Penn State Wrestling: Thomas Gilman Returning to NLWC

Thomas Gilman ended days of speculation late Thursday morning when he announced that he’s returning to Penn State to rejoin the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club.

Back to State College! @thomasgilmanusa announced today on @baschamania that he'll be heading back to PA to reunite with the @NittanyLionWC.

Catch the full show everywhere now as we discuss the move: https://t.co/jG6IDv8IVA pic.twitter.com/rKw791fdFj

— Justin Basch (@JustinJBasch) April 10, 2025

Gilman, who wrestled at Iowa and then joined Penn State’s RTC after college, announced on Justin Basch’s Baschamania podcast that he is, indeed, returning to State College.

Pat Mineo of the Wrestling Room first reported the transaction Sunday.

pic.twitter.com/86JDana14P

— The Wrestling Room (Pat Mineo) (@MrPatMineo) April 7, 2025

Gilman left NLWC over the previous offseason to join up with Penn State wrestling legend David Taylor in his first season as Oklahoma State’s head coach. Gilman worked with the lightweight wrestlers and helped Troy Spartley reach the national final at 125.

WHAT THIS MEANS

So what does Gilman’s return mean for Penn State wrestling? Well, it’s surely good news for PSU’s lightweights, of which there are plenty. At 125, Luke Lilledahl finished third as a true freshman this past season and is set to be maybe the favorite to win the whole thing in Year 2. The 133-141 classes are embarrassments of riches for Penn State. Braeden Davis (fifth-place at 133), Masanosuke Ono (world champ) and Marcus Blaze (top 2025 recruit in the country) are all going to be in the mix for starting jobs, and we can’t forget about Aaron Nagao, who placed fourth nationally for Minnesota in 2023 but has battled injuries throughout his two seasons at Penn State.

HOW DOES THIS AFFECT THE STAFF?

So how does this affect Penn State’s staff? Well, the lightweights will now have Gilman, Nick Lee and Jordan Conaway at their disposal both for the college team and the RTC. Gilman will not be an official assistant coach for Penn State wrestling the way Lee, Casey Cunningham and Cody Sanderson are. But his impact will be noticeable.