Alex Whitney

  • Men's Wrestling Head Coach

"Structure and discipline mixed in with some fun makes Norwich a great place to set you up for the rest of your life. The lessons in leadership — good and bad — help our young men and women become leaders in both the armed forces and civilian workforce."

About

Coach Whitney empowers student-athletes with the remarkable “Cadet Way”, the driving force behind his unique coaching philosophy. The Cadet Way is an integrated journey that seamlessly merges athletic accomplishments with comprehensive success in every dimension of life.

As a proud 2008 graduate of Norwich, a dedicated four-year member of the wrestling program, and former team captain, he understands what it takes to balance the many opportunities on The Hill and live the Cadet Way.

Individual Student Highlights

Whitney’s exceptional leadership has catapulted numerous Cadets to success in the NCAA Northeast Regional competition:

  • Thoren Berg ’25: Command Sergeant Major for 1st Battalion, recipient of the AMCSUS Leadership Award and scholarship, and a Scholar All-American.
  • Kyle Merritt ’24: NCAA Division III National Championship All-American, demonstrating the "Cadet Way" with success in both athletics and academics as a Scholar All-American.
  • Mason Sprinkel ’24: All-Conference Honorable Mention, leading the nation with 26 pins, tying a program record.

Whitney uniquely understands what it takes to be successful at Norwich and continually shares those lessons with student-athletes.

Q&A with Head Coach Whitney

What excites you about this sport?

Wrestling is the most transformational sport there is. It is challenging on many levels, and an athlete needs to be disciplined in all aspects of his life.

Why is Norwich a great place for student-athletes?

Structure and discipline mixed in with some fun makes Norwich a great place to set you up for the rest of your life. The lessons in leadership — good and bad — help our young men and women become leaders in both the armed forces and civilian workforce.

What do you enjoy about working with student-athletes?

I believe full-heartedly in the people that are attracted to Norwich. It is not your average student-athlete that comes here. The "Norwich man" is selfless and driven.

What brought you to becoming a coach for your sport?

A passion for the team and team members.

What do you like about coaching at Norwich?

The people and the relationships you build while here.

What is your approach to coaching?

“People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.” – Theodore Roosevelt Empower the student-athlete to make changes to our programs and get out of the way!

What is Norwich’s approach to athletics, training, and being on a team?

Love each other like brothers and hold each other accountable.