After 23 years with the Chadron State men's wrestling program as a student-athlete, assistant coach and 14 seasons as a head coach, Brett Hunter began his new administrative role as Chadron State's Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Development in September 2026.
In his new role, Hunter is responsible for the development, coordination, and oversight of comprehensive student-athlete programming that supports academic success, personal development, and the overall student-athlete experience. Hunter will develop programming and learning opportunities for CSC student-athletes focusing on leadership, life skills and personal growth, in collaborate with various academic support departments.
In addition, Hunter has administrative control of Chadron State’s athletic camps for all sports, including registration, promotion and marketing. Hunter’s position is also present at alumni engagement events and monitors student-athlete participation hours to ensure NCAA compliance.
As CSC's wrestling coach, Hunter and the Eagles won an RMAC Championship during the 2023-24 season, which saw Hunter win RMAC Coach of the Year and NWCA Region VI Coach of the Year honors. Between Quen Campbell (runner-up at 133 in 2023), Keegan Gehlhausen (runner-up at 184 in 2025) and Mason Villwok (third place at 197 in 2026), Hunter has coached three Eagle wrestlers to top three national finishes in his final four seasons as a coach.
Hunter coached 10 All-Americans and 27 national qualifiers during his time at the helm of Chadron State wrestling. Hunter went out on a high, with CSC’s four national qualifiers and three All-Americans (Gehlhausen, Villwok and Quade Smith) both single-season records for Hunter’s tenure. The Eagles also set a program record this past season with 10 NWCA Academic All-Americans in 2025-26.
As a student-athlete and CSC alum, Hunter is the school’s only two-time national champion – winning at 165 pounds in 2007 and 174 pounds in 2009 – and holds the program record for wins (133-32 career record). He is a member of the Chadron State Athletics Hall of Fame.
Hunter, who hails from nearby Rushville, Nebraska, also had a stellar high school wrestling career at Rushville High School. He was a two-time state champion, four-time placer and had a prep record of 141-10.
Hunter and his wife, Ashley, a native of Sargent, Neb., were married in the summer of 2011. The couple has a daughter, Paisley, and a son, Jax.
