Lou DePrez goes into his second full season and fourth overall as an assistant coach for the Binghamton wrestling team in 2025-26.
DePrez joined the coaching staff in 2023 after he suffered a season-ending injury competing for the Bearcats at the Southern Scuffle on Jan. 2. After serving as an assistant coach through the start of the 2023-24 season, DePrez returned to the mat to compete in his seventh and final year of eligibility.
In seven seasons, DePrez enjoyed one of the most accomplished careers in program history. The Hilton, N.Y., native qualified for the NCAA Wrestling Championships five times (2019-22, 24), was the first Bearcat to win multiple EIWA championships by winning three in a row (2020-22), became the first two-time Division I All-American in program history (2020-21), and tied the program record for most career overall wins with 132. In 2021, he finished in eighth place at the NCAA Championships, followed by an appearance in the quarterfinals in 2022 and 2024. At the 2024 EIWA Championships, DePrez became the first Binghamton wrestler to receive the John Fletcher Memorial Award. The honor was given to him by the conference for scoring the most team points in the EIWA Championships during his career.
DePrez has also succeeded on the international stage. In 2018, he finished ninth at the United World Wrestling Junior World Championships at 86 kg. He qualified for the event after winning both the Freestyle Junior National and the Junior World Team Trial championships earlier that year.
Away from the mat, DePrez found success in the classroom. In 2024, DePrez was selected as a Scholar All-American by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA). The award recognizes exceptional student-athletes who demonstrate excellence in academics and athletics. That same year, he received the Academic Achievement Award by the EIWA. To be eligible to earn the accolade, a wrestler must either achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.2 and take part in the EIWA Championships or have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and compete in the NCAA Wrestling Championships. He received his bachelor's degree in history in 2022.
As a six-year letterwinner at Hilton High School, DePrez won three straight New York state championships (2015-17). He ultimately was ranked as the No. 1 recruit in the nation by InterMat at 182 lbs.
