A familiar face wandered the mats of Rec Hall on Sunday with two glaring omissions. First, street fatigues in place of a singlet and second, the shouting of instructions for an opposing squad.

Penn State graduate Kerry McCoy is in his first season as an assistant wrestling coach for the Lehigh University Mountain Hawks.

On an overcast Sunday afternoon McCoy returned to the venue that was his home from 1994 to 1997 to resume engagement in a rivalry which he had an active role in the past.

He receives a rousing show of affection from the significant crowd as his name is announced, and he generously obliges the hospitality by acknowledging every corner of the arena.

"It's always great to be back in Rec Hall," said McCoy.

A former heavyweight for the Nittany Lions, McCoy had a career very few can claim suit to. The list of his accolades and personal records reads like a who's who in the annals of wrestling: Two-time NCAA Champion, W.I.N. Magazine's 1997 "Hodge Award" winner as the outstanding wrestler of the year, Blue/White Illustrated's Athlete of the Year in '94 and '97, and a 150-18 career record.

In the Penn State record books, his 168 total matches places him in a first place tie with Jim Martin, and his 150 victories is second only to Martin. He is also the all-time leader in falls at Penn State with 34.

Aside from his illustrious collegiate career, McCoy competed for the U.S. wrestling squad in two Olympics, in 1996 as an alternate and most recently last September in Sydney in the men's freestyle bracket.

Answering questions about his Olympic experience is something he never seems to tire of. Bubbling with enthusiasm and with a genuine smile stretching the length of his face, McCoy is again captured in the moment as he relates back to the opening ceremonies. He seemed at a loss for words as he attempted to capture an occasion that very few get the chance to experience.

"Walking out there in a crowd with 100,000 people there cheering for you, that is the most memorable thing outside the competition," McCoy said. "Just being in that atmosphere and having all those people excited and cheering for the athletes and to see all the other athletes was just incredible."

As for the competition, McCoy lost in the quarterfinals to Artur Taymazov of Uzbekistan, the eventual silver medallist.

The experience of contending is something he can hold with him the rest of his life.

McCoy's tireless pursuits now have him coaching at Lehigh in an assistant role. Following his Olympic pursuits, McCoy says the adjustment period at Lehigh was lengthy, but he is now settled and focused on the task at hand.

McCoy primarily works out with the upper-weights, stressing mental preparation, technical advancement, and overall situational things that a wrestler with his track record is adept at coaching.

Head coach Greg Strobel credits McCoy for having saved his body, because he works one-on-one in practice with wrestlers. Strobel also talked of McCoy's ability to connect with players on the team on a personal level.

"He makes me more effective as a coach," Strobel said. "Psychologically he's good with our kids. They like that he's so friendly."

Strobel says that McCoy complements a positive attitude with a subtle level of firm criticism, such as letting the wrestlers know what it takes to better their performance.

"He does a marvelous job of leading by example," said Strobel.

During Shawn Laughlin's heavyweight bout with recent addition to the Nittany Lion roster, Bob Jones, McCoy actively surveyed the complexion of the match, feverishly shouting instructions for his student. It is apparent that McCoy's competitive fire still burns by the manner in which he paces the mat. He sits reassured in his folding chair only after the decision of the match is in his team's favor, and even so he continues to vigorously take part in the remaining contests.

Following an 18-17 loss to Penn State Lehigh now stands at 8-3. With his team in the top-25, McCoy is looking towards preparing his kids for a fervent postseason.

"Overall we're training for March and these individual things just make us stronger," McCoy said.

He seems to have found a home at Lehigh for the time being. McCoy's role is quite clear. Instill a winning attitude and use his own personal career as a guide for young enthusiasts of the sport.

"It's a very good opportunity," said McCoy.

McCoy will be back in State College this weekend with his Lehigh squad for the Cliff Keen National Duals, a squad that will be healthy for the first time since November.