University of Missouri Athletics

After a distinguished collegiate and freestyle wrestling career, Kendric Maple enters his sixth year with the University of Missouri wrestling team and third as an Associate Head Coach. 

Maple was hired as an assistant coach in the summer of 2019 and entered the program as an NCAA Champion, multi-time All-American and a U.S. Freestyle Open Champion. Following his first three seasons with the program, he was promoted to Associate Head Coach in the summer of 2022. 

In his time with the Black and Gold, Maple helped guide Keegan O'Toole to back-to-back NCAA titles at 165 pounds in 2022 and 2023. Hes has coached five wrestlers to 13 All-America honors over five seasons and assisted eight conference champions to reach the top of the podium in both the MAC and Big 12. In 2022-23, Maple aided the Tigers to its 12th consecutive conference title (fourth since his arrival) and a fifth-place finish at the national tournament. The 2023 tournament finish is the team's best since 2016-17.  

Before joining Missouri, Maple served as an assistant coach at Nebraska for two seasons (2017-19), helping the Huskers to a ninth-place finish at the 2017-18 NCAA Championships and a 10th-place finish the year after. He guided Chad Red Jr. to back-to-back All-American honors at 141 pounds in 2018 and 2019, as Red became NU's first All-American at that weight since 2004. Maple also helped Tyler Berger and Taylor Venz to All-American honors in 2018 and coached Berger to a second-place nod at 157 pounds.

Previously, Maple spent one year at Purdue as an assistant coach, where he helped lead three Boilermakers to the 2017 NCAA qualifications. While there, he worked alongside current Mizzou Associate Head Coach Tyrel Todd. 

Maple's coaching career began at his alma mater, Oklahoma, where he was a volunteer assistant from 2014-16. During his two seasons on staff, Maple coached former teammate Cody Brewer to the 133-pound title at the 2015 NCAA Championships. In 2016, Maple helped Brewer claim his fourth All-America honor with a third-place finish at 133 pounds. He also played a key role in Ryan Millhof's 2016 Big 12 title run and All-American finish at 125 pounds.

One of the most successful wrestlers in OU history, Maple was a three-time NCAA All-American and claimed the NCAA Championship at 141 pounds in 2013. With a career record of 127-25 (.836), the national champion was sixth all-time in wins for the Sooners after his career.

Maple was named to the Capital One Academic All-America Division I At-Large Team off the mat in 2014. Additionally, he was a three-time NWCA All-Academic Team member (2012, 2013, 2014) and a three-time Academic All-Big 12 selection (2012, 2013, 2014. He also won the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and the Big 12 Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship.

Continuing to see success in freestyle after his collegiate career, Maple went on to win the UWW Freestyle World Cup in 2018. Additionally, he was a three-time U.S. Freestyle Open finalist, having won in 2017 (61kg) and 2022 (65 kg). His most recent first-place finish at the open came four years removed from competitive wrestling as he honored a deal made with O'Toole after he had won the U20 World Championship. In 2015, Maple qualified for the Freestyle World Team Trials and finished fourth before being runner-up in 2017.

Originally from Wichita, Kan., Maple earned his bachelor's degree in health and exercise science from Oklahoma in May 2013. He received his master's degree in adult and higher education, with an emphasis in intercollegiate athletic administration, from OU in May 2015. Maple and his wife, Jordin, have two sons, Kiner and Kyro.