Coach Izzy Izboinikov (left) and National Women’s Coach Terry Steiner work with Tamyra Mensah-Stock at the 2019 Senior Worlds. Mensah-Stock went on to win the World gold medal. Photo by Tony Rotundo, Wrestlers Are Warriors.
Vladislav “Izzy” Izboinikov of Colorado Springs, Colo. has been named 2019 Women’s Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling. It is the second time in his career having won this award, along with receiving the award in 2012.
Izboinikov has been an active women’s wrestling coach in the USA for close to two decades, both as a top volunteer coach as well as a stint on USA Wrestling’s national staff as an Assistant National Coach.
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Most recently, Izboinikov was a member of the women’s coaching staff at the 2019 Senior World Championships in Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. The USA placed third in the team standings, led by three individual champions: Jacarra Winchester, Tamyra Mensah-Stock and Adeline Gray.
He was also a coach for the USA at the 2020 Pan American Olympic Games Qualifier in Ottawa, Canada, where the USA qualified all four of its remaining weight classes for the 2020 Olympic Games.
As a volunteer coach, Izboinikov regularly helps coach the resident athletes at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. He also regularly attends Women’s National Team training camps, both domestic and overseas.
He is a women’s coach with the Titan Mercury WC, one of the world’s most successful wrestling clubs. He serves as a personal and club coach for a number of top Senior and age-group women wrestlers.
Izboinikov often coaches U.S. teams which compete on international tours. For instance, he coached the U.S. women wrestlers at the 2017 and 2018 Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix in Krasnoyarsk, Russia. Izboinikov was a coach for the 2015 U.S. Women’s World Cup team which competed in St. Petersburg, Russia and the 2017 U.S. Women’s World Cup team which wrestled in Cheboksary, Russia. Izboinikov coached a U.S. Senior Team at the 2017 Russia Cup in Cheboksary. He coached the U.S. women’s team at the 2013 World University Games in Kazan, Russia, July 13-14, a team which had a pair of silver medalists, Alli Ragan and Brittany Roberts.
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“Coach Izzy” served on the USA Wrestling staff as Assistant National Women’s Coach for USA Wrestling for seven years, handling a variety of leadership and coaching roles.
Izboinikov was a member of the 2012 U.S. Olympic women’s freestyle coaching staff, working with National Coach Terry Steiner coaching the four U.S. women’s freestyle wrestlers at the 2012 London Olympic Games. The United States team was led by Olympic bronze medalist Clarissa Chun at 48 kg/105.5 lbs., the fourth U.S. women’s wrestler to win an Olympic medal in history.
As Assistant National Coach, Izzy coached the women’s freestyle resident athletes at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., helping organize and conduct daily practice for many of the nation’s best women’s freestyle wrestlers. Two of the four U.S. Olympians trained full-time at the OTC, and 14 of the resident athletes earned a spot on the 2012-13 women’s national team, which includes the top three athletes in each weight class.
In his role as Assistant National Coach, Izzy was also responsible for leading the U.S. women’s age-group program, with primary responsibility with for the FILA Junior World Team, which consists of athletes 17-20 years old. Under his leadership, the United States was regularly one of the top five Junior World teams in the world, with numerous World champions and World medalist. Among the Junior World champions who competed under Izzy’s mentorship was two-time Junior World champion Victoria Anthony and Junior World champions Nicole Woody, Whitney Conder and Adeline Gray.
He left his position at USA Wrestling in the fall of 2012, to accept a job as a principal in a Colorado Springs area high school.
Izboinikov joined USA Wrestling after serving 10 years as a teacher and wrestling coach at Yucca Valley High School in California, where he built a strong program and was active in USA Wrestling programs. He also has an impressive coaching and competition background from his native Russia prior to coming to the United States.
At Yucca Valley High School, he had a conference dual meet record of 42-1 and a 160-34 overall record during his tenure. His team was conference team champion nine times, with 62 conference champions. Yucca Valley won the sectional title four times, with 15 champions and 45 placewinners.
He was active with California USA Wrestling, as a state level coach in 2004, as well as a developmental coach with the Inland Empire Wrestling Association since 1998. He also served as a developmental coach with the Western New York Super Six Wrestling Club for three years.
He learned his wrestling coaching and competition skills in Russia, where he competed as an athlete and earned his coaching degrees. He competed in both Greco-Roman and freestyle. He was a member of the Sport Club of Olympic Reserve in Moscow from 1981-87, then trained at the Olympic Training Center in Moscow from 1987-93. Among his achievements were a second place in the Russian Junior National/World Team Tryouts in 1989. He won two medals at the Moscow State Championship during his career, and was a bronze medalist at the College National Championships in 1992.
Izboinikov received his bachelor’s degree in physical education from the Moscow State University of Physical Education in 1993. He also received his Wrestling Coach diploma in Russia in 1993. Izzy came to the United States in 1993 to pursue employment opportunities.
PAST WOMEN’S COACH OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
2019 – Vladislav “Izzy” Izboinikov, Colorado Springs, Colo., Titan Mercury WC
2018 – Troy Steiner, Fresno, Calif., Valley RTC
2017 – John Smith, Stillwater, Okla. and Cary Kolat, Buies Creek, N.C.
2016 – Valentin Kalika, New York, N.Y., Titan Mercury WC
2015 – Aaron Sieracki, Colorado Springs, Colo., U.S. Army WCAP
2014 – Afsoon Johnston, San Diego, Calif.
2013 – Archie Randall, Mustang, Okla., OKCU Gator Women’s RTC
2012 – Vladislav “Izzy” Izboinikov, Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Wrestling
2011 – Kevin Black, River Falls, Wis., New York AC
2010 – Keith Wilson, Colorado Springs, Colo., Sunkist Kids
2009 – Kevin Black, River Falls, Wis., New York AC
2008 – Tadaaki Hatta, Elyria, Ohio, New York AC
2007 – Troy Steiner, Corvallis, Ore.
2006 – Joe Corso, Metairie, La.,Gator WC
2005 – Bill Scherr, Glenview, Ill., Sunkist Kids
2004 – Tricia Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
2003 – Townsend Saunders, Phoenix, Ariz., Sunkist Kids
2002 – Joe Corso, Des Moines, Iowa, Sunkist Kids