From wrestling to disc golf, ASU assistant coach Ben Askren is truly a jack-of-all-trades.
Askren, in his second year with the ASU wrestling program and his first as assistant coach, is an accomplished wrestler, grappler (gold medal winner at the 2009 World Grappling Championships), disc golfer (ninth at the 2009 World Amateur Disc Golf Championships) and the current Bellator MMA Welterweight Champion.
“I coached with [ASU] coach [Shawn] Charles for two years at the University of Missouri,” said Askren, a 26-year-old Wisconsin native. “When he got the job at ASU, he asked me to come out here with him and I decided to do it.”
Askren brings a wealth of knowledge to the mat after a decorated college career. As a college wrestler at UM, Askren was a two-time national champion, three-time Big 12 champion, and a four-time All-American at 174 pounds.
“I just went out there and did my thing,” Askren said of his philosophy during competition. “I never expected anything less than a win when I stepped on the mat, and that’s one of the main reasons I was so successful — because I expected a lot out of myself.”
Askren’s hard-nosed mentality translated to dominance under the lights. He posted 87 consecutive wins to end his collegiate career. For his efforts, Askren collected the Dan Hodge Trophy twice as the nation’s best collegiate wrestler, as determined by WIN Magazine.
“When I got the job here, we both thought this would be a good opportunity for him to get into coaching,” ASU coach Shawn Charles said. “It also allowed me to coach him in some other aspects of MMA and things like that.”
Askren’s achievements did not end with his graduation from UM, however. At the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, Askren won the 74kg freestyle championship, which earned him a roster spot with the U.S. team and the chance to face off with the world’s most elite wrestlers at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
“It was a great experience, but disappointing,” Askren said of his Olympic experience, where he went 1-1. “It was disappointing because I didn’t get what I wanted. I wanted to win and I didn’t even get a medal.”
This ultra-competitive nature has driven Askren throughout his entire life and has formed the base for a record-setting career. While wrestling for UM, Askren pinned 18 consecutive opponents in the first period — an NCAA record — and was a two-time Schalles Award winner, an annual honor bestowed on the best collegiate pinner.
“He’s just got a lot of unique moves on the mat,” redshirt senior Anthony Robles said. “He can contribute to everybody’s different style [of wrestling]. He was just a great addition to the coaching staff for us.”
Askren dominated his opponents using a unique style of wrestling called funk, which helped him compile a career record of 153-7 for the Tigers.
“Funk started a little bit before me, but it was just the style I used to be successful,” Askren said. “I did it better than anyone else, so my name kind of got synonymous with it. It’s kind of an unorthodox style; rolling around, a lot of new moves that people hadn’t seen before, that kind of thing.”
Askren is known for his toughness on the mat, but is also recognized for his work ethic and commitment to the sport off it.
“He’s got a big personality, and he has been very successful in college and after college,” Charles said. “He’s the ultimate competitor and very knowledgeable about wrestling. He brings a lot to the table for us.”
While he no longer wrestles competitively, Askren hopes to continue to move up in the MMA ranks as well as do everything in his power to improve the Sun Devil squad.
“[My goal is] to be as good as I can be at both [coaching and competing],” Askren said. “With MMA, my short term goal is to defend my belt and keep fighting. Long term, I want to get to the UFC and win a belt there. Coaching-wise, my goal is to make every one of these kids as good as they can possibly be.”
Reach the reporter at kyle.j.newman@asu.edu
