Dennis Papadatos, Hofstra's head wrestling coach for a decade, moved into an administrative role as assistant director of athletics for athletic development and strategic partnerships in May 2024.
Having completed his 10th season as coach this past March, Papadatos compiled 62 dual match victories during his tenure and saw 16 wrestlers qualify for the NCAA Championships with Michael Hughes earning All-America accolades in 2018.Â
The team also fared well academically under Papadatos' watch. Hofstra has consistently been at the top of the rankings in team grade point average in the country among Division I programs, and has produced 18 NWCA Scholar All-Americans (24 selections) and 29 EIWA Academic Achievement Award recipients (56 selections).
Named the 12th head coach in the history of the Hofstra University wrestling program on August 4, 2014, Papadatos was a four-year starter at Hofstra under then-head coach Tom Ryan from 1997 to 2001 and recorded 95 career victories. He qualified for the NCAA Championships in 1999-00 at 157 pounds after earning a New York State championship and a second-place finish in the ECWA Championships. He returned to nationals as a senior in 2000-01 after winning the ECWA title with three straight victories. Papadatos was named to the ECWA All-Freshman Team in 1998 and was a three-time NWCA Scholar All-America selection.
Before returning to Hofstra in 2014, Papadatos served as an assistant wrestling coach at Northern Illinois (2004-06), Binghamton (2006-11), and North Carolina (2011-14). He started his collegiate coaching career as a strength and conditioning assistant at Hofstra from 2001 to 2004.
Papadatos graduated from Hofstra in 2000 with a degree in exercise physiology and completed a master's in health education at Hofstra in 2002 and one in higher education leadership at Hofstra in 2021.Â
A graduate of Island Trees High School in Levittown, New York, Papadatos and his wife, Angela, reside in Levittown with their three children - Gabriella, Apostoli, and Yianni.
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