Zach Tanelli: Record, Net Worth, Weight, Age & More!

Who is Zach Tanelli?

Zach Tanelli a former high school All American wrestler, a three time NCAA Qualifier, and a successful coach at Columbia university. He has dedicated a huge portion of his life to learning the grappling arts and spreading that knowledge to others. His list of tournament wins as a coach is even more impressive than his individual record as a competitor. 

Who is Zach Tanelli?

Zach Tanelli a former high school All American wrestler, a three time NCAA Qualifier, and a successful coach at Columbia university. He has dedicated a huge portion of his life to learning the grappling arts and spreading that knowledge to others. His list of tournament wins as a coach is even more impressive than his individual record as a competitor. 

What this article covers:

• Who is Zach Tanelli?
• How Old is Zach Tanelli?
• How Much Does Zach Tanelli Weigh?
• Zach Tanelli Fight List
• Zach Tanelli's Best Fight of All Time
• Zach Tanelli Record
• Is Zach Tanelli Retired?

Zach had an impressive wrestling career at Millburn High School in New Jersey. He was a standout athlete, earning All-American honors in his weight class during his senior year. His first experiences in wrestling were marked by numerous accomplishments and awards. In addition to his All-American honors, he was a three-time state qualifier and two-time state place winner. He finished third in the state tournament as a junior and second as a senior.

Winning First Contact by Zach Tanelli

He went on to compete at the collegiate level for the University of Wisconsin, where he continued to excel and build on his impressive track record in the sport of wrestling. During his freshman year at Wisconsin, Zach Tanelli competed at 133 pounds for the Badgers. He was one of three true freshmen in the lineup that year and was the only one to earn a starting spot.

Tanelli made an immediate impact in his first collegiate season, finishing with a 17-8 record overall and a 5-2 record in Big Ten dual meets. He also earned a spot in the Badgers' lineup for the Big Ten Championships, where he went 1-2 and finished in seventh place. Tanelli's performance as a freshman showed that he had the potential to be a top wrestler in the Big Ten and on the national level in the coming years.

In his sophomore year at the University of Wisconsin, Tanelli competed at 133 pounds and had a successful season. After his first loss to Iowa State's Luke Goettl, he went on a four-match winning streak and earned a spot in the starting lineup for Wisconsin. Tanelli competed in several prestigious tournaments and recorded wins over several ranked opponents, finishing the season with a 22-12 earn and a berth at the NCAA Championships, where he wasn’t quite able to place.

His junior year at the University of Wisconsin proved to be a pivotal season in his collegiate wrestling career. He had a breakout season, earning a spot at the NCAA Championships and placing seventh at 149 pounds, becoming an All-American for the first time in his career.

During the regular season, Tanelli had an impressive record of 28-9, including a 14-5 mark in dual meets. He won the 149-pound title at the Midlands Championships, one of the most prestigious wrestling tournaments in the country. He also earned Big Ten Wrestler of the Week honors in January 2012.

At the NCAA Championships, Tanelli won his first two matches before losing to Jordan Oliver, the eventual national champion. Tanelli then won two more matches in the consolation bracket to secure All-American honors. In the seventh-place match, he defeated Nick Brascetta of Virginia Tech in a 7-5 decision as he eyed his final season approaching.

As a senior at the University of Wisconsin, Zach Tanelli captained the wrestling team and competed at 141 pounds, finishing with a 29-10 record and earning All-American honors for the second time in his career. At the 2015 NCAA Championships, he reached the quarterfinals with two easy wins before taking his first loss for the day. Despite that loss, he won two more matches before ultimately losing a closely contested consolation semifinal match. Tanelli was also named to the All-Big Ten Second Team and a finalist for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.

Zach Tanelli began his coaching career as an assistant coach at Hofstra University in 2009. During his time at Hofstra, Tanelli helped the program achieve success, including several top-25 finishes in the NCAA rankings. He also coached several individual wrestlers to conference titles and All-American honors.

In 2014, Tanelli moved on to become an assistant coach at Purdue University. During his time at Purdue, he helped guide the team to a 12-4 dual meet record and a program-best fourth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships in 2015. He also coached several individual wrestlers to success, including All-American and Big Ten champion Danny Sabatello.

In 2016, Tanelli was named the head coach of the wrestling program at Columbia University. In his first season as head coach, he helped lead the team to its first-ever Ivy League championship and a top-25 finish in the NCAA rankings. He has since continued to build on the program's success, guiding several wrestlers to All-American honors and leading the team to multiple top-25 finishes in the NCAA rankings. Tanelli has been recognized for his coaching achievements, being named the 2020 EIWA Coach of the Year and a finalist for the 2021 National Coach of the Year award.

Defending The Shot by Zach Tanelli

How Old is Zach Tanelli?

Zach Tanelli graduated as a Wisconsin Badger in 2009 after four successful seasons with the wrestling squad there. He’s around 36 years old at the time of writing in 2023.

