Mizzou Wrestling hires Keegan O’Toole as assistant coach

One of the all-time greats in staying in Columbia

Keegan O’Toole will again put accounting on hold for wrestling.

The Tiger Style legend is joining Mizzou’s staff as an assistant coach less than two months after the end of his decorated collegiate career.

O’Toole won two national titles and was a five-time All-American with the Tigers from 2020 to 2025, the best wrestler the program had seen since Olympian J’den Cox.

“I am so thankful for this opportunity to be able to give back to the program that gave me so much,” O’Toole said in a Mizzou Athletics release. “I can’t wait to be in these guys’ corners pushing them to be great wrestlers, but even more important, great people. Tiger Style is a lifestyle, and I want to help young men embody that.”

The move will allow him to remain close to the Tiger Style Wrestling Club, the program under which many of the team’s alumni compete at the senior level, as he eyes a spot on Team USA for the Los Angeles Summer Olympics in 2028.

“Keegan is an exceptional individual with a deep passion for wrestling and coaching,” head coach Brian Smith said. “His dedication to Tiger Style and commitment to training for the Olympics will be incredibly inspiring for the wrestlers around him. Having someone with such a high wrestling IQ and loyalty on our staff will surely be a huge asset.”

Hiring O’Toole lets Smith keep the Wisconsin native’s veteran presence, which had a significant impact on the team the last few seasons, in the program.

O’Toole also solidifies Mizzou’s incredibly valuable access to the Askren Wrestling Academy pipeline, which has produced multiple champions like O’Toole and Penn State’s Mitchell Mesenbrink, under the direction of Tiger legend Ben Askren.

Keegan’s wrestling career has already been so successful, from his accomplishments at Mizzou to winning the U23 world title in 2023. Now, the next chapter of O’Toole’s wrestling life will also play out as a member of Tiger Style.