Our Team

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 Kevin Pine begins his 2nd season as the women's coach at UNLV. In last year's inaugural season, they won the West Coast Conference Championship and placed 5th at the NCWA Nationals in Shreveport, LA. The Rebel squad came home with 6 All-Americans with three of those with National titles.

Prior to coming to UNLV, Pine coached the Grays Harbor College women's team in Aberdeen, WA. During his 5 years with GHC, the team earned 40 NCWA All-American honors, eight USA Wrestling medals at the prestigious World Team Trials, five top three NCWA national team finishes, a Collegiate Cup title in 2023 and the NCWA women’s national championship in 2024.

Pine was named the Northwest Conference’s Women’s Coach of the Year three times and once for the men’s team when he stepped is interim coach for one season. He was also named the NCWA National Women’s Coach of the Year after guiding the program to their national title.

Other coaching credentials include being the Head Coach at Central Washington University where they had 20 All American wrestlers and 40 National qualifiers from 1995-2001 in the NAIA and NCAA II. He also coached at Elma HS and Shelton HS where they had a number of state placers and finalists. 

Prior to coaching at GHC, Pine helped establish a girls wrestling presence in Nevada. He was the Girls Head National Team Coach for four years as well as being on the Boys National Coaching staff as head and assistant coach. Although not recognized by the NIAA at that time, the state hosted a Nevada All Girls State Championship or a USA Wrestling State Championship during those years. He also volunteered as a youth coach and an assistant coach at Palo Verde HS, Las Vegas, NV.  

Pine was a 3x Washington State placer and 1986 State Champion. He was a 4x Canadian National placer as well as Canadian Greco-Roman National Champion while attending Simon Fraser University in BC, Canada. He finished his collegiate career at Central Washington University where he earned All American honors at the NAIA National Championships. Pine is still active in the sport and has won numerous Masters National Championships in Freestyle and Greco-Roman. He is a 14x World Medalist overall with four gold's, the latest at the 2025 World Championships in Tatabanya, Hungary.  

Ronald Williams joins the UNLV Wrestling coaching staff as a Men's Wrestling Coach, bringing decades of experience as a competitor, coach, military veteran, and leader.

Originally from Huntsville, Alabama, Williams was a two-time Alabama State Qualifier before continuing his wrestling career at SUNY Oswego in Oswego, New York. Competing for the NCAA Division III program, Williams served as team captain for two years, developing the leadership foundation that has remained central throughout his wrestling, military, and professional careers.

Williams has continued competing at a high level well beyond his collegiate career, earning success on both the national and international stages. He is a four-time U.S. Open Masters placer in Freestyle and Greco-Roman, including a runner-up finish. He has also represented the United States at the UWW Veterans World Championships and is a two-time member of U.S. Freestyle teams that captured the Veterans World Team Championship.

Most recently, Williams represented Team USA at the 2025 UWW Veterans World Championships in Tatabánya, Hungary, where he placed fifth in both Freestyle and Greco-Roman competition. His continued involvement as an active competitor gives him a unique perspective as a coach, allowing him to bring current competition experience, preparation strategies, and an understanding of international wrestling directly into the UNLV wrestling room.

Williams' coaching experience spans multiple levels and locations. He has coached youth wrestling in Syracuse, New York, and high school wrestling in Seoul, South Korea. His coaching philosophy emphasizes technical development, discipline, accountability, mental toughness, and helping student-athletes develop into leaders both on and off the mat.

Outside of wrestling, Williams served 18 years in the United States Army. The leadership, resilience, discipline, and team-first mentality developed throughout his military career continue to shape his approach to coaching and mentorship.

As a member of the UNLV Wrestling coaching staff, Williams is committed to helping strengthen the Rebel Wrestling program, developing student-athletes, and preparing UNLV wrestlers to compete successfully at the conference and national levels while representing the university and the Las Vegas wrestling community with pride.

  In 2025, I joined the UNLV Men’s Wrestling program for the second half of the season. In just that half-season, we produced six qualifiers for the National Championships and one NCWA All-American. That experience helped lay the foundation for what we are continuing to build at UNLV. 

Wrestling has been a part of my life for more than three decades, shaping the way I approach competition, leadership, adversity, and life.

My coaching journey includes nearly 10 years with the Edwardsville Wrestling Club, where I had the opportunity to help develop young wrestlers both on and off the mat. Today, I’m proud to serve as a Coach of UNLV Wrestling, helping build the men’s program and creating a culture centered on discipline, toughness, accountability, and becoming better people through the sport of wrestling.

I believe one of the most important things a coach can do is continue to lead from the front. I still compete nationally and internationally in Veterans wrestling and have been a member of the Team USA Veterans Freestyle program since 2021.

Competitive Accomplishments

• 2022 USA Wrestling Folkstyle Nationals — Division B National Champion
• 2022 Veterans World Championships — Division B Freestyle Bronze Medalist
• 2024 U.S. Open — Division C Champion
• 2024 Veterans World Championships — Division B Freestyle Bronze Medalist
• 2026 U.S. Open — Division C, 4th Place

Before coaching and competing at this level, I served as a U.S. Army Infantryman from 2001–2005, including service in Iraq during the 2003 invasion. The lessons I learned in the Army—discipline, resilience, leadership, sacrifice, and never leaving a teammate behind—continue to influence the way I coach today.

My goal at UNLV is bigger than wins and losses. I want to build wrestlers who embrace hard work, respond to adversity, compete with courage, and understand what it means to be part of something bigger than themselves.

I still step on the mat because I want my athletes to see that the standards we talk about aren't just words.

Lead from the front. Embrace the fight. Never stop competing.