Eastern Oregon University Athletics

Head Coach | 9th Season | 59-43 (.578)

Dustyn Azure enters his ninth season in 2024-25 at the helm of leading the Mountaineer's Men's Wrestling program. He was named the head coach for the men's program ahead of the 2016-17 season when the sport was reinstated. He also served as the head coach for the women's wrestling program for three seasons (2016-19).
 
During Azure’s past eight season’s leading the Mountaineers, he has produced one National Champion, 12 individual All-Americans, six top-20 finishes at the NAIA National Tournament, five top-10 NWCA Scholar All-American team awards, along with 29 Individual Scholar All-Americans. He was named the CCC Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons for the '20-21 and '21-22 seasons. Azure lead the Mounties to their first CCC Championship in the 2021-22 season.

2023-24 was a record year for the Mountaineers, with Hunter Sparks winning the program's first National Championship since reinstatement under Azure's guidance. Eastern Oregon ended the season with an overall record of 9-3, finishing 7-2 in Cascade Collegiate Conference play, whiling taking 12th place at the NAIA National Championships. The Mounties also succeeded off the mat, posting a 3.63 GPA and topping the 2024 NAIA Men's Team Scholar All-America rankings.

In the 2022-23 season, Azure posted an 8-2 overall record while also recording the second highest GPA in the nation. Azure led the Mountaineers to a third place finish in the Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament and were ranked as high as No. 7 in the NAIA Men's Wrestling Coaches Poll. Azure set a program record, sending Nine wrestlers to the NAIA National Tournament where they finished 12th overall. 

The 2021-22 season was a historic one for the still young Mountaineer wrestling program as Azure lead EOU to its first Conference Championship since the program's revival. The Mounties posted 130.5 points to take the tournament. Azure also lead Eastern to a No. 13 finish at the NAIA National Tournament where six qualified in for the tournament, two earned All-American honors (Kyle Knudtson, 184; Noel Orozco, 285). EOU Men's Wrestling also put together their most impressive academic campaign under Azure with a team GPA of 3.364 and a sixth overall rank in the NWCA Scholar All-America team rankings. 
 
In 2020-21, Azure’s squad was limited to just one regular season event in the Nampa Collegiate Invite prior to competing at the NAIA National Championships. Two grapplers garnered All-American status in Keegan Mulhill at 174 pounds (6th) and Noel Orozco at 285 pounds (7th), while EOU finished 18th as a team. Azure was named the 2020-21 CCC Coach of the Year, as voted on by the league’s head coaches. Along with that, EOU finished 10th in the NAIA as an NWCA Scholar All-America Team. Four wrestlers were named Scholar All-Americans in Mulhill, Orozco, Luciano Fasulo, and Kyle Knudtson. Five athletes qualified for the NAIA National Championships that year as well despite the shortened season and were ranked No. 18 in the final NAIA coaches’ poll.
 
The 2019-20 season saw Eastern post its best dual record since its reinstatement with a 15-5 overall record. The Mountaineers won its five duals to start the year and finished with a 4-2 mark at home. EOU had a program best six wrestlers qualify for the NAIA National Championships and ultimately finished tied for 16th. At the CCC Championships, EOU posted its best finish as team placing fourth. In the classroom, EOU ranked seventh on the NWCA Scholar All-America Team list, which is the highest in program history. Individually, the Mountaineers had four Scholar All-Americans in Blake McNall, Joshua Pine, Keegan Mulhill, and Noel Orozco.
 
In 2018-19, the Mountaineers posted a then program best dual record of 11-9 and it was the first season since reinstatement that the Mountaineers racked up double-digit dual wins. Five grapplers qualified for Nationals and two garnered All-American status in Drake Randall (165 lbs. – 4th) and Harley DiLulo (197 lbs. – 6th). The team finished sixth at the CCC Championships and had three athletes garner All-CCC honors in Mhar Caballa (125 lbs. – 3rd), Blake McNall (133 lbs. – 3rd), Drake Randall (165 lbs. – 2nd), and Ryan Redford (184 lbs. – 3rd). EOU finished the year ranked tied for 16th in the NAIA coaches’ poll, which is the highest in program history since its reinstatement. EOU was named an NWCA Scholar All-America Team ranking 10th, while DiLulo and McNall were tabbed Scholar All-Americans.
 
Year two for EOU since the program’s reinstatement (2017-18) saw the team post a 5-12 record in dual competition. Azure’s squad also competed in the inaugural CCC Championships as the sport was officially recognized by the conference office at the beginning of the 2017-18 season. The Mountaineers finished sixth as a team, while Blake McNall (133 lbs.) and Drake Randall (157 lbs.) were crown CCC Champions for their respective weight classes. Also earning All-CCC honors as a top-three finisher was Eric Fan who placed third at 197 pounds. Fan went on to garner All-American status as he placed sixth at the NAIA National Championships. As a team, EOU finished the year ranked No. 19 in the final NAIA coaches’ poll after finishing 19th at the National Championships.
 
In his first season at the helm of EOU, Azure led the men’s wrestling squad to a 3-8 overall dual record. At the NAIA West Regional, the Mountaineers placed seventh as a team and had five top-six individual finishers. Three Mountaineers qualified for the NAIA National Championships in Matt Mguyen (125 lbs.), Mhar Caballa (125 lbs.), and Eric Fan (197 lbs.). Nguyen was the West Region Champion at 125 pounds and went on to finish fourth at NAIA Nationals to garner All-American status. As a team, the Mounties finished 24th at the National Championships. Academically, EOU finished the year ranked No.12 on the NWCA Scholar All-America Teams list.
 
Along with serving as the head coach for EOU Men’s Wrestling, Azure also served as the Mountaineer Women’s Wrestling coach during the 2016-17, 2017-18, and 2018-19 seasons. He had a total of four WCWA All-Americans and two NAIA All-Americans during his three seasons of leading the women’s program.
 
Prior to taking on his first head coaching assignment at the collegiate level, Azure was a product of the highly successful wrestling program at Montana State University-Northern, where he spent four years as the head assistant wrestling coach, along with being the strength and conditioning coach for the Lights.
 
In addition to his coaching duties, Azure served as the Senior Admissions Specialist for the university, which allowed him to recruit potential MSU-Northern students seeking certificates, associate, bachelor, and graduate degrees.
 
Azure’s time with the Lights was action-packed as he assisted in the development of 14 NAIA individual All-American performances, along with capturing a second-place finish, two third place finishes and a respectable eighth place finish at the NAIA Wrestling National Championships. In 2015, Azure also helped MSU-Northern secure the 15th-best Non-Division I recruiting class in the country according to USA Wrestling Magazine.
 
Prior to his time at MSU-Northern, Azure was a teacher and the head high school wrestling coach for Ronan School District in Ronan, Mont. At the prep level, Azure produced six top-10 finishes from 2006-2012, five state champions and one academic All-American. Four of the state champions Azure coached went on to become All-Americans at the collegiate level. Azure was also named the National Wrestling Coaches Association 2010-11 Montana Head Coach of the Year.  
 
As a student-athlete, Azure wrestled for the Lights and was a two-time NAIA All-American, placing fourth in 2000 and sixth in 2005. He graduated from MSU-Northern in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in K-12 Health and Physical Education before completing his Masters of Science in Education, Instruction and Learning. 
 
Azure is supported by his wife Jennifer who is a teacher in the La Grande School district and his four daughters Kierstyn, Sydnee, Mackenzee, and Hallie.

^ - No dual season competition due to COVID-19 | CCC Championships Canceled