The NWCA manages a division – Wrestlers in Business Network – designed to connect wrestlers with internships and summer job opportunities, as well as provide career guidance. Coach Santos is tightly connected with this organization to ensure Cleary wrestlers can take advantage of every opportunity offered by WIBN. The most recent one was WIBN’s virtual Career and Internship Fair. Coach Santos arranged for his wrestlers to meet representatives (via Zoom) from more than 40 regional, national and international companies to discuss internships and entry level career opportunities. In addition, Coach Santos worked with his wrestlers to set up accounts through WIBN where companies can review the student athletes’ resumes for possible job opportunities.
“These companies that are part of WIBN want to hire wrestlers specifically,” Coach Santos reports. “This gives student wrestlers an advantage in the job market. My role is to provide guidance and support for my guys so they have the necessary information to begin planning for their future and take an important step toward a great career,” he adds.
“The NWCA strives to prepare our student athletes for future success by making access available to transformational experiences prior to graduation to enhance their life’s journey,” Moyer reports.
“Through Coach Santos’ care and effort, the Cleary University wrestling program is providing a supplemental gateway to career exploration. We deeply appreciate Coach Santos’ support of WIBN and the career and internship fair, and want to publicly acknowledge his commitment to align the wrestling programs with the educational mission of Cleary,” he adds.
Coach Santos joined the Cleary coaching staff as the head coach of wrestling in June 2022. A native of Saginaw, he wrestled at Michigan State University (MSU) from 2016 to 2022 and earned USA Wrestling Greco-Roman All-American honors. Santos also earned the MSU Commit Award for his efforts in the university’s program.
Prior to joining Cleary University, Santos coached for the Northern Elite club team for six years and was a Team USA World Team trials coach in 2022.
When asked about his coaching style and philosophy, Santos notes, “I am a high-level thinker. The goal I set for my team is to work toward a national title, one small step at a time, one workout at a time. I encourage my wrestlers to become the best version of themselves – the best wrestler, the best student, the best person; and to be prepared for the next level of their life. Each wrestler has the potential to be number one; to believe in it and to believe in themselves,” he says.
Santos is an East Lansing resident.
About Wrestlers in Business Network Wrestlers in Business Network (WIBN) is a non-profit, member-focused organization initially formed to unite the thousands of wrestlers who have retired from the sport and are now in their respective careers. The group has evolved into an organization that also supports current wrestlers and the sport. WIBN’s mission is to build a community that serves as a platform to connect its members and facilitate business job opportunities across the nation by leveraging a talent rich pipeline of wrestling alumni, with the unique byproduct of increasing reinvestment back to the sport.
“We are thrilled to help connect our incredible student athletes with equally incredible companies looking to find future employees who have proven to be committed, dedicated, resilient and goal-oriented,” reports Michael Moyer, executive director of the WIBN.
About Cleary University Founded in 1883, Cleary University is a four-year, world-class accredited university, offering undergraduate and graduate degrees from a unique Business Arts curriculum, driven by a faculty of thought leaders with deep, practical experience in their industries. Providing on-campus and online education models, Cleary provides a robust athletic program and a rich residence life with nearly 200 students living on the quiet, rolling 50-acre campus. Cleary graduates tend to land jobs faster than their peers and with higher earning salaries at the start of their careers.
Cleary University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, a proud member of the HLC Standard Pathway, and an approved institution by the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements. A nonprofit university, Cleary’s campus is located at 3750 Cleary Drive, Howell, MI 48843, (800) 686-1883 with an education center within the Durfee Innovation Society at 2470 Collingwood St., Detroit, MI 48206.
To learn more about Cleary University, visit its website: https://cleary.edu.
Cleary University:
- Ranked #5 in the nation for best online business degree (University HQ)
- Ranked #3 in Michigan for best average starting salary two years post-graduation (US Department of Education)
- Ranked #5 in the entire country for its student debt ratio to starting salaries (Wall Street Journal)
- Named “Best for Vets College in 2022” by Military Times
- Earned Gold Level Veteran-Friendly status two years in a row from The Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) for continued excellence in serving military-connected students in Michigan
