{{short description|American Greco-Roman wrestler (born 1973)}} {{distinguish|Brandon Poulson}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2024}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Brandon Paulson | image = | caption = | fullname = Brandon Douglas Paulson | birth_date = {{birth date and age text|October 22, 1973}} | birth_place = Coon Rapids, Minnesota, U.S. | headercolor = lightsteelblue | country = United States | team = USA | collegeteam = Minnesota | sport = Wrestling | event = Greco-Roman and Folkstyle | club = Minnesota Storm | show-medals = yes | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's Greco-Roman wrestling }} {{MedalCountry | {{USA}} }} {{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}} center|80px {{MedalSilver | 1996 Atlanta |52 kg}} {{MedalCompetition|World Championships}} {{MedalSilver | 2001 Sofia |54 kg}} }}
'''Brandon Douglas Paulson''' (born October 22, 1973) is a former Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler and current wrestling coach.Born in Coon Rapids, Minnesota,Paulson is a 1992 graduate of Anoka High School. At Anoka High, Paulson was a three time state champion in his weight class and was named Mr. Minnesota Wrestling in his senior year after finishing with a career record of 155–12–1. Paulson was the first high school wrestler to earn a spot on the U.S. National Senior team when he qualified for the 1991–1992 team.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://sportsprepzone.com/schools/school-article-profile.php?Article_ID=1280 |title=Archived copy |access-date=2010-12-08 |archive-date=2020-08-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200812203424/http://www.sportsprepzone.com/schools/school-article-profile.php?Article_ID=1280 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/olympics/longterm/wrestlng/grecbios/paulson.htm|title=washingtonpost.com: Brandon Paulson|newspaper=The Washington Post |publisher=|accessdate=7 April 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.theguillotine.com/club/02/wttphoto/pauldurl.htm |title=2002 World Team Trials |access-date=2010-12-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717002607/http://www.theguillotine.com/club/02/wttphoto/pauldurl.htm |archive-date=2011-07-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 1993 he was a Junior World Silver Medalist. Overall, he earned 16 national titles in Greco-Roman and Freestyle wrestling, and was a 1996 Olympic silver medalist in the 114.5 lbs weight class in Greco-Roman wrestling.<ref name="anoka.k12.mn.us">{{cite web |url=http://www.anoka.k12.mn.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php |title=Anoka-Hennepin School Dist 11 - A-H Home |accessdate=2011-09-09 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101008213501/http://www.anoka.k12.mn.us/education/components/scrapbook/default.php |archivedate=2010-10-08 }}</ref><ref name="SportsRef">{{cite Sports-Reference |url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/pa/brandon-paulson-1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418033639/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/pa/brandon-paulson-1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 April 2020 |title=Brandon Paulson Olympic Results |accessdate=1 May 2019}}</ref>
Following the 1996 Olympics, Paulson wrestled for the University of Minnesota, becoming an NCAA All-American in 1998. After his collegiate career, Paulson continued to focus on Greco-Roman Wrestling, as he went on to represent the United States in the World Championships in 2001, 2002, and 2003, winning a silver medal in 2001.<ref name="anoka.k12.mn.us"/> After retiring from wrestling, Paulson served as assistant coach for the Anoka High School wrestling team from 2005 to 2008 (helping to produce seven individual championships at his alma mater) and was named USA Wrestling's Greco-Roman Coach Of The Year in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://wrestling.teamusa.org/news/2009/06/12/brandon-paulson-named-2008-usa-wrestling-greco-roman-coach-of-the-year/13435|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728084155/http://wrestling.teamusa.org/news/2009/06/12/brandon-paulson-named-2008-usa-wrestling-greco-roman-coach-of-the-year/13435|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 28, 2011|title=USA Wrestling - Features, Events, Results - Team USA|publisher=|accessdate=7 April 2017}}</ref> Paulson was also the trainer and personal mentor for Greco-Roman wrestler, and fellow Anoka alumni, Jake Deitchler as he prepared to compete in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.startribune.com/sports/preps/15289206.html |title=Compliment? 'He's a freak like me' | StarTribune.com |website=Star Tribune |accessdate=2010-12-08 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090829054745/http://www.startribune.com/sports/preps/15289206.html |archivedate=2009-08-29 }}</ref> Paulson went on to be a club coach for the Minnesota Storm and currently is the co-director of the Pinnacle Wrestling School in Shoreview, MN and continues to be a coach for USA Wrestling. In September, 2011, Paulson was named to the inaugural class of the Anoka High School Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.startribune.com/local/129276683.html |title=Anoka's Hall of Fame missing two big names: Keillor and Bachmann | StarTribune.com |website=Star Tribune |accessdate=2011-12-04 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018131439/http://www.startribune.com/local/129276683.html |archivedate=2012-10-18 }}</ref><ref name="anoka.k12.mn.us"/>
In 2019, Paulson was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Member.<ref>[https://nwhof.org/hall_of_fame/bio/4680 Brandon Paulson]. ''National Wrestling Hall of Fame''. Retrieved September 18, 2022.</ref>
Paulson, his wife Rochell, and his three children, Elijah, Abby, and Sydney reside in Anoka. Abby was an elite gymnast training at Twin City Twisters, and is now a gymnast at the University of Utah.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://utahutes.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=9274|title=Abby Paulson|publisher=University of Utah|accessdate=25 September 2019}}</ref> She qualified to the P&G Championships in 2015, 2016 and 2017. She also qualified for the 2017 Jesolo Trophy, Jesolo, Italy - 1st-Team, FX(T); 3rd-AA.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://usagym.org/pages/athletes/athleteListDetail.html?id=303707|title=USA Gymnastics - Abby Paulson|publisher=|accessdate=7 April 2017}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{sports links}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Paulson, Brandon}} Category:1973 births Category:Living people Category:Sportspeople from Coon Rapids, Minnesota Category:Olympic medalists in wrestling Category:Minnesota Golden Gophers wrestlers Category:American male sport wrestlers Category:Wrestlers at the 1996 Summer Olympics Category:Medalists at the 1996 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic silver medalists for the United States in wrestling Category:World Wrestling Championships medalists Category:Wrestlers at the 2003 Pan American Games Category:Medalists at the 2003 Pan American Games Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States in wrestling Category:Anoka High School alumni Category:20th-century American sportsmen