North Central College Cardinals

Robby Bates ('25/M'27) joined the men’s and women’s wrestling staffs as a graduate assistant in August 2025. He was promoted to full-time assistant in the summer of 2026.

A five-year member of the North Central wrestling program, Bates amassed a career record of 132-35, good enough for 7th on the program’s all-time wins list. He was a four-time CCIW Champion from 2022 to 2025, all at 285 pounds. He qualified for the NCAA Division III National Tournament three times, in 2022, 2024, and 2025, earning All-American honors in each of those seasons. Bates famously defeated the No. 1 seed at the NCAA Championships in both 2022 and 2025.

A North Central alum, Bates graduated in 2025 with a bachelor of science in exercise science and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in sport leadership.