Virginia Tech coach Kevin Dresser announced Monday that he will be the next Iowa State wrestling coach.

He will leave Virginia Tech immediately and begin his job at Iowa State. The Daily reported Saturday, citing unnamed sources close to the Iowa State wrestling program, that Dresser had already agreed to the job.

Dresser received a seven-year deal worth $2.25 million in guaranteed salary, according to the press release. He will receive $300,000 next year.  

A source told the Daily on Saturday that the deal would be a “hard deal to turn down.” 

“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to lead one of the nation’s most storied and accomplished college wrestling programs at Iowa State,” Dresser said in a statement. “Growing up in Iowa, I admired the sellout crowds at Hilton Coliseum and watching championship coaches like Dr. Harold Nichols and Jim Gibbons and countless All-America Cyclones.” 

Iowa State’s current coach, Kevin Jackson, said he will coach the team until the end of the season after announcing his resignation in late January.

Dresser was the coach at Virginia Tech since 2006, and he turned around the program and made it a national power.

He was named the 2016 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) coach of the year when he went 16-2 and sent eight guys to the NCAA Championships. Six of the eight went on to be All-Americans.

The Humboldt, Iowa, native wrestled at Iowa under Dan Gable and won a national championship in 1986.

After Virginia Tech’s dual against Nebraska on Sunday night, Dresser said home was calling.

“I’m looking at a chance to go home, I’m looking at a chance to go to my mother who lives 20 minutes from Iowa State,” he said to the Virginia Tech media. “I haven’t had a lot of time to spend with my mother the last couple of years, so that’s a factor in my decision.”

Virginia Tech and Dresser released a joint statement before Virginia Tech’s dual Sunday night, saying a decision had not yet been reached. Dresser said he was scheduled to talk to Iowa State Athletic Director Jamie Pollard on Sunday night via a phone call. Then he was going to officially make a decision Monday afternoon. 

Virginia Tech certainly did everything it could to keep him. Virginia Tech Athletic Director Whit Babcock said the school offered a long-term extension to Dresser.

“While the in-season timing is admittedly not ideal and disappointing to hear, the opportunity for someone to return home is rare in collegiate athletics,” Babcock said in a statement. “We appreciate all of Kevin’s contributions to Virginia Tech. We will always be grateful for that fact that Kevin took over a program in a very tenuous position and transformed Virginia Tech into a top five wrestling program in the nation.” 

Pollard said Dresser “fully expects to build our program into a national title contender.” 

“I believe this hire will be viewed someday as a very historic one for Iowa State wrestling,” Pollard said in a statement. “Kevin is joining our team because he wants to restore Iowa State to its historic place.”