COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- Maryland wrestling coach Alex Clemsen has received a five-year contract extension through June 30, 2028, as announced by Damon Evans, Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics at the University of Maryland on Wednesday, May 9, 2023.

"Alex has brought our Maryland wrestling program to new heights during his four seasons in College Park and we are thrilled that he will continue to do so for years to come," said Evans. "Competing in the nation's best wrestling conference in the Big Ten, Alex has completely revitalized the program and brought Turtle Power to life, capped off by a 2022-23 season where we set records as a team and had numerous impressive individual achievements and honors. The future of Maryland wrestling is extremely bright under Alex's guidance."

"Clemsen & Company came to Maryland four years ago to rebuild the Maryland Program," Clemsen said. "That build has just started and we are grateful for Mr. Evans and Mr. Sherburne's faith in what we are doing in College Park. We have laid a lot of bricks the last four years and we are going to keep laying them. The future of Turtle Power is really bright and we are thankful to have the opportunity to continue work at one of the best institutions in America while competing in the best conference in the entire country with many of the best and brightest young men in our sport. I'd like to thank our fans, alums, and all of our families for their support. Because of you this is a special place and we love it here. Go Terps!"

Under Clemsen, the Maryland wrestling program has reached its highest levels in the past decade, with each of his four teams showing marked improvement and growth from the year before. 

The 2022-23 campaign was the most successful season in recent memory, as Maryland finished with a 10-9 record, the most dual wins since the 2012-13 season. Clemsen's squad also produced five 2023 NCAA Qualifiers (Braxton Brown, Ethen Miller, Kal Miller, Jaron Smith and Jaxon Smith), for the highest number since 2014. All five guys remained in competition on the second day of tournament action, the most since 2010. Additionally, Jaxon Smith, one of Clemsen's key recruiting pieces in 2021, finished in third place at 197 pounds at the 2023 Big Ten Championships, the highest finish for a Maryland wrestler since 2019.

On November 18, 2022,  Maryland defeated No. 16 Pittsburgh to earn the program's first ranked win since 2013. In the days following that victory, the Terps entered the NWCA Poll for the first time since 2013. The program also picked up its first Big Ten win since 2016 in a 19-18 win over Purdue as well as its first victory over the storied Oklahoma Sooners in program history.

Regarded as an elite recruiter, Clemsen has lived up to that billing during his four seasons in College Park, highlighted by bringing in the eighth-ranked 2021 recruiting class, led by Brown, Jaxon Smith and Ethen Miller. 

Clemsen currently resides in Maryland with his wife Lindsay and his two children: a daughter, Payten and a son, Porter. 

A 2007 graduate of Edinboro, Clemsen was an All-American wrestler and four-time NCAA qualifier. A two-time Academic All-American, Clemsen graduated with the highest GPA of any wrestler in Edinboro history. Clemsen came to College Park following a successful five-year tenure at Missouri, where he helped Missouri wrestlers earn three NCAA individual titles, 22 All-America honors and five consecutive top-six team finishes at the NCAA Championships.