B.J. Futrell

Biography

B.J. Futrell will begin his third season as an assistant coach at Northwestern University in 2025-26. Futrell, a former United States freestyle national team member and two-time All-American, joined the ‘Cats after spending two seasons at the University of Pennsylvania. He works predominantly with Northwestern's lightweights. Prior to joining Storniolo's staff, Futrell mentored 17 NCAA Qualifiers during his two-year stint with the Quakers. That group was highlighted by CJ Composto (141 pounds), who enjoyed a standout debut campaign in 2021-22, claiming All-American honors at the NCAA Championships in addition to being named Freshman of the Year by both the Ivy League and the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA). Futrell also enjoyed success on the recruiting trail while at Penn, helping the program secure four top-100 recruits for the class of 2024. Before his time in the City of Brotherly Love, Futrell spent the abbreviated 2019-20 season as an assistant coach at the United States Naval Academy. Five Midshipmen punched tickets to the NCAA Championships, with both Tanner Skidgel (165 pounds) and Spencer Carey (174 pounds) collecting All-America distinction from the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA). Skidgel and Cody Trybus (141 pounds) also won EIWA individual titles. No stranger to coaching on the world stage, Futrell has joined Team USA's staff on multiple occasions. In 2025, he helped coach the U.S. to gold at the U20 Freestyle World Championshi