Leroy Vega

Leroy Vega was elevated to the role of head assistant coach in June 2024 following five years of service with the Purdue wrestling program. He enters his seventh season with the Boilermakers in 2025-26.

Vega has been a key leader for the team in his six seasons on staff, overseeing the development of two national runners-up, nine All-Americans, 37 NCAA qualifiers and 30 Big Ten placewinners.

A three-time All-American himself at 125 lbs. for Minnesota, Vega specializes in coaching the lighter weights. His influence helped bring Matt Ramos to West Lafayette and his coaching helped developed him into Purdue’s first two-time All-American since 2006.

Prior to his stint as the head assistant coach, Vega was an assistant coach during the 2023-24 season, a player development associate in 2022-23 and a volunteer assistant coach from 2019-22.

Vega was named Purdue wrestling's first-ever player development associate in 2022 after three seasons as the Boilermakers' volunteer assistant coach. This role allowed him to serve as counselor for the program and use campus and outside resources to help the student-athletes grow in their personal and professional skills. He also worked directly with the coaching staff to design workouts and individual programming for the Boilermakers, aiming to maximize each wrestler’s skill set and competitive growth.
 
Vega's name is widely known on the Indiana high school wrestling scene, from his days on the mat and to most recently, his days in the corner. He joined the Purdue staff after eight years as head coach at his alma mater, Portage High School, in northwest Indiana. During his span at the helm, Vega had 41 Indiana High School Athletic Association state tournament qualifiers, with 10 appearing in the finals and three Portage wrestlers claiming an individual title. In 2015, the Indiana High School Wrestling Coaches Association named Vega its coach of the year.
 
As a prep at Portage, Vega was a two-time state champion in 1996 and 1997. His success translated on the international scene as well. In 1998, Vega placed ninth at 60 kg the UWW Junior Greco-Roman World Championships. The following year, competing at 54 kg in freestyle, he placed seventh at the world championships.
 
Vega wrestled collegiately at Minnesota from 1999 to 2002 and scattered his name throughout the legendary program. Individually, Vega earned All-America honors three times at 125 pounds and captured the Big Ten Conference 125-pound title in 2002. His performances helped the Gophers win three Big Ten team titles and back-to-back NCAA team titles in 2001 and 2002.
 
Vega tallied a career record of 135-26, with his 135 wins ranking fifth all-time at Minnesota and his .839 winning percentage ranking 17th. He owned a career dual record of 65-14, with the 65 wins tied for seventh on the Gophers' individual dual wins list.
 
Prior to his head coaching appointment at Portage, Vega was named the inaugural head coach at Calumet College of St. Joseph in Whiting, Indiana, with the birth of the program in 2008. He was at the helm through the 2009-10 season before returning to his roots in Portage.
 
Vega earned his Bachelor of Science degree in elementary education and teaching from Minnesota in 2002. He and his wife, Sarah, have two daughters, LillyAnna and Lilah, and a son, Lydon.