WASHINGTON, D.C. (WDVM) — Former Stanford head coach Jason Borrelli was hired last week as the new head coach at American University.

Borrelli coached 13 years at Stanford, but this past year was arguably his best year of coaching.

Not only did he have to coach through a pandemic, but at the end of this year, Stanford is discontinuing the wrestling program.

Some Stanford wrestling alumni even raised over $12 million to save the program, but the university, so far, has turned it down.

At the NCAA’s, Stanford wrestled with black singlets with no name on them. The only thing they wore that had anything related to the university was shirts saying “KeepStanfordWrestling.” Even after having two All-American wrestlers, and sophomore Shane Griffith winning the second individual title in program history, it doesn’t look like it changed the minds of the university.

With all of the uncertainty out west, Borrelli decided it as time for a change.

“It certainly played a part,” said Borrelli. “When you are going through a discontinuation or a dropping of a program, and you are talking to other people who really value the sport… and are showing interest, that helps. You really want to be in a place where you feel like you are wanted.”