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Vincenzo Joseph, the two-time NCAA Championship gold medalist from Penn State Wrestling, recently announced his retirement from the sport. He shared a post on social media to call it a day on his short yet impressive career.
Joseph's career includes two NCAA titles as a freshman and sophomore in 2017 and 2018 respectively. He also finished in second place in 2019 as a junior. His senior year in college (2020) was suspended due to COVID-19. Joseph's wrestling track record at the collegiate level is 99-9 with 28 pinfalls.
Vincenzo Joseph also competed at the recently concluded US Olympic trials to earn an Olympic berth in the 74 kg category. However, he faced defeat in just the first round at the hands of Jarrett Jacques.
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Vincenzo Joseph announced his retirement via Instagram on Monday, citing the injuries he suffered in the last year of his career as the main reason for his decision. Thanking all the individuals that have supported him throughout his career, he wrote:
"Finding the words for this has been difficult. I have loved this sport and battled with it plenty over the years. I’m incredibly grateful for the career I’ve had, the ups and downs, and most importantly the people that have impacted me on my way."
Joseph further added:
"This last year has been very difficult with injuries and I feel very blessed I was able to get on the mat and compete at all. It was not my best or most memorable performance, but I am just grateful I gave myself the opportunity.."'
Vincenzo Joseph all set for his coaching career after retirement
Vincenzo Joseph has been one of the most skilled and sought-after wrestlers in the collegiate wrestling circuit. Even though the three-time All-American has hung up his boots in competitions, he is keen to get on with his coaching career.
Joseph has already started gaining experience for his coaching portfolio after he graduated with a degree in Communications from Penn State University. Joseph served a stint with the wrestling staff group of the Stanford Cardinals as an assistant coach from June 2021.
Last year, Vincenzo Joseph was hired by the Arizona Sun Devils as its recruiting coordinator. Zake Jones, the head coach of ASU Wrestling, stated that the experience and skills that Joseph possesses are some of the reasons why he was selected for this position.
