JOE GALANTE

Head Coach

Galante enters his 14th season at the helm of TCNJ's program in 2024-25. Galante has produced a returning All-American in each of the last 11 seasons and has led the Lions to four consecutive regional titles as well as four top-10 team finishes at the NCAA Championships, including a 9th-place showing in 2023-24.

Galante's 2023-24 squad completed a four-peat at the Mideast Regional meet. Nick Sacco (165) and Mike Conklin (149) earned themselves individual championships while Peter Wersinger (285) and Matthew Griffin (125) finished second and third in their respective weight classes. Sacco went on to become the NCAA invididual champion at 165 pounds, while Conklin (7th) and Wersinger (8th) each placed to become All-Americans and help TCNJ finish inside the top-10 for the first time since 2019.

Galante led the Lions to their second NCAA Mideast Regional championship in as many seasons in 2022. TCNJ enjoyed a litany of never-before-seen accomplishments in running away with back-to-back regional crowns for the first time in school history as the Lions racked up 163.5 team points, well clear of Ithaca's second-place tally of 135.5. After the season, Galante saw a program-record nine wrestlers named Scholar All-Americans by the NWCA.

As a wrestler at TCNJ, Galante was a three-year letter winner and claimed All-American honors in 2005 and 2007. He finished fourth at the 2005 NCAA Championships and was a national runner-up his senior season in 2007. Galante won the 157-pound weight class at the Metropolitan Conference Championships in each of his three seasons and was a three-time national qualifier. He finished his standout career with a record of 84-15 and served as a team captain his final two seasons. His success wasn’t limited to the mat as he was named to the National Wrestling Coaches Association Division III Scholar Team in 2007.

In high school, Galante was a 2002 NJ State Finalist at 145 pounds, two-time Region 8 Finalist, three-time District 32 Champion, and a member of Team New Jersey competing in Freestyle. In 2015, he was inducted into the South Jersey Wrestling Hall of Fame.

TIM AMBACHER

Assistant Coach

Tim Ambacher joined the TCNJ wrestling staff as an assistant coach in 2021.

Ambacher was previously a coach at his alma mater Council Rock North, where he helped lead the Indians to three top-ten finishes at the PIAA Class AAA level. Ambacher was a standout wrestler at Delaware Valley University, winning two MAC championships and an East Regional title in addition to earning a pair of NCAA championship bids.

Ambacher is currently pursuing his master's defree in special education with an endorsement in English.