Muzaffar Abdurakhmanov joined the Harvard wrestling staff as an assistant in 2008-09, bringing with him a wealth of knowledge and experience on both the collegiate and international levels. He enters his 17th season with the program in 2024-25.
Abdurakhmanov made his name known collegiately as an All-American at American University and a two-time junior college national champion at Colby Community College and has won multiple medals on the international stage
In August 2021, Abdurakhmanov earned Uzbekistan’s highest coaching honor after coaching his brother Bekzod Abdurakhmanov – a former volunteer assistant coach with the Crimson – to a bronze medal at 74 kg in men’s freestyle at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
In 16 seasons since his arrival in Cambridge, the Crimson has celebrated a national champion in J.P. O'Connor '10, six All-Americans, 35 NCAA qualifiers and 61 EIWA place-winners.
In the 2023-24 season, Abdurakhmanov helped coach three NCAA qualifiers: Senior Phil Conigliaro, junior Diego Sotelo, and sophomore Jack Crook. Conigliaro earned IVy Wrestler of the Year honors after a 20-1 regular season.
Harvard returned to the mat in the 2021-22 season following the COVID-19 pandemic with Philip Conigliaro leading the Crimson as the EIWA champion at 165 pounds and earning a berth in the NCAA Championships.
In 2019-20, Conigliaro and Yaraslau Slavikouski both earned spots at the NCAA Championships before the event was canceled due to COVID-19. Slavikouski captured All-America honors as well as earning Ivy League Rookie of the Year and EIWA Rookie of the Year. The Crimson did not compete in 2020-21 due to COVID-19.
Harvard persevered through injuries in 2018-19 with Hunter Ladnier winning a team-best 22 matches, including five in EIWA action, at 157 pounds. Lukus Stricke had 16 victories, including a team-high six in EIWA action en route to Honorable Mention All-Ivy honors.
In 2017, Harvard sent three wrestlers to the NCAA Championships, including Josef Johnson, Jeffrey Ott, and Hunter Ladnier. Ladnier and A.J. Jaffe were named Second Team All-Ivy, while – off the mat – senior Henry Cousins was the recipient of the Hoopes Prize and earned the Gates Cambridge Scholarship.
In 2016, Devon Gobbo (165) won an EIWA title and joined Todd Preston (141) and Johnson at the NCAA Championships. A total of five Crimson grapplers earned All-Ivy honors.
During the 2015 campaign, David Ng (heavyweight) earned a bid to the NCAA Championships and was one of three Crimson wrestlers to earn All-Ivy honors.
The 2014 season saw the return of an EIWA champion to Cambridge as Preston won the 141-pound title. Preston's performance, which included a sudden-victory overtime win over ninth-ranked Luke Vaith of Hofstra in the finals, earned him EIWA Most Outstanding Wrestler honors, making him the third Crimson grappler to receive the award. Preston was one of five Harvard wrestlers to reach the podium at EIWAs and was joined at the NCAA Championships by junior co-captain James Fox, who made his third consecutive trip to Nationals.
In 2013, Abdurakhamanov helped Harvard post its first winning record in dual meets (8-5) and its first winning record against the EIWA (5-4) since 2001 with seven Crimson earning All-Ivy selections, the most since the same year. At the EIWA Championships, eight Crimson finished on the podium with three grapplers earning a spot in the NCAA Championships.
In 2012, Steven Keith '13 and Walter Peppelman '12-'13 both reached the podium at NCAAs, marking the seventh consecutive season and fourth with Abdurakhmanov on staff that Harvard had produced at least one All-American. Additionally, Peppelman was just the seventh student-athlete in Harvard history to reach the podium in back-to-back years while Keith and Peppelman became the first Crimson teammates to earn a place on the podium at the same tournament since Louis Caputo '09-'10, Max Meltzer '07 and J.P. O'Connor '10 did so in 2007.
Abdurakhmanov joined the Harvard staff after spending two seasons as an assistant at his alma mater, American University. In his first season with the Eagles, American crowned its first national champion in Josh Glenn and the next season put two individuals on the podium at the NCAA's.
Abdurakhmanov, one of the finest wrestlers to ever don the American University colors, made a lasting impression on the program in just two years. During the 2004-05 season, his first season at AU, Abdurakhmanov became the first EIWA champion in school history with a 12-11 decision over Derek Zinck of Lehigh at 157 lbs. Combined with his championship and a 27-1 overall record, Abdurakhmanov entered the NCAA Championship as the fourth seed. His tournament run was cut short as he was slowed by a knee injury and was eliminated in the third round.
Coming back at 165 pounds for his senior year, Abdurakhmanov again dominated the competition. He defeated then-No. 13 Stephen Anceravage of Cornell, 9-3, in the EIWA finals for his second-consecutive conference championship and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Wrestler. As the No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament, Abdurakhmanov placed third with his only loss coming by way of a 4-3 decision to the returning National Champion, Johny Hendricks of Oklahoma State, who later went on to repeat. His third-place finish, the highest in AU wrestling history at the time, earned Abdurakhmanov All-America honors.
Before becoming an Eagle, Abdurakhmanov spent two seasons at Colby Community College in Colby, Kansas. As a Trojan, Abdurakhmanov won two Junior College National Championships, was twice named a JUCO All-American and was also once named Outstanding Wrestler.
Abdurakhmanov is also a three-time Uzbekistan National Champion and a Junior World runner-up. In 2004 he placed second at the Sunkist International Tournament and in 2006 placed second in the New York Athletic Club International Tournament. Abdurakhmanov represented Uzbekistan on the 2001 senior national team at the World Championships.
