Colorado Mesa University Athletics

Chuck H. Pipher has been at the helm of the Colorado Mesa University wrestling program since the 2006 season.

Under Pipher, the Mavs have qualified at least one individual to the NCAA Division II National Tournament in every year since 2007, and qualified five or more athletes on five occasions. Maverick athletes have received All-American recognition 21 times since Pipher took over the program.
 
In 2015, he coached his first national Champion at Colorado Mesa in 157 pounder James Martinez. Martinez defeated Anderson University’s Sean Turner with a last second takedown to earn Colorado Mesa’s first NCAA National Championship in any sport.

Prior to coming to Colorado Mesa, Pipher was the head wrestling coach at Hotchkiss High School since 1996, where he led the Bulldogs to the 2000 and 2004 Colorado High School 3A State Wrestling Team Championships. He was 3A Classification Colorado Wrestling Coach of the Year following the 2000 and 2004 seasons. In 2004, he was named the National High School Wrestling Coach of the Year by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.

In January 2009, Pipher was selected as the RMAC All-Century Team's Most Valuable Wrestler in honor of the conference’s 100^th anniversary. In November of that year, Pipher was inducted in to CSU-Pueblo’s Hall of Fame inaugural class.

A four-time NAIA All-American at Colorado State University at Pueblo (formerly University of Southern Colorado), he was a three-time NAIA National Wrestling Champion, three-time Academic All-American and two-time NAIA National Championship Outstanding Wrestler Award recipient. Pipher was the first ever NAIA wrestler to compete in the National Wrestling Coaches Association NCAA All-star Classic.

In his sophomore year he defended his RMAC title compiling a 47-8 record, including 23 pins. As a junior he posted a 48-5 record and won both the RMAC and national title (167#). At the national tournament he was named Most Outstanding Wrestler and earned the Gregorian Award for pinning the most opponents in the least amount of time. In his senior season he again claimed the RMAC and national title, Most Outstanding Wrestler award while posting a 37-2 mark. Pipher ended his collegiate career with an impressive 161-29-1 overall record. Following his senior season he was invited to the National Wrestling Association All-Star meet at the Palestra in Philadelphia; only the second NAIA wrestler in 23 years to be granted an invitation. 

A western slope native, Pipher was a two-time Colorado High School State Champion and selected Class 1A Outstanding Wrestler at Hotchkiss High School.

In 1989 he was selected Colorado Sports Hall of Fame Amateur Athlete of the Year. He was inducted into the Colorado Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1995 and in 2004 inducted into the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Hall of Fame.

Before taking over the Hotchkiss High School head coaching job, he was an assistant coach at Hotchkiss Middle School. His college coaching experience includes four years as an assistant at Western State College, one year at Arizona State University and University of Southern Colorado.

Pipher earned a bachelor's degree in Industrial Sciences and Technology with a teaching certificate from the University of Southern Colorado in 1990.

Chuck and his wife Deana, have four children; Kendal, Charlie, Peyton and Grayson and four grandchildren; Caleb, Kennedy, Mason and Logan.