[Men's Wrestling] Vote Tabbed as Next Wrestling Coach

Doane University Director of Athletics Matt Franzen has announced the selection of Dana Vote as Head Wrestling Coach for the Tigers. Vote comes to Doane from Midland University where he had coached the Warriors since the 2017-18 season.

Vote is a familiar face around the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC), having coached previously at Concordia University in addition to his time at Midland. He was named the GPAC Coach of the Year on three occasions, in 2015, 2016, and 2018. Vote also earned NAIA North Region Coach of the Year honors on two occasions.

"I am excited to bring Dana into the fold at Doane because I feel that he exhibits the qualities that we're looking for in the people that lead our student-athletes," Franzen said. "He prioritizes character and the classroom, while also pushing the young people he coaches to be the best they can be on the mat.  He has a proven record as an exceptional coach and recruiter in the GPAC and in the NAIA and we feel that he will do great things as the next leader of the Doane program."

Vote added, "I am very excited to grow the Doane wrestling program into a national powerhouse. I have been a part of conference championship teams at two different GPAC universities and what drew me to Doane was Franzen's vision and excitement for the wrestling program."

Along with his coaching accolades, he also helped several athletes and teams to their share of accomplishments. At Concordia, the Bulldogs won two GPAC regular season titles with back-to-back undefeated seasons in 2015 and 2016. They also won a pair of NAIA North Region team titles as well as the first GPAC post-season title in 2016. With Midland, the Warriors were the 2018 GPAC post-season champions.

In six years as a head coach in the GPAC, Vote has guided four wrestlers to GPAC Wrestler of the Year honors (2014-'15-'16-'19). With the Bulldogs and Warriors, wrestlers have claimed 11 NAIA All-American honors and two national championships as 40 athletes qualified for the NAIA championships. Wrestlers have also earned 12 NAIA Scholar-Athlete honors for their performance in the classroom.

"My first goal for the program is to be competitive at all ten weight classes," Vote commented. "My long term goal is to be competing for conference championships year in and year out and to be competitive on a national level."

Prior to becoming a head coach, Vote wrestled on the varsity squad for three years at Buena Vista University (Iowa). He served a year as a student coach with four more years as an assistant at BVU.