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HUNTINGDON -- Josh Mangle has been hired to coach wrestling matches that won't happen for another year.
For now, his job is recruiting wrestlers and giving two programs an identity before either has a lineup.
Juniata College named Mangle head coach of its men's and women's wrestling programs, putting a longtime Division III coach in charge of reviving the men's program after a decades-long absence and building the first women's team in school history. Both teams are scheduled to begin competition in the fall of 2027.
That leaves Mangle with something wrestlers rarely get: time.
"I'm super excited about building things from the ground up," Mangle said. "Everything from making contact with alumni from years back who are happy to see it."
Mangle is a Pennsylvania wrestling lifer. He wrestled at Shikellamy High School and Delaware Valley College under legendary coach Robert Marshall. He has spent his college coaching career in Division III rooms across the state. When Juniata opened the job, he saw a school sitting in the middle of one of the richest wrestling regions in the country.
"Really, it's a central PA program," Mangle said. "Wrestling in Pennsylvania is such a powerhouse. And it was like, listen, we can make this work."
"It felt right the minute I stepped on campus," he said. "Instantly, I felt like this is a place I feel like I can make an impact."
The first measure of that impact will come in recruiting.
Mangle doesn't intend to reveal every part of his plan, but he made one priority clear. He wants Pennsylvania wrestlers to see Juniata as a reason to stay closer to home.
"Primarily, it will be keeping those local kids home," he said.
That could matter in central Pennsylvania, where the supply of accomplished high school wrestlers far exceeds the number of Division I opportunities. Mangle sees Division III as a place where wrestlers can keep competing while preparing for life after college.
"All-American is All-American," he said.
His coaching résumé backs it up.
Mangle most recently served as an assistant at Eastern University, where he helped launch the school's women's program. Eastern's women produced eight all-conference selections and earned Wrestler of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Coaching Staff of the Year honors.
Before Eastern, Mangle spent four seasons at Alvernia, where the men went 66-19. He previously spent 15 years at Ursinus and began his college coaching career at Delaware Valley. He has also served as an interim head coach at Delaware Valley, twice at Ursinus and once at Alvernia, compiling a 29-10 record in those assignments.
The years at Ursinus left a particular mark.
Mangle points to longtime Bears coach Bill Racich, one of the most successful coaches in Division III history, when he talks about what the job is supposed to mean after the final whistle.
"Once you're somebody's coach, you're somebody's mentor for life, and it doesn't stop because their four years stop," Mangle said.
He has seen that relationship continue through reference letters, wedding invitations, birth announcements, and calls from former wrestlers about new jobs.
The wins matter, but Mangle wants his wrestlers prepared for what comes after them.
"What makes you a successful wrestler will make you a successful person in your field of study," he said.
That idea will apply to both sides of Juniata's new operation.
Mangle has watched women's wrestling change dramatically since his competitive days, when girls had few opportunities of their own. He now sees youth camps with close to an even split between boys and girls and calls the growth of the sport "huge."
His time at Eastern gave him a close look at building a women's college program. He learned the nuances of freestyle training and the scheduling challenges that come with a developing women's program. He also saw the value of bringing men and women into the same wrestling room.
"One team, one family," Mangle said.
That experience should help at Juniata, where he'll be constructing both programs at once.
The revived men's program also carries history. Juniata lists Joe Paskill and Rick Noll among its former wrestling All-Americans. Paskill earned NCAA Division III All-American honors in 1979, and Noll followed in the 1980s.
Mangle wants former wrestlers involved again.
"Bringing all the old alumni back and having them help shape that as well is key," he said.
A gift from Carl and Nancy Glaeser will help establish the programs and fund construction of the Glaeser Training Center at Juniata's Isett property, where the wrestling teams will practice. Juniata projects rosters of 25 to 40 wrestlers for each program.
Mangle's task is to start filling those spots.
He knows the type of wrestler he wants.
"A kid that wants to be a leader, fearless and willing to work hard at all the small details," Mangle said. "Everybody wants to win. That's a given. But are you willing to do the small things it takes to win? Are you coachable?"
That standard doesn't depend on whether the wrestler becomes a national champion. Mangle said even a wrestler who wins one college match can contribute by becoming a leader, remaining coachable, and working every day.
Eventually, the wins and losses will arrive.
For now, Mangle can define what he wants Juniata wrestling to look like before anyone puts on a singlet.
"Win, lose, or draw, I would like everybody to know that when they wrestle a Juniata wrestler, they don't want to have to wrestle them a second time," Mangle said. "You know you're in for a battle, and at the end of the day, we're going to leave it all on the mat."
The first match is still more than a year away.
Mangle has already started coaching toward it.