Saint John’s University is entering a new chapter for its wrestling program, appointing Alex Van Krevelen as the head coach to lead the Johnnies into a new era of competition. The hire marks a strategic shift for the Collegeville, Minnesota, institution as it seeks to elevate its standing within the NCAA Division III landscape.
Van Krevelen arrives at Saint John’s University following a dominant five-year tenure at Shakopee High School. During his time leading the Sabres, Van Krevelen established himself as one of the most successful coaches in the region, blending technical discipline with a high-energy approach to the sport.
The transition comes as the program looks to build upon its existing foundation even as injecting fresh momentum into the locker room. Van Krevelen succeeds Kevin Schlitz, who served as the head wrestling coach for the past nine seasons, providing nearly a decade of stability to the program.
A Proven Track Record at Shakopee
The appointment of Van Krevelen is rooted in a statistical record of consistency, and growth. Over five seasons at Shakopee High School, he compiled a dual record of 133-20, a testament to his ability to maintain high performance across different rosters and weight classes.
Beyond the dual meet wins, Van Krevelen’s impact was most evident in the individual success of his athletes. He guided 45 wrestlers to state tournament qualifications, ensuring that the Sabres remained a constant threat on the state stage. Under his leadership, the program became a fixture in the upper echelon of Class 3A competition.
The team’s state finishes highlight a period of sustained excellence, consistently placing in the top three. While specific year-by-year rankings in the source material vary slightly regarding the 2024 season, the overarching trend is clear: Van Krevelen led Shakopee to second-place finishes in the state in recent seasons and secured third-place trophies in 2022 and 2024.
| Metric | Achievement |
|---|---|
| Dual Meet Record | 133-20 |
| State Qualifiers | 45 Wrestlers |
| Recent State Finishes | Multiple Top-3 Placements (Class 3A) |
| Tenure Duration | 5 Seasons |
Vision for the Johnnies
Moving from the high school ranks to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) involves a significant jump in competition and recruitment. However, Van Krevelen has expressed a clear, ambitious vision for the program’s trajectory.
“I’m committed to bringing a new level of passion and energy to this program. The landscape of SJU wrestling will change immediately, and I’m confident Saint John’s wrestling will be part of the conversation when discussing NCAA Division III powerhouses in the coming years.”
This focus on “passion and energy” suggests a coaching philosophy that prioritizes culture as much as technique. For the student-athletes at Saint John’s, this may translate to a more aggressive recruiting strategy and a heightened emphasis on the psychological edge required to compete at the national level.
The Transition to Division III
The shift from high school coaching to the collegiate level is often a challenge of scale and specialization. In the MIAC, coaches must balance the academic rigors of a liberal arts education with the demands of a high-performance athletic schedule. Van Krevelen’s ability to qualify 45 wrestlers for the state tournament suggests a capacity for developing individual talent—a skill that will be critical when attempting to push Johnnies wrestlers toward All-American status.
The university’s decision to bring in a coach with a high win percentage (roughly 87% at the dual level) indicates a desire for immediate results. By hiring a coach who has already mastered the Minnesota wrestling circuit, SJU is positioning itself to better attract local talent who are already familiar with Van Krevelen’s reputation at the prep level.
What This Means for the Program
For the current roster, the change in leadership brings a new set of expectations. The mention of becoming a “Division III powerhouse” implies that the program’s goals are shifting from regional competitiveness to national prominence. This typically involves a more rigorous approach to off-season training and a broader search for recruits who can compete in the most grueling weight classes.
Stakeholders in the SJU community—including alumni and current students—will be looking for how Van Krevelen integrates his high school success into the collegiate environment. The immediate focus will likely be on establishing a new team identity and updating the training regimen to match the “energy” Van Krevelen promised upon his arrival.
As the program moves forward, the benchmark for success will be the team’s ability to climb the MIAC standings and increase its representation at the NCAA national championships.
The university has not yet released a full schedule for the upcoming season, but the next major checkpoint for the program will be the start of the fall recruiting cycle and the announcement of the official winter competition calendar.
We invite our readers to share their thoughts on this coaching transition in the comments below or share this story with the SJU community.
