Ritter recently completed his 20th season at the helm of the SUNY Oneonta wrestling program in 2023-24. In his first 20 seasons as head coach, he has led the program to 209 dual meet victories, eight top 30 national team finishes including, four top-20, three top 15, and one top 10 at the NCAA Division III National Championships. In 2018, the program had its best finish ever at the NCAA championships finishing tied for 10th place and followed up with yet another top 20 national team finish in 2019. Previously, the Red Dragons had a 14th place finish in 2005 and a 12th place national team finish in 2010.
The 2024 season saw junior Jack Ryan be named an NCAA Division III All-American at the 184 lbs. weight class after placing seventh overall to become Oneonta's 15th All-American. Additionally he was NCAA Mideast All-Region and the 184 class SUNYAC Tournament Champion. In total five Red Dragons were all-region, 12 were NYS All-State, and eight were named All-SUNYAC. Senior Anderson Klosner was the SUNYAC Wrestling Scholar Athlete of the Year and the SUNY Wrestling Scholar Athlete of the Year, as well as the SUNYAC Elite 20 recipient.
In the 2023 season, the Red Dragons continued their success with six All-Conference Wrestlers (ECWC), seven NCAA All-Region performers, ten NYS Collegiate All-State wrestlers (NYS combined all divisions: NCAA DI-DIII, & NJCAA), thirteen wrestlers selected to the ECWC All-Academic team, three NWCA Division III Scholar All-Americans. In 2019 the team earned honors as an NWCA National Scholar All-American team (top 25) for the 10th time. Also, in 2019, James Bethel capped his amazing collegiate career as Oneonta’s first four-time All-American while winning the 2019 NCAA DIII Most Dominant Wrestler Award. In 2020 Senior Co-Captain Ahken chu capped of another exceptional career as a 3x NCAA All-Regional Wrestler, while claiming the NYS Collegiate State title and Outstanding Wrestler award and leading the nation in technical falls (NCAA Stat Leader). In 2020 despite no official NCAA season due to COVID Jake Pine and Tyler Brazinski would claim NWCA All-American honors at the national NWCA Open in Mt. Pocono, PA. In 2023 Fr. Jack Ryan would qualify for the NCAA Championships, Sr. Michael Blando would win the Gorrarian Award (most falls) at the NCAA Mideast Championships and Sr. Jacob Pine would be named the SUNY 2023 Wrestling Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Ritter has coached 19 NCAA national qualifiers, 38 NWCA Scholar All-Americans, and 10 NCAA All-Americans. In addition, he has coached 74 New York Collegiate All-State wrestlers, 15 Empire Conference Champions, four CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 64 SUNYAC Commissioner’s List and 138 SUNYAC All-Academic Team honorees. Nine times his teams have been honored as NWCA National Scholar All-American teams (6th, 14th, 15th, 15th, 16th, 18th, 23rd, 24th, 25th nationally), as well as having had ten individual wrestlers reach 100 Career NCAA Wins milestone.
Ritter took over the program during the 2004-05 season and guided the program to a record 16 wins (16-4 season record). In 2005 Ritter was nominated for the NCAA Division III Rookie Coach of Year award and was named honorable mention Division III Coach of the Year by
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Before being hired as the third wrestling coach in the program’s 60-year history, Ritter spent four years as the top bench assistant for the Red Dragons program under the mentorship of 38-year Hall of Fame (NY State, NCAA Division III, & National Wrestling Hall of Fame) coach Al Sosa. As an assistant, Ritter was instrumental in developing a new level of success for the program and was involved in all aspects of the wrestling program including practice development, recruiting, and serving as both the coordinator of community service projects and the “Academic Enhancement Program”.
Ritter’s extensive volunteer work has earned him community service awards and recognition from various local, national, and campus organizations including Opportunities for Otsego, Oneonta Middle School, SUNY Oneonta EOP, The Center for Social Responsibility and Community, Community Connections, and Ameri-Corps. He completed two years of National Service (over 2,000 volunteer hours) with the SUNY Oneonta Ameri-Corps Rural School Empowerment program. Ritter spent a year and half working as a Counselor (CMHS) at Catholic Charities of Chenango (Trillium Place), during which time he served as a Senior Counselor, Case Manager, and Recreational Therapist.
In 2003-04, Ritter took a position with the department of Residence Life and served as the full time Residence Hall Director for Wilber Hall while continuing as the Assistant Wrestling Coach and an Adjunct Faculty member on campus.
Ritter is a native of Muncy, Pennsylvania and graduated from Hughesville HS in 1995. He is a 2000 graduate of Wilkes University where he received two Bachelor Degrees while triple majoring in Psychology, Sociology, and Secondary Education (Social Studies).
While at Wilkes, Ritter competed as a Division I scholarship athlete in the EIWA’s for his first two seasons starting as a true freshman and received the team's “Most Outstanding Wrestler Award” at the conclusion of his sophomore year. Following a mixed NCAA Division I, II, and III provisional season in which he posted a 29-5 season record, and a “Medical Hardship," Ritter returned as a non-scholarship athlete to compete for a final season with the Cornels during their first season at the NCAA Division III level. Ritter was nationally ranked and compiled a 28-3 season record that year while finishing All-Conference in the M.A.C and winning the Spartan Invitational. He earned Scholar All-America honors as both a Div. I and Div. III wrestler while serving as team captain for three seasons. Ritter was honored with the “Most Courageous Performer” and the “Coaches Academic Award” while competing for Wilkes. He was the recipient of the University Scholarship for Wrestling and Academics and was inducted into two International Honors Societies of Alpha Kappa Delta (Sociology), and Phi Alpha Theta (History).
Ritter’s coaching philosophy strongly reflects his ongoing commitment to place his athlete’s personal well-being first, while developing their character, increasing athletic achievements, and enhancing their academic as well as future career success.
Ritter also serves as the College’s Fitness Coordinator and Adjunct Faculty for the Department of Sport & Exercise Science. He resides in the Oneonta area with his wife Katie and their two children Ashton and Clayton.
