616.450.1531
Rick Bolhuis heads in to his sixth year
at the helm of the Grand Valley State University Wrestling program. In his five seasons, 44 GVSU Wrestlers earned
All-American honors including six individual National Champions and one
Outstanding Wrestler Award. The team has
won two traditional format National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) National
Championships (2007 and 2008) and three Dual National Championships (2007,
2008, and 2009). The team has placed in
the top five in each National Tournament they have entered under his tenure. Bolhuis has been named North Central
Conference Coach of the Year four times (2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011), GVSU's
Student Life Sports Coach of the Year in 2011, and NCWA National Coach of the
Year in 2008.
In 2010-2011, the GVSU Laker Wrestling Team battled to a Runner-Up finish at the NCWA National Championships. This is the eleventh consecutive top-four national placement for the GVSU Wrestling team, including FIVE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS and FOUR RUNNER-UP FINISHES. This followed a third place finish at the NCWA Dual National Championships earlier in the season. Nine different Lakers earned All-American honors and Corey Melinn capped his career and the season with a National Championship at heavyweight.
Prior to coaching at GVSU, Bolhuis
served as an assistant coach at East Kentwood High School under Rick Smith for
one year. The Falcons had two All-State
wrestlers that season.
During his wrestling career, Bolhuis
was a four-time NCWA All-American, finishing as runner-up three times and
capping his collegiate career with a National Championship at 174 pounds in 2004. He is the first wrestler to reach the
championship finals of the NCWA National Tournament four times. While a member of the GVSU Wrestling team,
the team won two NCWA National Championships (2001 and 2002), finished third in
2003, and finished as runners-up in 2004.
Bolhuis is a native of Jenison,
Michigan. He was an MHSAA runner-up at
Jenison High School. He earned a
Bachelor's Degree from Grand Valley State University in 2005 and a Master's
Degree from GVSU in 2010. He is a School
Counselor at Forest Hills Central High School. He and his wife Carla son, Carter, and a dog named Louie, after the GVSU
mascot, Louie the Laker.
- Manager of 2007, 2008, & 2009 NCWA Dual National Championship Teams
- Manager of 2006, 2008, & 2008 NCWA National Championship Teams
