FAYETTE, Iowa - Upper Iowa head men's wrestling coach Heath Grimm has announced the hiring of Spencer Mooberry as the team's assistant coach. Mooberry joins the Peacocks after a Division I wrestling career at Northern Illinois and North Dakota State.
"Spencer has a tremendous passion for our great sport," Grimm said. "His professionalism and his communication skills stood out during the hiring process. He already possesses great knowledge of Upper Iowa wrestling and our current student-athletes in the program."
Mooberry competed the past two seasons at Northern Illinois in the 197-pound weight class. This past season, he placed eighth at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational and was an NWCA Individual Scholar All-American. Before joining the Huskies, he spent three seasons at North Dakota State, being named to the Academic All-Big 12 Second Team in 2022-23.
After competing on the mat collegiately for the last five seasons, Mooberry is excited to get into coaching the sport that he loves.
"Coaching was a natural next step for me after my career because of the impact my coaches had on my life," Mooberry said. "Wrestling gave me structure, discipline and a multitude of opportunities. I want to be able to impact other student athletes and create a positive experience. Upper Iowa will allow me to be a leader and help develop young men into better individuals as student-athletes."
The Osage native was also a high school standout, winning an Iowa State Championship in 2021 at 182 pounds following a 51-4 record. He was also a four-time qualifier for the Iowa State Championships and finished runner-up in his junior season.
"I chose Upper Iowa University because of the opportunity to be part of something special at the only Division II wrestling program in the state," Mooberry said. "The coaches, administration and athletes all aligned with a clear mission and values. There's a strong tradition already in place, and I believe in the vision of continuing to build a nationally competitive program."
At Northern Illinois, Mooberry also got experience as a marketing and game experience graduate assistant. In that position, he spent most of his time dealing with scripting, fundraising efforts and overall fan experience while collaborating with corporate partners and sponsors. He was also the primary point of contact for men's basketball and baseball.
Mooberry graduated with a bachelor of science degree in general studies and a master of science degree in sports management.
"Spencer is an excellent communicator with a 'can-do' attitude," Grimm said. "I believe his ability to build and maintain healthy relationships will help with recruiting and developing our student-athletes. He has extensive Freestyle and Greco Wrestling experience, as we move forward with establishing a Regional Training Center."
The Peacocks are preparing for the 2026-27 season, hosting the GLVC Championships in Fayette and the NCAA Division II Championships in Cedar Rapids.
"I'm excited to get to work and build relationships with the athletes at Upper Iowa," Mooberry said. "There's a lot of potential within the program, and I'm looking forward to helping elevate the standard in the room every single day. We get to host the 2027 National Tournament, so I'm looking forward to making a splash on that!"
