The 2020-21 season is Justin Ensign’s 11th season as the head coach of the Central Missouri Mules Wrestling squad. 

Ensign has coached 10 national qualifiers, five of which have earned All-American status in 10 seasons.

Ensign's most recent national qualifier was John Feeney at 133 pounds. Feeney took second in the 2019 NCAA Super Regional as the Mules earned a seventh place team finish. During the season, UCM had eight place-winners in regular season tournaments and went 2-7 in dual matches. Academically, the Mules were in the top-20 nationally in the NWCA Academic Poll and two student-athletes, Allan Person and Dominique Hampton earned MIAA Academic Excellence Awards. 

The Mules had to battle injuries for much of the 2017-18 season. They still had 27 total placewinners in regular season tournaments and four to-five finished at the MIAA Championships. Two Mules placed at the Central Region Championship with Allan Person coming in fifth place at 174 pounds and Jesse Reser sixth at 165 pounds. In the classroom, the Mules ended the year ranked 18th in the National Wrestling Coaches Association top-20 academic poll. They also had six NWCA All-Academic honors and two MIAA Academic Excellence Award winners in Braden Best and Dominique Hampton. 

Ensign and the Mules went 5-10 overall in duals and 1-4 in MIAA competition in 2016-17. In seven regular season tournaments, the Mules had 21 total placewinners, with six champions. At the MIAA Championships, Jesse Reser grabbed All-MIAA status placing second at 165 pounds, while John Feeney placed fourth at 133 pounds. At regionals, Cody Carson finished fourth at 174 pounds to punch his ticket to nationals, while Reser placed fifth at 165 pounds and Bradley Irwin was sixth at 141 pounds. At Division II National Championships, Carson finished fifth at 174 pounds earning All-American status for the Mules and became the fifth All-American under Ensign.

The 2015-16 season was a challenging one for Ensign and the Mules Wrestling program. UCM tied a program low dual wins in a season as they went 2-9 overall, finished sixth at the MIAA Championships, and placed 13th at the regional championships. 

The 2014-15 season was a recording breaking one for Ensign and the Mules Wrestling program. The team tied their highest finish at the national tournament with an 11th place finish. Frank Cagnina defended his NCAA Division II National Title at 149 pounds, and Archie Williams earned All-American status by finishing fifth at nationals at 174 pounds. Williams was the MIAA champion at 174 pounds, and De’Quence Goodman finished third at 285 pounds at the MIAA Championships. The Mules finished 5-12 in duals.

In 2013-14 the Mules went 6-6 during the regular season and 2-4 in the MIAA, with a lot of post season success. Cagnina won the first national title since the 2005-06 season. Cagnina and Ty Loethen are also the first All-American honorees under Ensign. The two combined for 27.5 team points at the NCAA-II National Championship, placing Central Missouri at No. 18 in the nation. Cagnina and Loethen were both All-Region and All-MIAA wrestlers, while Josh Thomson also earned All-MIAA honors. 

In 2012-13, the Mules finished 6-7 with a 2-3 conference record. Ensign finished the 2012-13 season coaching Eric Mateo at the NCAA-II Wrestling Championship, who finished at 21-21 overall. In his second season the Mules were plagued with injuries, finishing with a 3-14 dual record. The team may have been battered and bruised, but they still managed to have numerous top finishers at several tournaments throughout the season. Nick Viterisi earned All-Region honors that season, and posted an impressive 28-15 record. In his first season as head coach, 2010-11, Ensign guided the Mules to a 7-7 dual record with three individual national qualifiers, finishing tied for 30th in the nation. 

Prior to being named the eighth bench boss in Central Missouri history, Ensign spent two years as a graduate assistant coach under legendary Mules Wrestling coach Robin Ersland, who left UCM for the head coaching position at Minot State (N.D.) following the 2009-2010 season.  During the two years Ensign was a graduate assistant under Ersland, the Mules compiled a 14-16 dual record, while finishing in the top 25 at the NCAA National Championships both seasons (18th in 2009, 22nd in 2010).  Ensign also helped guide the Mules to five individual All-American performances. 

Ensign also spent one season as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Wagner College, in Staten Island, N.Y. As an assistant coach during the 2007-08 season, he helped the Seahawks finish fourth at the Virginia duals.  Ensign also had two NCAA-I East Region third place winners.

Before starting his coaching career, Ensign spent four years on the mat for Wagner. He was named team MVP two times and spent two seasons ranked in the top five in the CAA.  He was also a two-year team captain, and two-time Iron Man award winner.  Ensign was a four-year starter, twice at both 141 and 149 pounds. The Cherry Hill, N.J. native earned his bachelor’s degree in Childhood Education and Sociology in 2007, and earned his master’s in Sports Management from Central Missouri in spring, 2011.