Ever since his grade school days growing up in Cleveland, Coach McFarland?s life has been intertwined with wrestling. In junior high Joe won the city championships and that was a foreshadowing of the success he would have on the high school, collegiate and world levels. In high school he was a two time state champion, 4x All American and 2x Runner Up at the University of Michigan. After college Joe was the nation?s best wrestler at his weight where he represented the USA in the 1986 World Championships. He proved to be one of the worlds best wrestlers as well, when he won the silver medal.

After a nagging neck injury Joe McFarland went full time into coaching at the University of Indiana. He then took the head coaching position at Michigan-Ann Arbor in 1999. Since his time as a head coach McFarland has steered the University of Michigan to be in a position to win the Big Tens and go after a National Championship.