Fayette, Mo. – The Central Methodist Department of Athletics has announced the hiring of Evan Hansen as the new Head Women's Wrestling Coach.
Hansen joins Central after two seasons at fellow Heart of America Athletic Conference member Graceland University. He spent one year as the men's assistant coach before being promoted to Head Men's and Women's Wrestling Coach in March 2025.
"We hit the jackpot in hiring this year's Heart of America Conference Coach of the Year," Director of Athletics Jeff Sherman said. "His success as both a coach and competitor makes him the ideal leader to guide our women's wrestling team as we build a championship-caliber program and establish ourselves as a powerhouse in the Heart and the NAIA. Evan's passion, expertise, leadership, and commitment to excellence align perfectly with Central's mission. We are excited to see him elevate our program."
"We're also fortunate to have Coach Graham Karwath and Evan Hansen leading our wrestling programs," Sherman added. "Graham's continued leadership as Director of Wrestling provides stability and vision, while Evan brings fresh energy and a proven track record of success to the women's program. These are exciting times for Central Methodist Wrestling."
During the 2025-26 season, Hansen guided the Graceland men's team to a fourth-place finish at the Heart Championships, highlighted by three individual podium finishers. He was named the 2026 Heart of America Conference Men's Wrestling Coach of the Year for his efforts.
The 2025-26 campaign also marked the inaugural season for Graceland's women's wrestling program, which produced one individual podium finisher at the Heart Championships.
Prior to Graceland, Hansen gained coaching experience at both the high school and collegiate levels. He served as head wrestling coach at AHSTW High School (Iowa) during the 2023-24 season after previous assistant coaching stops at Avila University, Ottawa University, and Grand View University.
While at Ottawa, Hansen coached eight national qualifiers. At Avila, he played a key role in building both the men's and women's wrestling programs under Coach Graham Karwath, helping six women's wrestlers qualify for the NAIA National Championships.
"I'm excited to welcome Evan Hansen to Central Methodist as our Head Women's Wrestling Coach," Director of Wrestling Graham Karwath said. "Evan and I worked together at Avila University, where he played a major role in helping launch that program. I'm excited for the opportunity to work with him again. He brings a tremendous work ethic, great energy, and high standards. I truly believe in the vision of two teams, one program, and Evan will play a major role in helping us continue to build that culture at CMU."
As a student-athlete, Hansen compiled one of the most decorated careers in NAIA wrestling history at Grand View University from 2015-20. He became just the eighth wrestler in NAIA history to win four consecutive individual national championships and helped lead the Vikings to four NAIA team national titles. Hansen was also named the 2018 NAIA Most Outstanding Wrestler and qualified for the Junior World Team Trials three times.
Hansen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Grand View in 2020.
He officially begins his duties on Monday, July 6.
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