Josh Malave was named the Head Coach of the Case Western Reserve University wrestling program in April 2021, bringing with him a record of success on the national level.
During the 2022-23 season, Malave infused the program with a talented recruiting class, bringing in 17 first-year wrestlers to the team. One of those wrestlers, Art Martinez, placed fifth at the NCAA Central Regional in the 141-pound bracket and finished the season with a team-high 34 wins in 46 matches. Sophomore Calvin Cai also placed fifth in the region, leading the Spartans to their highest regional finish (11th) in 10 seasons. Cai, Martinez, and senior Mitchell Arch earned National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar All-America honors, with the team recording the ninth-best grade point average in Division III.
In the 2021-22 season, Malave continued the program's success on the mat and in the classroom during his first season at the helm. Under Malave's tutelage, Mitchell Arch picked up the most wins (31) and most pins (21) by a CWRU wrestler since the 2010-11 season, while Ben Stites earned University Athletic Association Sophomore of the Year honors. Arch earned NWCA Scholar All-America honors for the third year in a row. Meanwhile, the Spartans finished 18th in Division III in team GPA, earning a NWCA Scholar Team Award for the fifth consecutive season. Six CWRU wrestlers earned UAA All-Academic honors.
Malave joined the Spartans after spending the previous five years as the Head Coach at his alma mater, the University of Mount Union. During his time at the Purple Raiders’ helm, the program produced a pair of National Champions, 14 national qualifiers, six All-Americans and a pair of top-10 national team finishes, including a program-best fifth-place finish in 2019. He compiled an overall record of 53-20 in dual matches and was named the Ohio Athletic Conference Coach of the Year after leading the team to the conference title during the 2019-20 campaign.
Prior to his time as the Head Coach at Mount Union, Malave led the Firelands High School program in Oberlin, Ohio for two seasons, where he was named the 2014-15 Lorain County Coach of the Year, and the 2015-16 Patriot Athletic Conference Coach of the Year. He served as an assistant coach at Union Pines High School in North Carolina, helping the squad place fifth in the state.
Malave began his career in coaching after an accomplished collegiate career as a wrestler at Mount Union. He was a two-time national qualifier for the Purple Raiders, earning All-America honors in 2012. A two-time team captain for the program, Malave was a three-time All-OAC selection, a two-time conference champion, and a two-time NWCA Scholar All-American.
A native of Cleveland, Malave was inducted into the Lutheran West High School Hall of Fame in 2019. He received his bachelor’s degree in History from Mount Union and has a master’s degree in Education Administration from the University of Findlay.
He and his wife Jillian have two daughters and a son.
