MatForge Coach combines AI, match analysis and team management in one platform

View full interview with MatForge Coach founder Robert Ziegler here.

Editor’s Note: This article appeared in WIN’s Volume 32 Issue 1, which printed Oct. 9,2026.

By Tristan Warner

Robert Ziegler was tired of chasing down wrestling videos.

As an assistant coach at Moon Valley High School in Phoenix, Ariz., he regularly encountered the same problem: Matches were recorded on different phones, shared between coaches and parents, and often difficult to locate when it came time to review them.

“I just wanted somewhere to house all this stuff where I can actually go in and analyze video and try to make those corrections,” Ziegler said.

That frustration became the starting point for MatForge Coach, a new wrestling management platform designed to help coaches organize their programs, analyze matches and develop more intentional practice plans using AI.

What began as a place to store match footage has evolved into a system that connects nearly every aspect of running a wrestling program.

Ziegler, a former two-time Arizona high school state placer who wrestled at Lassen College, has spent his professional career working with technology and software systems. When his 7-year-old son began wrestling, he became more involved in coaching again and recognized an opportunity to combine his two backgrounds.

“I basically built it for myself,” he said.

But the project quickly expanded beyond video storage.

MatForge allows coaches to record and score matches, track individual statistics, identify technical weaknesses and generate AI-assisted practice plans based on their wrestlers’ performances.

For example, if a wrestler consistently struggles to escape from the bottom position, the platform can identify that pattern through recorded match data and recommend drills addressing the weakness.

Rather than developing each practice independently, coaches can also generate season-long plans designed to prepare athletes for peak performance during the postseason.

“Let’s have a game plan. Let’s be intentional with it,” Ziegler said.

Importantly, Ziegler emphasizes that the technology is intended to supplement coaching, not replace it.

“Obviously, you’re the coach, right? This is just the assistant,” he said.

The platform’s AI currently relies on recorded match information, tagged techniques and sampled video frames to generate feedback. Ziegler hopes future developments will allow the technology to evaluate video more comprehensively, identifying technical details such as positioning, angles and foot placement.

Beyond the practice room, MatForge includes roster management, team calendars, tournament tools and communication features connecting coaches with parents.

Through a parent portal, families can access match videos, review their wrestler’s progress and receive simplified match summaries explaining what happened and where improvements might be needed.

“They can have a conversation with their wrestler about what they did good, what they did bad, what they can improve on,” he said.

MatForge offers a free plan supporting up to 40 athletes, including match scoring, statistics, scheduling and limited AI features. Paid subscriptions unlock additional teams, expanded video capabilities and unlimited AI tools, with introductory pricing beginning at $24 per month.

Ziegler has already incorporated MatForge into preseason planning at Moon Valley and uses it with his own youth wrestling program. He hopes additional coaches will experiment with the software and provide feedback that shapes its development.

For someone balancing a professional career, family responsibilities and coaching, the objective remains the same as when he started building the platform.

“It kind of just helps me wrap my head around what I’m trying to accomplish and just be more intentional,” Ziegler said.

Coaches can explore the platform at MatForgeCoach.com, while Ziegler can be reached at Rob@MatForgeCoach.com.