Blackburn College is proud to announce that wrestling has returned to the campus for the first time since the 1980's. This time, Blackburn will expand to include a women's team in addition to a men's team. Khris Whelan, an alternate of the 1976 Olympic Greco-Roman team at age 15, has begun his tenure as the head coach for the men's and women's wrestling teams.
Whelan brings exceptional experience to the program. As a wrestler, Khris competed at the University of Missouri, where he was a two-time All-American. Following his experience as an athlete at the University of Missouri, Khris spent his time from 1987-1994 coaching at his alma mater. He coached eight NCAA Division 1 All-Americans, as well as several Big 8 and Big 12 champions.
Whelan was the head coach for the Men's and Women's Freestyle Wrestling team in Great Britain from 1994-1997. He also possesses extensive expertise in judo and was named a Master Instructor for the British Combat Association.
Mike Neal, Interim Athletic Director at Blackburn College, had a few words to say about Khris being hired at Blackburn. "Wrestling is an outstanding addition to the programs at Blackburn College and it would be really difficult to find a leader for this program as good as Khris Whelan! Whelan's connections and his passion for the sport makes this an exciting journey ahead for Blackburn College Athletics."
Whelan holds teaching certifications in Business and Marketing and is also a certified National Trainer for the National Law Enforcement Training Center. Whelan has spent the bulk of his career as an educator and coach. He has coached at the high school, college, and Olympic level for wrestling.
From 1981-1984, Khris served in the Marine Corps. He was honorably discharged in 1984 after suffering a broken neck in the 1984 World Team Trial where he won and earned the starting spot for USA.
For the last 20 years, Khris has served in the communities around East St. Louis and Cahokia, Illinois. He was the liaison for the Cahokia School District, overseeing the Work Exploration Career Educational Path (WECEP) program for incoming freshmen. Khris's passion for impacting lives of all students left a strong and lasting impression on the community.
Out of his 42 years around wrestling, Khris has coached high school and college wrestlers for 28 years. He holds coaching experience at all levels. He has coached at the University of Missouri, and at Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville from 2004-2007.
As a competitor, Whelan earned state titles in Illinois, and was a five-time Junior National finalist, as well as a four-time Junior National Champion. He has also earned honors during his career as an educator and wrestler, including the following:
- University of Missouri Hall of Fame
- National Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Illinois Wrestling Hall of Fame
- Granite City High Wrestling Hall of Fame
- 76' Olympic Alternate
- 1983 1st Place World Team Trial
- 3rd Degree Black Belt in Judo & National Judo Champion
- 2x All-American Wrestler
- 4x Junior National Champion
- 3x Junior Greco-Roman Champion
"It's a tremendous honor and privilege to be named the head men's and women's wrestling coach for the 2023 - 2024 season for Blackburn College in Carlinville Illinois! This is a great opportunity for our future student athletes not only for the state of Illinois, but nationwide as well!" said Whelan.