On July 19, 2013, after a nationwide search, Cornell assistant coach Jeremy Spates, who had mentored Kyle Dake, Cornell's four-time national champion and the NCAA's 2013 Most Outstanding Wrestler, was named the new Cougar coach. At the conclusion of Spates' first season, senior David Devine won the Southern Conference heavyweight championship, becoming the first Cougar wrestler to advance to the NCAA National Championships since SIUE's move to Division I. In 2015, two Cougar wrestlers won SoCon titles, advancing to Nationals. Jake Tindle earned SIUE's first championship point as a Division I program after a win in the NCAA Tournament.
