Bio

Clay Critchfield was named the Trailblazers' 1st Assistant Wrestling Coach in the spring of 2026. 

The hiring of Critchfield will help launch the Trailblazers' wrestling program. As a member of the program's founding coaching staff, Critchfield will play an integral role in developing student-athletes and establishing a culture of excellence as Vincennes begins its first season of collegiate wrestling.

Prior to joining Vincennes, Critchfield served as a Graduate Assistant Coach at Indiana Tech from 2022 to 2024. During his time with the Warriors, he helped coach two NAIA All-Americans and four NAIA National Championship qualifiers while contributing to a fifth-place team finish at the NAIA National Championships.

In addition to his collegiate coaching experience, Critchfield has served as an assistant coach with the Maurer Coughlin Wrestling Club since 2020. During his tenure, he has helped develop nine state champions and 39 state placers while coaching two USA Wrestling Fargo National Champions and eight USA Wrestling Fargo All-Americans. His athletes have also earned international success, including one Pan-American Championship and one Mexico Senior National Team runner-up finish.

As a collegiate wrestler, Critchfield competed at both Kentucky Wesleyan College and Indiana Tech before graduating from Indiana Tech. His competitive experience, combined with his proven ability to develop wrestlers at the state, national, and international levels, brings valuable leadership and expertise to the Vincennes University wrestling program.