Fresno State wrestling head coach Troy Steiner and his team made some noise in their first year back, and it continues even in their offseason.

The ‘Dogs finished fifth in the nation in home attendance. Crowds averaged a total of 4,566, following No.1 Iowa with 8,996, Penn State, Ohio State and No. 4 Rutgers.

“I just want to thank the Red Wave for a great start,” Steiner said. “Bringing wrestling back to the Valley was the right decision, and we are going to build this program into something very special. We understand we must do our part and put an exciting product on the mat that is entertaining to watch and we will work to do that as we continue to climb.”

During the season, the ‘Dogs continued to pack the Save Mart Center with over 3,700 fans each dual.

The program’s biggest crowd was 6,840 on Nov. 17 when the ‘Dogs faced Illinois.

The team also added wrestling royalty, Adam Kemp, to its 2018-19 roster last Thursday.

“We are excited to have Adam part of the Bulldog wrestling program,” Steiner said. “He has a tremendous upside and comes from wrestling royalty, as he is the son of Lee Kemp, a three-time NCAA and World Champion.”

Kemp’s father Lee finished his collegiate career 143-6-1, locked in a 110-match win streak and was a member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

The younger Kemp is expected to wrestle at 165 for the ‘Dogs.

Kemp is now the fourth Bulldog signee alongside South Dakota native Nick Casperson, Turlock native Isaiah Pitman and Vacaville native Lawrence Saenz.

The team finished its 2017-18 season 1-5 in the Big 12 conference and 4-16 overall.

Fresno State also made an appearance in the Big 12 Championships and NCAA Championships after taking an 11-year hiatus.

With all that in mind, the ‘Dogs are looking toward a hopeful 2018-19 season.