Leadership & contact

Jim Giunta is a pioneering leader in American collegiate wrestling and a tireless advocate for athlete opportunity and program growth. As the founder of the National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA), Giunta has spent more than two decades reshaping non-scholarship college wrestling and expanding access nationwide. His vision has created a platform for thousands of athletes across over 150 colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada, including launching the first collegiate women’s wrestling division in 2007.

A former wrestler at Burrell High School in Pennsylvania, Giunta competed collegiately at Penn State New Kensington and Texas A&M University. He began his professional career as a biology teacher and wrestling coach at Richardson High School in Texas, helping to build the early foundation of organized high school wrestling in the state.

In 1987, he founded the Texas Interscholastic Wrestling Association (TIWA), and in 1995, he established girls high school wrestling in Texas. After a successful transition into finance, Giunta became a Senior Vice President with Primerica while staying deeply involved in wrestling. In 2023, after 26 years as NCWA Executive Director, he was named NCWA President and Chairman of the Board. His leadership and commitment to opportunity have earned him recognition, including induction into the Texas Chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Blair Green is a lifelong advocate for combat sports and a driving force behind the development and elevation of grappling in the United States. As the founder and Executive Director of USA Grappling, Green has played a pivotal role in creating competitive opportunities for athletes at every level—youth, collegiate, national, and international.

His leadership has been central to the establishment of a national governing body, garnered multiple world championship in the sport, and the ongoing efforts to secure grappling’s inclusion in future Olympic Games. A former collegiate wrestler for the University of Oklahoma and Lindenwood University, Green earned All-American honors and developed a deep commitment to athlete mentorship and performance.

He has served as a coach for the UCLA Bruins Wrestling Club, as well as Director of Grappling for USA Wrestling California, working closely with more than 25,000 youth athletes across the state. He is passionate about athlete development, safe sport education, and growing access to opportunities at every level. Mr. Green holds a Fine Arts degree from Lindenwood University, and went on to earn his MBA, Cum Laude. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Psychology, with a research focus on the intersection of psychological resilience and athletic performance.

Townsend is a pioneer in combat sports. One of the founders of the FILA World Grappling Committee and former Director of Grappling Panamerica, he served as Wrestling Competition Manager for the 2010 Singapore Youth Olympic Games and Manager of Developing Wrestling Styles for USA Wrestling. As Coach and Team Leader for the USA Wrestling Grappling World Team in 2007 and 2008, he led the teams to World Titles in Turkey and Switzerland.

A 2nd Degree Black Belt under Rigan Machado, Jason wrestled varsity at Syracuse and Hofstra Universities and coached at Cal State Fullerton. With a B.A. in History from Cal State Fullerton, he drives NCGA’s mission to expand collegiate jiu-jitsu, fostering competitive and safe environments for student-athletes. Jason also currently enjoys coaching his students at CDA Jiu Jitsu in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.

Jesse Simon is a dynamic CMO with over 20 years of experience at the intersection of fashion, entertainment, and creative strategy. With a background in art curation and entertainment management from Columbia College Chicago, Jesse has built a career defined by innovation, cultural insight, and an instinctive ability to shape brand narratives that resonate across industries.

Jesse began his professional journey in the modeling world with Ford Models Chicago, quickly rising through the ranks to lead talent initiatives in New York and Los Angeles. As Co-Director of Ford LA and later Director at LA Models, he developed and executed campaigns for global brands like YSL, Dior, and Levi’s, while guiding top talent featured in Vogue, Dazed, and i-D.

In 2017, Jesse co-founded Other Peoples Children (OPC), a boundary-pushing art collective turned creative agency. As CMO, he led the agency’s brand identity, creative partnerships, and strategic growth—transforming OPC into a go-to destination for clients seeking bold, culturally relevant campaigns and talent solutions. His leadership has helped bridge emerging creative voices with leading-edge brands in fashion, music, and entertainment.

Johnny Morgan is a nationally respected wrestling and jiu-jitsu coach known for his strategic innovation and athlete-first approach. With a background in chess, he brings a tactical mindset that has elevated individual and team success in both disciplines. In 2014, Morgan revitalized the struggling Huntington Beach High School wrestling program, leading them to their first league championship in 28 years.

He earned multiple honors, including the Los Angeles Times Dream Team Coach Award and five straight Sunset League Coach of the Year titles. Morgan also founded Hypermodern Jiu-Jitsu, an academy known for fusing wrestling into sport jiu-jitsu—a style he called “Wrestle-Jitsu.” His athletes captured major titles such as the IBJJF Pan-American No-Gi, World No-Gi, and JJWL Grand Slam titles.

On the international stage, Morgan has coached Team USA Grappling to historic success, guiding athletes to UWW Grappling World Titles with consecutive back-to-back wins in Spain, Poland, and Kazakhstan. Now as NCGA’s Director of Athlete Development, Morgan continues his mission to grow collegiate grappling through strategic mentorship, athlete support, and program excellence.

Art Barker has been actively involved in the sport of grappling since 2001, training, competing, tournament organizing and officiating. Over the past two decades, he has played a significant role in the development and officiating of grappling competitions at both the national and international levels. A certified UWW international lead official, he brings with him thousands of hours of on-mat experience along with a comprehensive knowledge of official’s oversight responsibilities.

In 2007 he officiated the first Grappling World Team Trials for USA Wrestling and the inaugural UWW Grappling World Championships in Antalya, Turkey. He also refereed at the 2008 World Championships in Lucerne, Switzerland, and again at the 2025 World Championships in Novi Sad, Serbia. In addition to his ongoing work with the NCGA, Art is also involved with USA Grappling where he continues to support the promotion, growth and professionalism of the sport.

Art is a 1st Degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt under Professor Rigan Machado and currently trains and helps coach at CDA Jiu-Jitsu.

Art resides in Coeur d’Alene Idaho where besides his ongoing work in the grappling community he enjoys a career in the commercial roofing industry