— Buffalo State Athletics (@bscathletics) September 2, 2025
BUFFALO, NY – Buffalo State has hired Thomas Shifflet as the next head coach for the Buffalo State women's wrestling program. Shifflet joins the Bengals with nearly 30 years of wrestling coaching experience and most recently served as the assistant wrestling coach in the Williamsville School District.
"I'm ready and excited to help lead the Buffalo State women's wrestling program. I am grateful for the opportunity that Jeff and the committee have given to me, and I am very motivated to help build a women's college program here in Buffalo where my wrestling career started", Shifflet said.
Shifflet began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Georgia State University. Through three seasons, he oversaw three conference champions, two winning seasons, and four NCAA qualifiers. He later went on to the same roll at Cornell where the Big Red Wrestling program compiled a 52-19 record over his five year stint. Those teams produced three NCAA All-Americans, 24 NCAA qualifiers, and eight EIWA Conference Champions.
Shifflet began his head coaching career with nearly a decade run between UNC-Greensboro and Hofstra University from 2002-2011. Over that time frame, his programs produced over 40 NCAA qualifiers, eight All-Americans, and three All-America Honorable Mentions. Shifflet returned to coaching in 2019 where he was the Community Wrestling Coach at Lambert High School as well as his current role in Williamsville.
A successful wrestler in his own right, Shifflet has been inducted into the 2020 Upstate New York Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the New York State Section 6 Hall of Fame (2021), the Eastern Wrestling League Hall of Fame (2006), the Edinboro University Athletics Hall of Fame (2009), the Section 6 Wrestling (Western New York) Hall of Fame (2011), and was named the Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year in 2006-07, 2008-09, and 2010-11. He was also named the Edinboro University Sox Harrison Male Athlete of the Year in 1995.
Shifflet graduated from Edinboro with his bachelor's in health & physical education.
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT THOMAS
"It is a great day for women's wrestling across the country. Women's wrestling is gaining more high-level Division 1 caliber coaches amongst their coaching staffs in every state. That is exactly what Tom Shifflet is and what he brings to Buffalo State University. The Western New York Community should be very pleased and excited that Tom will be leading the way at Buffalo State. I'm very excited to watch the growth that the program and the school will enjoy."
- Alex Conti, Former Buffalo State University Head Women's Wrestling Coach