STANFORD, Calif. – Ryan Deakin has been elevated to the Patricia Miranda Assistant Wrestling Coach, while former Princeton All-American Patrick Brucki joins the Cardinal as an assistant coach.
"While we still have another position to fill (news on that at a later date), I'm certain if I didn't, Pat, Ryan, and I alone would lead this program to new heights," said Chris Ayres, the Matt Gentry Head Wrestling Coach. "Things are coming together and filling out the staff has been the highest of priorities, so I couldn't be more thrilled with where we are at."
Deakin served as the Cardinal's volunteer assistant in 2022-23. Last season, he helped guide the Cardinal to a runner-up finish at the Pac-12 Championships and produce another All-American, an individual conference champion, five NWCA Scholar-All-Americans, 10 Pac-12 Academic Honor Roll selections and a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American.
"There is no way I would have been able to transition to the head coach position as smoothly as I did without the tireless work by Ryan," said Ayres. "In the beginning, he was essentially doing the work of three coaches, plus teaching me the ins and outs of Stanford. Now that we have been working together for a few weeks, I can say he is one of the best coaches I have ever worked with. As one would imagine, he is magnificent in the room, but that is a trait most DI coaches have.
"What is uncommon about Ryan is his work outside of the room. Simply put, he is amazing. Whether it be recruiting, planning, connecting with alumni, or whatever other tasks are necessary to elevate the program, he does an incredible job, most often without the direction of myself. I'm so grateful Ryan agreed to stay at Stanford and am confident he will help take Stanford wrestling to new heights."
A native of Broomfield, Colorado, Deakin graduated from Northwestern with a degree in economics in 2020, a master's of science in management studies in 2021 and earned a grad certificate in specialized studies in 2022.
"I am extremely grateful and excited to keep working with this amazing group of men," said Deakin. "Coach Ayres is a phenomenal leader with an exceptional vision for the future. I am honored to be able to help our student-athletes succeed on and off the mat."
Brucki joins the Cardinal after a successful career at Princeton (2017-20), under Ayres, and a graduate year at Michigan (2021-22).
"I can't express how grateful I am for the opportunity to play a small role in the history of this prestigious academic and athletic institution, the incredible team around the team, and a Stanford wrestling program that will adapt, excel, and make the world a better place," said Brucki. "I'm honored, humbled and eager to learn and grow within this exceptional environment."
Brucki was a two-time All-American, placing fourth for Princeton at 197 pounds in 2019 before earning NWCA First Team honors for the Tigers in 2020. A three-time All-Ivy second team performer, he won the 2019 EIWA title and became just the second Midlands champion in school history.
"When Pat and I first talked about the position and he said he was interested, I knew I had to get him on staff," said Ayres. "I coached Pat in college and in my 20 plus years of coaching in DI Wrestling, I have never worked with a better leader than Pat Brucki. He was instrumental in helping me turn around the Princeton program, and in his senior year, Princeton was ranked the highest in its history.
"He fills two perfect needs for the program. First, he is an upper weight and still young enough to compete with the team daily. Secondly, his personality fits what we need perfectly as his approach is a lot different than mine. My approach is pretty laid back, which I think is good for the athletes who may get a bit anxious, while Pat is not. Pat brings an intensity that is second-to-none and that will be great for when the team needs to be pushed."
At Michigan, Brucki served as a team captain for the 2021-22 team that won the Big Ten title and finished as the runner-up at the NCAA Championships in Detroit. He was an NWCA Scholar All-American, Academic All-Big Ten selection and a Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
Stanford opens the season on Saturday, hosting Duke for an outdoor dual at Taube Family Tennis Center at 4 p.m. Admission is free.