Iowa State women's wrestling is making moves, and the program just landed a major asset. Head coach Alli St. John announced Monday that Jake Kadel—the former head coach who turned William Penn into an NAIA powerhouse—will join the Cyclones as the first assistant coach for the women's wrestling team.

"I am excited to have Jake join our program as an assistant coach," St. John said in a statement. "He brings a wealth of wrestling knowledge, experience building a women's program, and recruiting acumen with him to Ames. He was one of the first people I had in mind when I started to build out my staff. What he was able to build at William Penn was amazing, and his athletes saw great success on the mat and in the classroom."

Kadel's resume speaks for itself. In just three seasons at William Penn, he transformed a program that finished 33rd at the 2023 NAIA National Championships into a national contender. The Statesmen posted two consecutive fourth-place finishes before capping his tenure with a stunning national runner-up finish in the 2025-26 season—a remarkable climb that showcased his ability to build from the ground up.

Under Kadel's leadership, William Penn produced nine national champions and 18 All-Americans, with 33 wrestlers qualifying for the NAIA National Championships. His teams also dominated conference competition, winning 13 Heart of America Athletic Conference titles, while maintaining strong academic standards with 24 NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors.

"I am incredibly excited for the opportunity to work alongside coach Alli St. John and the rest of the staff at Iowa State University," Kadel said. "I've been fortunate to follow her career as an athlete, and I have tremendous respect for what she brings to the sport."

For Iowa State, this hire signals serious intent. With women's wrestling continuing its explosive growth at the collegiate level, pairing a proven program builder like Kadel with St. John's vision could put the Cyclones on a fast track to national prominence. Kadel added: "I look forward to investing in the student-athletes and building on the already strong wrestling tradition at Iowa State."