STANFORD, Calif. - Former NC State standout and North Dakota State assistant coach Hayden Hidlay has been named an assistant coach for the Stanford wrestling team, as announced by Chris Ayres, The Matt Gentry Head Wrestling Coach.
“I could not be more excited to welcome Hayden Hidlay to the staff,” said Ayres, who enters his second season on The Farm in 2024-25. “Hayden had an amazing career at NC State and helped his team’s meteoric rise in the NCAA ranks. He is a young coach, but through the interview process as well as speaking to those who know him well, it became crystal clear that he was wise beyond his years and was going to become one of the best coaches in the nation.”
Hidlay replaces Ryan Deakin, who is stepping down to pursue career opportunities outside of coaching. Patrick Brucki, who joined the staff last fall, will assume the Patricia Miranda Assistant Wrestling Coach title previously held by Deakin.
“I would like to thank Ryan for his work with the program this year,” said Ayres. “Personally, I faced a huge challenge travelling across the country to take over as head coach alone. Ryan was a huge help in my transition and we would not have had the success we did without his work. He will be incredibly missed by not only the Stanford wrestling program, but also the college wrestling community as he moves into a career outside of coaching.”
Hidlay was a five-time All-American, four-time ACC champion and one of the winningest wrestlers in NC State history. He spent the 2023-24 season as an assistant coach at North Dakota State after serving one season as the Student-Athlete Development Coordinator at NC State.
“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to join the Stanford wrestling staff,” said Hidlay. “Coach Ayres is one of the most respected leaders in our sport and getting to work alongside him and the rest of the staff is an exciting endeavor.
“Stanford University has a world class pedigree and championship culture that is evident as soon as you step foot on campus. I am ecstatic to get started developing student-athletes, and for my wife and I to be involved in this community.”
Hidlay finished his career second in Wolfpack history in winning percentage (.909), while his 110 career victories is tied for the third-most wins by an NC State wrestler. The first five-time All-American in school history, Hidlay was an NCAA finalist in 2018, and earned third, fourth and fifth-place finishes at the NCAA Championships during his career. He was a NWCA First Team All-American in 2020 when NCAAs were canceled due to COVID.
Hayden is one of just 10 wrestlers in ACC history to win four individual titles. In 2020, he was named the ACC Wrestler of the Year and ACC Wrestling Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
“Hayden had quite a few options this spring as it relates to coaching opportunities,” added Ayres. “I’m thrilled he landed here at Stanford. I’m certain that his impact on the Stanford wrestling program will be huge, and we are lucky to have him.”