Tyson Thivierge, Head Coach, 17th year
After 16 years at the helm for the Lights wrestling program, Coach Thivierge has produced a total of 54 NAIA All-Americans, 6 Individual National Champions, 19 National Finalists, 25 NAIA Academic All-Americans and has placed his teams in the Top 10 of the NAIA National Championships a total of 11 times. His teams have won the NAIA Sportsmanship Award a total of 5 times and they have placed in the Top 10 of the NWCA All-Academic Teams for multiple seasons (2024-4th, 2022-5th, 2021-6th, 2020-2nd, 2019-1st and 2018-3rd).
In the 2023-24 wrestling season, the Lights posted a dual meet record of 7 wins and 5 losses. At the Cascade Conference Championships, the Lights qualified 6 wrestlers for the 2024 National Championships in Park City, KS. Those who qualified were first time National Qualifier’s Cade Gubler (174), and veterans Devin Crawford (165), NaKoda Siegel (174), Rylin Burns (184), Austin Vanek (184) and Carl Hansen (197).
At the conclusion of the 2024 NAIA National Championships, the Lights came away with a 21st place team finish and 1 All-American, Rylin Burns (184). Coming away with All-American honors was Rylin Burns (184) placing 5th and the Lights had 3 Daktronics Academic All-Americans in Colin Silverthorn (141), Cade Gubler (174) and Rylin Burns (184) making the list as they had 3.5 or higher GPA’s.
Before coming back to MSU-Northern, Thivierge spent some years moving around the country from Tennessee, Washington and Nevada. In Tennessee, Thivierge served as an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga before moving to Clarkston, WA where he assisted his high school coach for two seasons. In 2006 Coach Thivierge got his first crack at a Head Coaching position at Carson High School, in Carson City, NV. Thivierge served as Head Coach for two seasons before he was hired at his alma mater MSU-Northern.
Coach Thivierge was one of many talented student-athletes under MSUN Hall of Fame and 4x NAIA National Champion Coach David Ray. Thivierge was the 2nd ever 4-time NAIA All-American (3rd, 2nd, 3rd, 1st) for MSU-Northern, with his career being capped off in 2002 with an NAIA National Championship of his own at 184lbs, as well as being named the Outstanding Wrestler of the 2002 NAIA National Championships. During his senior season, he placed 4th in the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Open and 2nd at the prestigious Midlands Championships. Coach Thivierge was part of two National Championship teams in 1999 and 2000 and graduated from MSU-Northern in 2003 with a Bachelor’s degree in Health and Physical Education. In 2018 Coach Thivierge was inducted to the MSUN Athletic Hall of Fame.
