, where he was a two-time NCAA Division II Regional semi-finalist. He finished his collegiate career with a record of 51-15-1.
Leese wrestled scholastically for Boiling Springs, where he was a two-year team captain and compiled an 81-17-1 record.
As a Bubbler, Leese was a 3-time District 3 qualifier, a 2-time state qualifier, 2-time section champion and 2-time regional runner-up. He was also a two-time PAWF Greco-Roman State Champion, USA Greco-Roman All-American, and AAU National Champion.
