Brandon Palmer
Head Freestyle/Greco Coach
Brandon started his wrestling journey at the age of 9 in his hometown of Durham, North Carolina. He had a decorated high school wrestling career capped with an NCHSAA State Dual and an Individual Team Tournament State Championship, individually becoming a 3x NCHSAA State Finalist and 2x NCHSAA State Champion.
In the spring and summer, he became a 4X Freestyle, 4X Greco NC state Champion and NC National Team Member. In 2002 he set records for most career wins, career takedowns, and most takedowns recorded in a single season in North Carolina history. He was awarded The Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award for North Carolina, presented annually to a male high school senior based equally on outstanding wrestling success, scholastic achievement, and citizenship or community service.
Upon graduating he went on to wrestle post-graduate in New Jersey, at Blair Academy, where he honed his skills with the top program in the country. As a “PG,” he improved upon his prep accolades, competing in collegiate exhibition dual meets and college opens for the Buccaneers.
After high school, he went on to wrestle Division 1 at the University of Oklahoma where he was a brief starter for the Sooners. He later made the transition to NAIA and became a two-time national qualifier and a nationally ranked wrestler for the Statesman of William Penn University.
After he graduated, Brandon went on to build a career as a visual artist. It was then that his former coach, Ohio Hall of Fame Coach Walt Tolarchyk, convinced him to return to North Carolina to become his successor as the head coach of Brandon’s Alma Mater High School. Since then, he has served the Raleigh-Durham Area as a dedicated wrestling and grappling coach and teacher.
Brandon Palmer has knowledge and experience spanning over decades of the sport. With a deep understanding of traditional to advanced techniques, he has guided several top NC wrestlers to achieve their goals on the state and national levels.