For the second time in as many months, Tony Robie made a change to his staff, hiring Virginia Tech's greatest heavyweight of all time, Ty Walz, as an assistant coach.
The addition of Walz, a three-time NCAA All-American, completes Robie's staff ahead of the 2026-27 season. In April, Robie hired James Green from Nebraska to replace Zach Tanelli, who parted ways with the program earlier this spring. In total, the Hokies' staff now features Robie, Associate Head Coach Jared Frayer, Assistant Coach James Green, and Walz. Notably. Jared Haught, who had previously worked with the heavyweights, was listed as "Performance and Development Coach" on the Virginia Tech Wrestling Instagram on Monday evening.
In a press release announcing the move, Robie was confident that his former wrestler and assistant would immediately benefit the program.
"We should all be excited about Ty and his family returning to Blacksburg," Robie said. "Ty’s success on the mat as a Hokie was built on work ethic, perseverance, and toughness. He played a major role in helping elevate Virginia Tech Wrestling during his time as an athlete here. After gaining valuable experience as a recruiter and coach at Brown over the past several years, I’m confident his influence will help accelerate the upward trajectory of our program."
Walz returns to Virginia Tech from Brown University, where he coached Andrew Reall to a program-best 37-6 record, an Ivy League Championship, and a Round of 12 NCAA berth. He also guided Alex Semeneko to an Ivy League Finals appearance.
Prior to his stint at Brown, Walz spent four seasons on Robie's staff at Virginia Tech from 2018 to 2022 and helped lead the Hokies to their sixth consecutive top-10 finish at the NCAA Championships.
As a student-athlete at Virginia Tech from 2015 to 2017, Walz was a standout in the national heavyweight ranks, finishing seventh once and fourth twice at NCAAs, and his 109 career wins rank 10th all-time in program history. After graduating and joining the Southeast Regional Training Center, he won Bronze in the 2017 U23 World Championships.
Walz was excited for the opportunity to rejoin his alma mater and help guide what's poised to be a historic roster next season.
"I am honored to be coming home to my alma mater as an Assistant Coach," Walz said. "This opportunity is an answered prayer for my family and me. I am returning to a much different team than the one I departed from three years ago. The expectations and momentum surrounding this program are at an all-time high. I am prepared to pour every ounce of myself into helping the young men in this program reach their highest potential. Go Hokies. This IS Home.”
