NWCA’s Nate Naasz named WIN’s Journalist of the Year

Photo by Ed Bailey.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH JOURNALIST OF THE YEAR NATE NAASZ OF THE NWCA. 

Editor’s Note: This article appeared in WIN’s Annual Awards Issue, which published May 5, 2026.

Since 1995, WIN Magazine has honored some of the nation’s best wrestling writers and communicators who have promoted the sport with their work.

Humorously, WIN Magazine’s 2026 Journalist of the Year, Nate Naasz, posed the question: “Am I even a journalist?”

Naasz, who resides in Ellsworth, Kan. and works remotely for the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), based out of Lancaster, Pa., has served as the NWCA’s communications, marketing and scholastic coordinator for eight-plus years.

Naasz, who spent 14 years in public education as a high school business instructor while also coaching football, baseball, and wrestling, and finally serving as an athletic director, has also served on the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association (KWCA) executive board first as the academic chair, then as the vice president. He served two terms as president.

So, what does Naasz’s current role consist of? Well, a better question might be, what does it not consist of?

“I try to share the news of collegiate coaching hires and the additions of new programs across all divisions,” Naasz said. “We try to share rankings and stories, making sure the wrestling community knows about all of those things.

“The communications and the marketing go hand-in-hand; I try to take care of the website and the social media. Any time we have an event, if we need flyers, handouts or social-media graphics, I get to be creative and take care of that.

“And then the closest-to-home role is the scholastic director position and working with the state chairs across the country.”

Naasz works closely alongside state chair reps for both regional and national awards that the NWCA recognizes.

He also works closely alongside coaches nationwide when it comes to various press releases, award nominations, coaching academies and conventions as well as at events.

In a sense, Naasz can be viewed as a master sports information director (SID) but not just for one specific institution; his territory consists of … well, all wrestling institutions—both men’s and women’s programs across all divisions nationwide.

Naasz, though he may not consider himself a traditional journalist, does agree his ultimate goals in his position closely mirror that of a traditional journalist. He is looking to promote the sport in any way he can.

“This award is a testament to the work the NWCA has done for the last 98 years,” Naasz said. “Our executive director, Mike Moyer, has done a tremendous job growing the sport, and that is just what I want to do. I want to be an ambassador for the sport and help it grow at every level.

“Our team is small, but it’s mighty. I don’t think people understand how small of an organization we are, which speaks to the power of it.

“I am also blessed to get to work with so many great SIDs across the country, which is often a thankless job,” Naasz said. “All I have to do is take what they send me and repackage it, but I am very thankful for the work they and all of the conference offices do.”

Though Naasz was quick to deflect credit, he did acknowledge the round-the-clock nature of his position. Breaking news in the sport knows no time limits.

“I often find myself in the evening not being able to put my phone down, making sure I don’t miss something like a new coaching hire or program getting added. I never want to miss anything.”

WIN Magazine Publisher Bryan Van Kley commented on Nate’s impact on the sport of wrestling through his role with the NWCA, stating, “We’re really proud to name Nate our 2026 Journalist of the Year. Though Nate holds a different type of position as a journalist, being the communications coordinator for the NWCA, he puts out a mountain of information that’s critical for other media, and the national wrestling community as a whole. He’s a great guy who everyone likes and who really understands the sport being a former coach and AD, and that comes through in the quality of content in his writing and releases, and the professionalism in which he does his job.”

Reflecting on all he’s done, Naasz’s greatest pieces of advice for other young professionals are to be a team player and to pick up the slack wherever needed. 

“We have a great team that is all hands-on-deck; we might be mopping mats or picking up trash or refilling the green beans back in the coaches’ hospitality room. At any given minute you could be doing something mission critical.

“Thankless jobs need to be done, so you do them. I always used to worry about not being great at any one thing, but I’ve found that being a generalist is pretty fantastic.

“I’ve been blessed to be able to do so many things, and I am not great at any of them. I am the Swiss Army knife. I can do a little of everything. I would encourage people to be okay with being a generalist. It opens you up to continue to grow and evolve.”