Mia Macaluso is leaving East Stroudsburg as an assistant coach, and we can’t let her get too far away.
She told the team that she is “exploring other opportunities,” but those opportunities need to be in women’s college wrestling. It’s our responsibility to find her a significant role, preferably as a head coach.
“Upon completing my master’s degree, I’ve decided to step away from my role as Head Assistant Women’s Wrestling Coach at ESU,” Macaluso wrote in an Instagram post. “After six years with this program, I feel I’ve learned everything I can and am ready to embrace new opportunities ahead.”
The 23-year-old is too valuable and too talented to disappear.
The numbers paint a picture: 37 of the 182 NAIA and NCAA women’s wrestling programs are led by female head coaches (approximately 20 percent).
We need Mia Macaluso to increase that number.
“People coach because they love it." -- Life University coach Ashley Flavin
The Otisville, New York, native was a three-time All-American for East Stroudsburg, but beyond the numbers, Macaluso’s greatest strength is her ability to connect. Even her rival coaches, like Joe Jamison at Ursinus, agree.
“Mia’s a trailblazer in the sport, especially for New York wrestling,” Jamison said. “Within the competitiveness she has, she’s one of the kindest people you’ll ever meet. Regardless of the results in matches against her, with me coaching in the opposite corner, she was always incredibly pleasant. She would always come over, say hello, ask how our program was doing, and ask how I was doing. She’s just amazing.
“Hiring Mia is a no-brainer. Girls like her are the future. I can’t say enough positive things about her.”
Neither can her former athletes.
Teegan Sibble finished fifth at the 2026 NCAA Championships as a freshman, and she said her reason for attending East Stroudsburg was Macaluso. There’s likely a correlation between Macaluso’s departure and Sibble entering the transfer portal.
“She listens to you,” Sibble said. “If you want to make it somewhere, she’ll get you there.”
Tiffani Baublitz reached the 2026 NCAA finals, and she said this after her semifinal win: “Mia’s had my back all season, through thick and thin.”
Mia Macaluso at the 2026 NCAA Women's Wrestling Championships
This is a tough pill to swallow since we don’t know where Macaluso will end up. Talented women appear, drift away, and we wonder why we let them go.
Ashley Flavin has built Life University into an NAIA dynasty, and her teams are competitive with the top NCAA programs. She had to learn on the fly how to navigate the intricacies of being a head coach, including administrative commitments and fundraising.
“So much of college wrestling is in small schools, and the pay is not great,” Flavin said. “How do we keep people where the pay’s not great? You can get paid more in Texas as a first-year high school coach and teacher than I make.
“Our women are being treated as training partners and aren’t being taught how to coach, and so when they become a head coach somewhere, they’re not set up for success, and we lose them quickly.
“Just because you’re a good athlete doesn’t mean you’re a good coach, and coaching is only 10 percent on the mat. It’s so much more than that. We’re not teaching them what they need to know to be a coach. We’re only relying on them as athletes.”
College coaching development isn’t easy, and it’s never linear. It could include a low-paying graduate assistant position while working somewhere else. And there are no guarantees you’ll get hired as a head coach.
"Girls like Mia are the future. I can’t say enough positive things about her.” -- Ursinus coach Joe Jamison
It takes patience and time, but we can’t let the clock strike midnight on our best women’s coaches. Not everyone is ready to lead a team, but we must not stifle the drive and talent of those who are.
“People coach because they love it,” Flavin said.
Yes, that’s true. Wrestling coaches typically aren’t seeking monetary gains, but relational ones. Most are fueled by purpose over prosperity.
Mia Macaluso’s purpose is to influence women’s wrestling. Let’s hope there’s a college program that loves her as much as she loves the sport.