Simpson's Jeff McGinness to represent Team USA at the World Championships

When Jeff McGinness got the call that he would be leading the U17 USA Women's Wrestling team at the World Championships in Azerbaijan from Monday, July 27 - Sunday, August 2, it wasn't just another coaching assignment—it was the kind of moment that reminds you why you coach in the first place.

"It's the U17, so under 17 age group women's world championships," McGinness said. "I'm coaching essentially the number one United States girl at each weight in that age group."

For McGinness, head coach of Simpson College women's wrestling, this isn't his first time donning the red, white, and blue overseas. It's another step in a journey defined by service, relationships, and a genuine love for the sport on its biggest stages.

A Trusted Voice on the World Stage

McGinness's selection is a testament to years of trust built within USA Wrestling. "This is the second year I've been selected as a college coach to lead one of the age groups," he said. "Last year I was the U20 world team coach in Sofia, Bulgaria."

His connections run deep. "I've been very involved with USA Wrestling since I started coaching here at Simpson," he said. "Very well connected with Terry Steiner, who's the head women's coach with USA Wrestling—he's a former teammate and coach of mine at the University of Iowa—and coach Jessica Medina, who is his assistant."

When Medina called to share the news, it carried extra weight. "Historically they don't normally let college coaches at the U17 level because they're concerned about recruiting and things like that," McGinness said. "But given my involvement and my connections, I think they trusted me in that position to make sure I was there to do the right thing and coach—not necessarily focused on recruiting. And more importantly, the best form of recruiting is the best form of coaching."

He's also been hands-on in the lead-up, helping run world team camps at the Olympic Training Center. "Usually those are combined age group training sessions," he said. "So when I was out there this summer, it was both U15, U17, and U20 girls kind of all grouped together over the course of a week or week and a half."

Lessons from the Road

Coaching internationally brings unique challenges—and valuable lessons. "Last year was a little bit more stressful for me because neither Terry nor Jess were on the trip," McGinness said. "So myself and the other head coach had a little bit more responsibility than I think we normally would have had."

Those experiences shaped the way he prepares athletes for the realities of international competition. "Being able to share some general tips with the younger age group girls about weight cutting, weight management, travel accommodations," he said. "As you're flying on an airline, you're requesting low sodium food instead of bulking up and retaining five pounds of water before you get there."

This year's location presents new considerations. "Azerbaijan is a predominantly Muslim country, so it'll be a new experience for that," McGinness said. "Proximity to the Middle East is always a challenge. Just making sure that both the wrestlers, their coaches, their families are familiar with local things so they're doing the right thing when we're in those countries."

Representing Team USA

Wearing Team USA on his chest never gets old. "I like it—it's fun," McGinness said. "Being a part of something this big, however big or little your impact might be on somebody who wins a world medal."

He's quick to point out that the focus is always the athletes. "Most of the athletes will have their private coaches there as well," he said. "We kind of take a little bit more of a backseat. We're definitely involved with them when it comes to coaching on the sidelines, when it comes to challenging and helping with calls and things like that."

It's also an opportunity to give back to the sport and build connections. "It's a great way to give back and also network with future college wrestlers, some of the best club coaches in the country, families, and just getting to know them outside of the traditional environment," he said.

Bringing It Home to Simpson

For McGinness, these experiences aren't just about international medals—they're about raising the level of wrestling back in Indianola.

"There's a lot you take back," he said. "When we go out to the Olympic Training Center, it's not just me and the other coaches on this trip. We have other age group coaches—the U15 coaches are there, U20 coaches are there, the resident coaches are there including Terry Steiner."

He's learned from some of the sport's legends firsthand. "Adeline Gray, who's one of the most famous women's wrestlers in the history of women's wrestling in the United States—she's out there training, so she's teaching technique sessions. Helen Maroulis is there. She's teaching technique sessions."

That environment fuels him. "One, the environment of getting just to be around that is exciting," he said. "We always come back from the Training Center refreshed even though it's a lot of work. But then just more knowledge—you know, we're getting to see how they teach different technical things and incorporate that into our coaching style."

It also keeps Simpson connected to the broader vision of USA Wrestling. "Our goal is to continue to win at the collegiate level, but our broader goal is to continue the success we've had with already placing girls on world teams," he said. "Keeley Kehrli making the world team last year and going down and winning the Pan Am Gold, Annelise Obermark making the world team, winning U23s—continuing to use that to springboard our girls onto those teams."

And it's not just him gaining experience. "It's not just me going as a coach," he said. "Last year when Keeley went down to Pan Ams, I was coaching Team Iowa as well as Emma [Cochran] was coaching Team Iowa. Well, our third assistant, Coach JP—hey, you have your passport? Guess what? You're going down to Panama. That's a huge thing, not just for me and our program, but also for our other assistant coaches to get that level of involvement with these international trips."

Fans can follow along through FloWrestling's coverage and live feeds via United World Wrestling, but for McGinness, the real story is what happens when he comes home—stronger, sharper, and more connected than ever to the future of women's wrestling.