James Reynolds will enter his tenth year as Drury's head wrestling coach in 2025-26 and has guided the program since its inaugural season in 2016-17. Reynolds helped bring collegiate wrestling back to southwest Missouri for the first time in 23 years when Drury launched its program in 2016-17.
During his tenure, the Panthers have produced nine wrestlers that have advanced to the NCAA-II National Championships, three NCAA-II All-Americans, 23 All-GLVC selections, and two GLVC Freshman of the Year award winners. His 2018 and 2025 squads won the GLVC Sportsmanship Award.
Last year, the Panthers won 6 duels and sent one wrestler, Jeremiah Halter, to the NCAA-II National Championship. Bryson Humphries earned GLVC Freshman of the Year with a 22-7 record, 7 major decisions, and is the only true freshman named to All-GLVC teams. Reynold’s team also earned three All-GLVC selections.
Reynolds' team produced four All-GLVC selections and had three place in the top five at the NCAA-II SuperRegional in the 2023-24 season.
In 2022-23, the Panthers sent three wrestlers to the NCAA-II National Championship Tournament as Peter Kuster, Will Kuster, and Caden Howard all advanced to nationals. Peter Kuster finished fourth at nationals in the 141-pound division, producing the best finish ever by a Drury wrestler. Four Drury wrestlers were named to the all-conference squad.
Peter Kuster also reached the national tournament in 2021-22 and came in 7th. The Panthers also produced three All-GLVC selections that year, including Brandon Bourlinghaus named the GLVC Freshman of the Year.
In 2020-21, Drury produced the program's first-ever All-American as Jared Rennick finished 8th in the nation in the heavyweight class at the national championship tournament. Rennick was also the team's first SuperRegionalchampionship as he claimed the title in Edmond, Oklahoma.
In his fourth season as head coach, the Panthers sent multiple wrestlers to the national championship tournament for the first time in program history. Heavyweight Jared Rennick and Peter Kuster, competing at 141 pounds, both advanced through the SuperRegional tournament. The event was canceled less than 24 hours before it was to begin, however, due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Panthers earned a Team Scholar award in 2019-20 and had seven named Scholar All-Americans by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.
In 2019, Reynolds guided the Panthers’ first NCAA-II national qualifier, Blake Clevenger, competing at 157 pounds. Clevenger advanced past the SuperRegional and went 2-2 at the national championship. He finished third at the SuperRegional and finished the season 26-4. The Panthers were also nationally ranked for the first time in program history in 2019 and peaked at number 10 in the NCAA-II coaches' poll. Drury also earned a Team Scholar Award and had six Scholar All-Americans.
His first team went 3-6 in duals, and freshman Jared Rennick finished sixth in the 197-pound class at the NCAA-II Super Regional. Reynolds' second season saw the Panthers finish 4-10 and end the year winning three straight duals.
Reynolds was previously the head assistant coach at Maryville University in St. Louis under the direction of head coach Mike Denney. Denney and Reynolds started the Maryville program together during the 2011-2012 academic year, and during the next four seasons, the two coached thirteen NCAA Division II All-Americans and one NCAA Division II National Champion. Coach Reynolds also helped the Saints gain back-to-back 3rd-place national finishes, and during the 2014-15 season, the Saints won the NWCA Division II National Duals Team Championship as well as the Midwest Classic Team Championship.
During the summer of 2012, Reynolds was chosen to serve as a coach at the National Wrestling Coaches Association Leadership Academy. The academy, comprised of young up-and-coming coaches, served as training for future long-term coaches to build success within an organization.
Reynolds served as a graduate assistant coach for the University of Nebraska-Omaha from 2008-11 and helped the Mavericks to three national championships. Five UNO wrestlers won individual national titles during Reynolds' three seasons, and the program produced 24 NCAA-II All-Americans. He earned his Master's degree in Physical Education and Coach from UNO in 2011.
Reynolds attended Adams State in Colorado as an undergraduate student-athlete and wrestled for head coach Jason Ramstetter. Throughout Reynolds’ collegiate career, he earned a national ranking within his weight class and beat several ranked competitors as well as All-Americans. He finished his education at Adams State College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Performance Physical Education K-12 in December of 2007. After finishing his career at Adams State, he served as an assistant wrestling coach at the university and helped the Grizzlies to a fifth-place finish at the 2008 NCAA Division II National Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
