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Drew Pariano has been relieved of his duties as Northwestern's head wrestling coach, an athletic department press release indicated Monday.
Assistant coach Matt Storniolo, who has been on Northwestern's staff for six seasons, will be the interim head coach for the 2015-16 season.
Pariano, a Northwestern alum who graduated in 2000, released a succession of tweets Monday night confirming he is no longer with his alma mater:
I have nothing but great things to say about Northwestern Univ. and I have a plethora of fond memories.We had an outstanding 10 year run
— Drew Pariano (@DrewPariano) October 26, 2015
where I was honored to be the head coach (for 5 of them) and we have had some amazing people help us achieve many of our goals along the way
— Drew Pariano (@DrewPariano) October 26, 2015
I am looking forward to beginning the next chapter of my coaching/administrative career.
— Drew Pariano (@DrewPariano) October 26, 2015
Pariano had lifted Northwestern's wrestling program to new heights in his five years as a head coach. The Wildcats have had 24 NCAA All-Americans since he joined the staff as an assistant in 2005 and nine top-15 finishes. The program has also had four NCAA Champions and eight national runner-ups during his time. Pariano has also bolstered Northwestern's recruiting prowess, making the Wildcats a fairly consistent top-ten program when it comes to attracting new talent.
The athletic department has not commented on the reason for Pariano's departure.
The Wildcats open the season on Nov. 1 at the National Wrestling Coaches Association All-Star Classic in Atlanta.