Coaching Staff

Tyler Smith
Head Assistant Coach

Four-time NCAA qualifier Tyler Smith returned to Bucknell as a volunteer assistant wrestling coach in August 2021. He was elevated to a full-time assistant coach in September 2022.

Smith, who graduated from Bucknell in 2018 ranked ninth in program history with 107 career victories, was the head wrestling coach at the United States Military Academy Preparatory School from 2019 to 2021. While at West Point Prep, he also served as the Director of the West Point Regional Training Center, working in tandem with the Army West Point coaching staff.

During the 2018-19 campaign, Smith was an assistant coach at the Virginia Military Institute. That season, Neal Richards was named the Most Outstanding Wrestler of the Southern Conference Championships after winning the 174-pound title; Richards also represented the Keydets at the NCAA Championships and was tabbed as the SoCon's Wrestler of the Year.

As a Bison student-athlete, Smith worked as a camp counselor at the Bison System Wrestling Camps and the JRBOB Intensive Camps. He was also an active member of Bucknell Athletics Leadership Institute before his graduation with a bachelor's degree in political science.

On the mat, Smith was the fifth Bison to qualify for the NCAA Championships all four years of his collegiate career and the 10th to reach the 100-victory plateau. He was a three-time EIWA placewinner at 141 pounds, taking second in 2018, third in 2015 and fourth in 2017. At the NCAA Championships, he finished one win away from earning All-America laurels in 2018 and 2017.

Smith's name is peppered throughout the Bucknell record book. At the time of his graduation, he was ranked eighth in single-season dual wins (16, 2017-18), 11th in career winning percentage (.743), 11th in single-season wins (31, 2016-17) and 12th in single-season winning percentage (.829, 2017-18). As a senior, he put together the 11th undefeated dual season in school history with his 16-0 record; he concluded his collegiate dual career on a 26-bout winning streak.

Thomas Flitz
Assistant Coach

Dan Neff
Assistant Coach

Dan Neff, a four-time NCAA qualifier and 2015 All-American, joined Dan Wirnsberger's Bucknell wrestling staff as an assistant coach in July, 2024. It's Neff's second stint in Lewisburg, having previously been on staff during the highly-successful 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. Neff spent the last six seasons as an assistant coach and director of operations at Navy.

During his time in Annapolis, Neff worked primarily with the Mids' wrestlers at 125, 133 and 141 pounds. Most recently, he helped coach three-time NCAA qualifier and 2024 EIWA Champion Josh Koderhandt (141 lbs.). Koderhandt posted a 3-2 record at nationals in March. Neff also worked closely with Navy's standout 133-pound starter and 2023 NCAA qualifier Brendan Ferretti.

In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Neff was a member of the Physical Education Department at the Naval Academy.

During Neff's first season with Bucknell in 2016-17, the Bison posted a 12-4 dual record and finished sixth at the EIWA Championships. Bucknell placed nine on the podium at the conference tournament and sent five to the NCAA Championships during Neff's first stint in Lewisburg. He also represented the Buffalo Valley Regional Training Center as a resident athlete.

A 2016 graduate of Lock Haven, Neff finished in eighth place in the 149-pound bracket at the 2015 NCAA Championships, becoming the school's 39th All-American and the first in nearly a decade. He finished his career with an impressive 109-46 record, placing him 11th on Lock Haven's all-time wins list.

Additionally, the Quarryville, Pa. native was the 2016 Eastern Wrestling League Champion at 149 pounds and earned PSAC Freshman of the Year honors in 2012. Neff also had a remarkable high school career, becoming Solanco High School's first PIAA State Champion after winning the 3A 135-pound crown in 2011. He amassed a 150-19 high school record, which stands as the fifth-best mark in Lancaster County history.