Wrestling Staff

God used the sport of wrestling to change the trajectory of my life, both on and off the mat. For the last 13+ years I had the opportunity to serve the wrestling community by helping them grow in their relationship with Jesus. I am excited to continue this journey and “infuse life into sport one leader at a time.” Sportslife allows me to continue to “coach” some of the most influential leaders in our culture today.

• FCA Wrestling Director 2011-2024
• 2009-2011 Associate Head Wrestling Coach at the University of Illinois; 2004-2008 Assistant Coach at University of Illinois
• 2003-2004 High School Wrestling Coach at Yorkville High School (Yorkville, Illinois)
• Graduated from the University of Illinois in 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in Sports Management; received a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Lincoln Christian University in 2008
• 2000 NCAA Division 1 Champion, two-time All-American, and ranked in the top 20 for career wins while at the University of Illinois
• Originally from Chesapeake, Virginia; finished his high school wrestling career in Virginia (1996) with the title of the “all-time winningest wrestler in the state of Virginia”
• Married in 2001 to Jamie; have two children—daughter Breanna and son Bryce

Brandon Slay is an Olympic Gold Medalist, coach, leader, and mentor with a deep passion for evangelism and discipleship. Born and raised in Amarillo, Texas, Brandon’s wrestling journey led him from his hometown to the national stage, culminating in a Gold medal in Freestyle Wrestling at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton School of Business, where he earned a dual degree in Finance and Entrepreneurial Management. During his time at UPenn, he was a two-time NCAA Finalist, All-American, and served as a two-time Team Captain.

Following his competitive career, Brandon took on significant roles at USA Wrestling, serving as the Head Resident Coach at the Olympic Training Center and as a National Development Coach, where he coached 29 World Medalists and 10 World Champions. In 2016, he became the Executive Director and Head Coach of the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center (PRTC), fostering a culture grounded in faith over fear, full effort, resilience, and service to others. Under Coach Slay’s leadership at the PRTC, he coached two World Champions and seven National Champions. He is honored to be recognized as a Distinguished Member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, the University of Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, the EIWA Hall of Fame, and the Texas Panhandle Sports Hall of Fame.

Brandon and his wife, Tina, are proud parents of four wonderful children—Sydney, Charlotte, Savannah, and Sawyer—and are excited to be planting roots in Northwest Arkansas.

Steven is a former KY wrestler, who finished his career as a two-time finalist and a three-time placer. He played college football at Campbellsville University, where he graduated in 1994. After volunteering and being full-time staff with FCA and FCA Wrestling since 2007, Steve is now the Director of Field Operations for SportsLife Wrestling. God has given him a passion and desire to see leaders in the wrestling community worldwide transformed by the good news of Jesus and continue to grow in their walk with Him. Steve and his wife Michelle live in Winchester, KY, and have four children.

Amie has over 20 years’ experience in the administrative assistant role. Working in the construction, financial, and education fields, she brings many qualities to the team. Amie’s priority is to manage the day-to-day operations. She approaches all aspects of life with a positive, hard-working mindset and is passionate about Jesus!

Amie, her husband Brent, and their German shepherd/lab mix, Maverick, live in Harrisonville, MO. During her free time, she likes to spend time at the lake fishing, traveling, watching KU basketball and having game nights with her family.

Favorite scripture: “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose”. Romans 8:28

Wynn Michalak grew up in Caro, MI, where he excelled in multiple sports before focusing on wrestling and football in high school. A two-time wrestling state champion and two-time All-State quarterback at Caro High School, Wynn went on to wrestle at Central Michigan University, becoming a three-time All-American and NCAA Runner-Up. After college, he trained through two Olympic cycles, achieving multiple top finishes at the U.S. Open, including a National Championship in 2015, and was ranked in the top 10 globally in 2013.

Wynn began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at CMU from 2009-2010. He then lived and trained at the Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs for two year. He then became the volunteer assistant at the University of Illinois (2012–2016) while continuing to compete. He later served as an assistant coach at Michigan State University (2016–2020) before becoming the Associate Head Wrestling Coach at Campbell University in 2020. Through his 14 years of coaching, he helped coach 12 All-americans including 2 NCAA Champions.

In 2024, Wynn stepped away from coaching to focus on serving others and spending more time with his wife Jessica, their two children, Brenley and Wynn Jr., and their dog, Oakley.

“God has given me a passion for leadership and sports. I am looking forward to sharing how God is moving with SportsLife Wrestling.”

Tim Hess is a committed mentor, coach, and chaplain with a deep-rooted passion for wrestling and faith. A retired educator in Biology, Physical Education, and Health, he dedicated 30 years to coaching high school wrestling and 20 years to coaching football, leaving a lasting impression on countless student-athletes.

His influence reaches beyond the wrestling mat, having served as a character coach at Menlo College, Newark Memorial High School, and currently with the wrestling programs for both men and women at Linfield University.

As the team chaplain for USA Wrestling’s age-group teams, Tim fosters meaningful connections with wrestlers and coaches during training camps, the Pan American Championships, and World Championships. His mission is to support athletes in their development both in their sport and in their relationship with Christ.

With over 20 years of active involvement with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Wrestling, Tim utilizes his experience and faith to mentor wrestlers at all levels.

Married to his wife, Kely, since 1986, Tim is a devoted husband, proud father of three, and grandfather to twelve.

His dedication to ministry, mentorship, and the sport of wrestling continues to inspire the next generation of athletes in their journey with Christ.

Jose has always dreamed of being a coach like his Hall of Fame father. After dedicating 40 years to teaching and coaching, he has spent the last eight years serving as the chaplain for USA Wrestling. Throughout his career, Jose has achieved numerous accolades, including being named National Coach of the Year in 1994, being inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2006, and receiving recognition in the FCA National Hall of Champions in 2013. Additionally, he is the author of Wisdom from the Corner and The Gov, A Dream Changer.

Married to his wife Stacey for 35 years, they are proud parents of three children and have three grandsons.

Meredith is a Christ follower, wife, mom and a part-time staff person for the Wrestling Division of SportsLife Leadership. Meredith is a native of North Carolina where she currently lives in the small town of Washington. She is married to her husband, David, and they just celebrated 23 years together. Before having children, she worked as a Medical Technologist in a hospital setting. Since having children, she has been a stay-at-home mom. As a homeschooler, she graduated her son, Hudson, in 2024. Meredith also homeschools her daughter, Gracie, who is currently in middle school. With just recently coming back into the workforce, it is a delight for her to work with a mission-minded ministry.

Nicole has been serving with her husband, Mark, in a role with online resources since 2017. Prior to sports ministry, she was a college cheerleader at the University of Kansas and Emporia State University. She coached college and high school cheerleading & gymnastics. She has been a member of Bible Study Fellowship for the past 8 years with her daughters. Nicole and Mark have 4 beautiful daughters. They live on acreage and enjoy farm life & gardening.