Zach Tanelli's Family

Zach Tanelli, a Millburn, New Jersey native, is known for his family-oriented nature. He resides in Hoboken, New Jersey, with his wife, Emily, and their two children, Monaco and Scottie. His family are his biggest supporters and motivation.

How Much is Zach Tanelli Worth?

Zach Tanelli’s net worth is not public information, but he is long-time wrestling coach at some of the country’s biggest programs, including Hofstra, Prudue, and Columbia University. He also creates online instructional videos so that others can learn from his hard-fought hours on the mat.

How Tall is Zach Tanelli?

Zach Tanelli’s height isn’t known. Height is not typically a publicly disclosed wrestling statistic. The focus is more on an athlete's weight class, skill level, and competition results.

How Much Does Zach Tanelli Weigh? 

Zach Tanelli began his collegiate wrestling career at the University of Wisconsin competing at 133 pounds. However, after struggling to make weight and not seeing the success he desired, Tanelli moved up to the 141-pound weight class. This move proved to be a smart decision as Tanelli experienced more success on the mat, earning All-American honors twice and becoming one of the top wrestlers in the country in his weight class. 

Zach Tanelli Fight List

Zach Tanelli has competed in wrestling since high school, a sport known for its borderline-insane competition schedule. He’s likely competed in well over 200 matches, which is far too many to list out here. Instead, let's examine his overall accomplishments in the sport he’s dedicated so much mat time to:

As an Individual Collegiate Wrestler:

• Three-time NCAA Qualifier
• 2009 All-American
• 2009 Big Ten Runner-up
• 2008 Midlands Champion
• 88-31 Career Record
• Also received All-American status in high school

As a Coach:

• Assistant Head Coach at Hofstra University, 2009-14
• Assistant Head Coach at at Purdue, 2014-16
• Head coach at Columbia, 2016-present

Zach Tanelli's Best Fight of All Time

Zach Tanelli's upset victory over Matt Coughlin during his freshman year at Wisconsin had to be one of his biggest standout moments. Matt Coughlin was ranked No. 5 in the country at 141 pounds and was considered a tough opponent for Tanelli, who was still relatively new to college wrestling.

The match was closely contested, with neither wrestler able to gain a clear advantage throughout regulation time. Tanelli managed to secure a takedown early in the first period, but Coughlin was able to escape quickly, leaving the score tied at 2-2 going into the second period.

In overtime, Tanelli continued to press the action and was able to secure another takedown to win the match 6-4, much to the surprise of the wrestling community. This win helped to establish Tanelli as a force to be reckoned with in the Big Ten and earned him his first career win over a ranked opponent.

Who Did Zach Tanelli Lose To?

One notable match that Zach Tanelli lost during his collegiate wrestling career was in the quarterfinals of the 2015 NCAA Championships at 141 pounds. Tanelli faced off against Jimmy Gulibon from Penn State in a closely contested match. Despite a valiant effort, Tanelli ultimately lost to Gulibon by a score of 5-3, ending his bid for a national championship title. Despite the loss, Tanelli bounced back to win his next two matches in the consolation bracket, ultimately earning All-American honors for the second time in his career.

Zach Tanelli Record

Zach Tanelli's overall collegiate wrestling record at the University of Wisconsin was 86-50. His High school record was even more dominant.

Zach Tanelli Injuries

Zach hasn’t been public with any major periods of injury, but that doesn’t mean he wasn’t banged up a good portion of the time. Wrestling, and all combat sports, take a wicked toll on the body and it’s likely that Tanelli has dealt with all manner of small injuries, from bruises to fractures, and worked through them under the guidance of his athletic trainers.

Is Zach Tanelli Retired?

After his senior year at the University of Wisconsin in 2009, Zach Tanelli made the decision to retire from competition and focus on his coaching career. Although he was successful as a wrestler and could have pursued a career in freestyle, he felt that it was time to move on and begin the next chapter of his life.

Tanelli turned his attention to coaching, and over the next several years, he gained valuable experience at multiple universities. During this time, he also pursued advanced degrees in higher education leadership and policy studies, furthering his knowledge and expertise in the field of coaching.

Tanelli's decision to retire from competition and focus on coaching has paid off. He has been successful as both an assistant and head coach, helping to develop talented wrestlers and build strong programs at multiple universities. Despite stepping away from competition, Tanelli's passion for wrestling has continued to shine through in his coaching, and he remains dedicated to helping his athletes achieve their goals.

In addition to his in-person coaching, he’s also worked heavily with Fanatics to create three awesome video instructional series which break down his wrestling knowledge in an easy to understand way. They’re called "Winning First Contact", "Defending The Shot", and "Dominating The top Position". As you can see from the titles, Tanelli is a wrestler through-and-through. He’s got no intention of passively engaging, of getting taken down, or of fighting from his back; those are lessons for another day. Are you tired of getting ground down by the pressure of the new wrestler in class? Take some tips from one of the best coaches around and start giving the pressure back!

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