Mark Perry spent the past eight years trying to replicate the wrestling-crazed environment that captivated him during his college career at Iowa.

He won’t have to emulate any longer.

After assistant coaching stints at Penn State, Cal Poly and Illinois, the two-time NCAA champion is rejoining the Hawkeyes. Calling it a “dream job”,  Perry told Trackwrestling in an exclusive interview that he has accepted an opportunity to oversee elite-level athlete development with the Hawkeye Wrestling Club.

“First and foremost, it’s Iowa wrestling,” Perry said when asked what made the opportunity appealing. “The state of Iowa is the mecca of wrestling in the United States, not just in Iowa City but all throughout the state.  Wrestling is ingrained in the culture and is loved like no place I’ve ever been, and I’ve been fortunate enough to be around the best of the best environments, both domestically and internationally.

“It’s my alma mater and I believe in the people who are running the program. From the staff to the administration to the army of Iowa wrestling fans who live and breathe wrestling, we’re like-minded and have a vision for where we want to take Iowa wrestling and the sport as a whole. On top of that, coach (Tom) Brands and company are giving me an opportunity to develop their top athletes in an organization that has been considered one of the best in American sports for decades. My passion for wrestling is extreme and this opportunity is a dream job for me.”

The addition of Perry comes on the heels of a significant fundraising campaign for the Hawkeyes that has already netted more than $2 million in gifts to help Iowa construct a state-of-the-art facility.

“It’s time to change the game and I can’t wait to get started,” Perry said.

The 32-year-old leaves Illinois after helping shape one of the most decorated five-year periods in program history. He was instrumental in the recruitment and development of Jesse Delgado and Isaiah Martinez, the school’s first multi-time NCAA champions since 1958.

Prior to Illinois, Perry spent one season at Penn State and two at Cal Poly, where he guided NCAA finalists Chase Pami and Boris Novachkov and watched the Mustangs go from 1-12 in duals the year before his arrival to 17-6 in his two seasons.

In the spring of 2010, Perry turned down an opportunity to return to Iowa as an assistant. He jumped to Illinois the next year.

“Would I have liked to have been around that (Iowa) environment? Absolutely, but the experiences since then have been extremely rewarding and great for my development as a coach and person,” Perry said. “I’ve hardened up a lot.  I’ve learned to adapt and do my best to try to win with less and I’ve been fortunate enough to help young men achieve some amazing things in the process.”

The success fueled speculation that Perry was biding his time waiting for a high-level head coaching opportunity to come along.

“For a long time, that’s what I visualized for myself and my goals were geared around that as well,” he said. “As I’ve grown as a coach, I realized those goals were more about self-satisfaction versus the impact I really want to make for the sport of wrestling.”

(Photo: Mark Perry is headed back to his alma mater after spending eight seasons as an assistant in stints at Penn State, Cal Poly and Illinois/John Sachs)