Army West Point Athletics
Michael Macchiavello Hired as Wrestling Associate Head Coach
May 01, 2026 | Wrestling
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Army West Point Class of 1972 Head Men's Wrestling Coach Troy Nickerson has announced the hiring of Michael Macchiavello as the program's associate head coach ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Macchiavello comes to West Point from the Lehigh Valley Wrestling Regional Training Center, where he spent three seasons working in conjunction with the Lehigh wrestling program.
"We are thrilled to add Michael to our coaching staff," said Nickerson. "He provides a wealth of knowledge and is a great fit for our program. His name speaks for itself and his personality is infectious. This hire is a huge win for Army West Point wrestling."
At the Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC, Macchiavello trained, created and participated in the development of Lehigh's student athletes. He trained with the team across individual practice sessions and built relationships to create a productive working environment for prospective student athletes. The Mountain Hawks won two EIWA championships with Macchiavello in the wrestling room, while producing four NCAA All-Americans.
Macchiavello also represented the RTC as an athlete in domestic and international competitions, making world wrestling and Olympic teams. As a wrestler, Macchiavello won two gold medals at the US Open in Las Vegas, Nev. in 2022 and 2023, at 97 and 92 kgs respectively. He also won gold at the 2023 Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina, representing Team USA at the 92 kg weight class.
Internationally, he won gold at the 2024 and 2025 Grand Prix events in Nice, France at 97 and 92 kgs respectively, before taking bronze at Tirana, Albania in 2026 and Nice in 2026, both at 92 kgs. Overall Macchiavello is a seven-time international medalist and five-time USA National Team member.
Macchiavello served on the coaching staff for USA Wrestling at the U17 World Championships in Rome, Italy, supervising the development plan for 80 kg athlete Zack Ryder, who finished third at the event, while helping lead the team to the overall title.
Before making the move to the Lehigh Valley, Macchiavello wrestled with the Wolfpack Regional Training Center in Raleigh, N.C. As a postgraduate athlete and mentor from 2019-23, he prepared and competed internationally as well as domestically to make World and Olympic teams.
Macchiavello wrestled at NC State from 2013-18, finishing second in the ACC in 2017 at 184 lbs and in 2018 at 197 lbs. Coming one win shy of All-American honors in 2017, Macchiavello returned to the NCAA Championships in 2018 and won the 197 lb national title, defeating Virginia Tech's Jared Haught in the final in Cleveland, Ohio.
Macchiavello is currently an active Executive Committee Member for USA Wrestling, a role he has held since 2020. He also serves on the Board of Directors, the Athlete Advisory Committee and Finance Committee for the governing body.
Macchiavello earned a bachelor's degree in finance from NC State in 2017 and graduated with a master's degree in communication and business leadership in 2019. He is a native of Monroe, N.C. where he graduated from Sun Valley High School.
Follow Army Wrestling
Follow Army Wrestling on X @ArmyWP_Wrestling and on IG @armywp_wrestling.
Fans can also like Army West Point Athletics on Facebook and learn more about wrestling and other programs at goarmywestpoint.com.
Macchiavello comes to West Point from the Lehigh Valley Wrestling Regional Training Center, where he spent three seasons working in conjunction with the Lehigh wrestling program.
"We are thrilled to add Michael to our coaching staff," said Nickerson. "He provides a wealth of knowledge and is a great fit for our program. His name speaks for itself and his personality is infectious. This hire is a huge win for Army West Point wrestling."
At the Lehigh Valley Wrestling RTC, Macchiavello trained, created and participated in the development of Lehigh's student athletes. He trained with the team across individual practice sessions and built relationships to create a productive working environment for prospective student athletes. The Mountain Hawks won two EIWA championships with Macchiavello in the wrestling room, while producing four NCAA All-Americans.
Macchiavello also represented the RTC as an athlete in domestic and international competitions, making world wrestling and Olympic teams. As a wrestler, Macchiavello won two gold medals at the US Open in Las Vegas, Nev. in 2022 and 2023, at 97 and 92 kgs respectively. He also won gold at the 2023 Pan American Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina, representing Team USA at the 92 kg weight class.
Internationally, he won gold at the 2024 and 2025 Grand Prix events in Nice, France at 97 and 92 kgs respectively, before taking bronze at Tirana, Albania in 2026 and Nice in 2026, both at 92 kgs. Overall Macchiavello is a seven-time international medalist and five-time USA National Team member.
Macchiavello served on the coaching staff for USA Wrestling at the U17 World Championships in Rome, Italy, supervising the development plan for 80 kg athlete Zack Ryder, who finished third at the event, while helping lead the team to the overall title.
Before making the move to the Lehigh Valley, Macchiavello wrestled with the Wolfpack Regional Training Center in Raleigh, N.C. As a postgraduate athlete and mentor from 2019-23, he prepared and competed internationally as well as domestically to make World and Olympic teams.
Macchiavello wrestled at NC State from 2013-18, finishing second in the ACC in 2017 at 184 lbs and in 2018 at 197 lbs. Coming one win shy of All-American honors in 2017, Macchiavello returned to the NCAA Championships in 2018 and won the 197 lb national title, defeating Virginia Tech's Jared Haught in the final in Cleveland, Ohio.
Macchiavello is currently an active Executive Committee Member for USA Wrestling, a role he has held since 2020. He also serves on the Board of Directors, the Athlete Advisory Committee and Finance Committee for the governing body.
Macchiavello earned a bachelor's degree in finance from NC State in 2017 and graduated with a master's degree in communication and business leadership in 2019. He is a native of Monroe, N.C. where he graduated from Sun Valley High School.
Follow Army Wrestling
Follow Army Wrestling on X @ArmyWP_Wrestling and on IG @armywp_wrestling.
Fans can also like Army West Point Athletics on Facebook and learn more about wrestling and other programs at goarmywestpoint.com.
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