UTICA, NY - Pankil Chander has officially been named as the head coach of the Utica men's wrestling program, ushering in a new era for the Pioneers by bringing in an extensive resume of proven success as both a competitor and coach at the Division III level, alongside a drive to improve opportunities in the world of intercollegiate athletics.
Chander makes the move over from his alma mater, Wilkes University, where he served as the men's wrestling program's associate head coach during the prior two seasons. He becomes the third head coach in the history of the Pioneer program.
Utica Director of Athletics and Physical Education Kristin St. Hilaire expressed her excitement for the future of the program under Coach Chander, expressing, "We are thrilled to welcome Pankil Chander to Utica as the new head coach of our men's wrestling program. Pankil's passion, commitment to the student-athlete experience, and vision for building a championship culture make him an outstanding fit for Utica University. I am excited for the future of our wrestling program under his leadership."
In his two seasons as associate head coach with the Colonels, Chander assisted program all-time wins leader Cam Butka in becoming an NCAA Championships Finalist and earning the 58th NCAA All-America honor in program history. He also guided a pair of two-time NCAA Qualifiers, Caleb Burkhart and Jaryn Hartranft, to 100-win milestones. As a contingent, Wilkes collected an NCAA Region II Team Trophy, 3 NCAA Championships Qualifiers, 1 NCAA Region Champion, 1 NCAA Region Runner-Up, and 12 NCAA All-Region wrestlers in two seasons. The Colonels also tallied a tournament team championship at the Blue Jay Classic and earned a winning dual record in 2024-25 while amassing four National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-Americans.
While at Wilkes, Chander's influence also spread far beyond the mat, as he engaged in numerous other campus organizations, including serving as an Adjunct Professor in Wilkes' Sport Management program inside the AACSB-accredited Jay S. Sidhu School of Business.
Chander also served on the Boys Team Pennsylvania USA Wrestling Coaching Staff for the 2025 USAW Junior Nationals in Fargo, North Dakota, and coached wrestlers in Freestyle and Greco-Roman. In addition, he is a USA Wrestling Bronze Certified Coach.
Prior to his coaching tenure at Wilkes, Chander served as the Head Coach for the Penn College men's wrestling program, holding the role for the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 seasons. Under his leadership, the Wildcats achieved their first-ever team top-25 national ranking from the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) in 2023-24 and became the first program in Penn College history to advance at the NCAA Championships. Chander also coached the program to a litany of firsts, including finishing in the national top 25 for team academic performance, securing the program's first winning dual-meet record, first NCAA Championships appearance, first tournament team championship at the RIT Invitational, highest team GPA in the conference, the program's first victory over a nationally ranked opponent, and a program high seven wrestlers ranked in the Mideast region. Chander also led the Wildcats to a runner-up finish at the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Championship, four wrestlers with 30-plus wins, and four NWCA Scholar All-Americans.
In just two seasons at the helm, Chander led Penn College to holistic program growth at every turn including recruiting and retaining the largest roster in program history, the team's first ever team GPA above a 3.0 which led to four consecutive semesters of a team GPA of 3.2 or above, implemented strategic marketing to enhance the visibility of the brand by yielding over 7,000 new followers across social media platforms, and much more.
A proven recruiter, Chander's first class was among the most immediately impactful in program history and saw three freshmen all earn at least 30 wins - It would be the first time the program had two freshmen earn NCAA All-Region honors and the first time more than two wrestlers in a given season earned 30 wins, let alone three freshmen. It was this freshman class that made up most of the Wildcats' lineup during the program's first-ever national top 20 dual win against SUNY Oswego, who were ranked 19th at the time. Chander's first class accounted for 6 of the 9 medalists who earned their first tournament team championship at the RIT Invite.
Chander also spearheaded the first-ever wrestling dual held at the historic Community Arts Center Theatre, showcasing the sport on a grand stage while engaging the community. He was also the driving force behind the initiative to secure an NCAA Diversity Grant to fund a new full-time position in Penn College's Athletic Department.
Before his tenure at Penn College, Chander had a successful stint as a graduate assistant wrestling coach at Springfield College, where he earned his master's degree in athletic administration while being a teaching fellow in Springfield's Physical Education & Health Education Department. He coached 12 NWCA Scholar All-Americans across two seasons and led a wrestler to a top-12 finish at the 2022 NCAA DIII Championship, also helping the Pride earn a consistent top-30 national team ranking during the 2021-2022 season.
From August 2018 to 2020, Chander served as the full-time assistant wrestling coach at Gettysburg College, coaching three NWCA Scholar All-Americans, a Division III NCAA Qualifier, and four NCAA Southeast regional place winners. He also helped elevate the team to their first ever NWCA team ranking and helped the Bullets earn team tournament championships at the Messiah and Gettysburg Invitational.
In his four years of collegiate wrestling competition at Wilkes University, Chander amassed a career record of 91-50 and was the champion of the 2015 Wilkes Open at 141 lbs. Chander was also named NWCA Scholar All-American and was a starter on the team that won the 2014 Division III East Region Championship. He graduated in 2017 with a bachelor's degree in business management and sports management. He then earned his master's degree in athletic administration from Springfield College in 2022.
Throughout his career as an athlete and coach, Chander has been actively involved in the intercollegiate athletics and wrestling community. He volunteered as a social content writer for the 2019 Division I NCAA Championships in Pittsburgh. While volunteering at the championships, Chander assisted the digital team with identifying significant storylines and producing real-time coverage. Additionally, he has been invited to be a guest speaker at the 2021 NCAA Emerging Leaders Seminar, 2019 MARCA Ethnic Minority Careers in Athletics Symposium, 2023 Springfield College Athletic Leadership Speaker Series, and more.
He has also served on the host event committee for the Pennsylvania Junior Wrestling Association from 2015 - 2017 for the Youth State Championships held inside Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre. While on the event committee, he was instrumental in advocating for women's wrestling by spearheading the initiative to host U.S. Olympian Adeline Gray as a dignitary and medal award distributor.
Chander has been a scholarship recipient of the NWCA Leadership Academy and was selected to attend the 2018 NCAA Emerging Leaders Seminar, the 2025 NCAA Division III Institute for Administrative Advancement, and the 2026 NCAA Dr. Charles Whitcomb Leadership Institute during the summer in Paradise Valley, Arizona.
Chander has also held secondary duties as the Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Designee at Penn College and Wilkes University, spearheading initiatives to enhance departmental infrastructure by securing new full-time positions in Athletic Communications at each institution through the successful implementation of NCAA Grants.
He currently serves on the Association-Wide NCAA Committee of Access, Opportunity, and Impact and the Division III Pathway to Excellence Grant selection committee.
Chander is a native of Cedarhurst, New York, where he graduated from Lawrence High School.
Coach Chander will look to lead the program to many firsts during the upcoming 2026-2027 campaign, so keep an eye on the Utica Athletics website and social media to stay updated for the next time the Pioneers hit the mat.
