Rob "Prebes" Prebish

Maccabi USA and the World Maccabiah Games play a significant role in Head Coach Rob "Prebes" Prebish's purpose in the sport of wrestling. He competed in the 1989 World Maccabiah Games as a sixteen year old, rising high school senior and brought home Golds in freestyle and Greco Roman wrestling. Prebish's first Maccabiah Games experience allowed him the opportunity to have his official Bar Mitzvah- at the Wailing Wall, a memory that is etched in his personality. Prebish returned to Israel to compete in the 1993 Maccabiah with high hopes, but failed to make weight, disappointing the entire delegation and left with a black mark on his reputation.

Fast forward to 2016: former Maccabiah Games teammate Chris Feder was appointed as coach for the 2017 wrestling team and asked Prebes to be his assistant. Prebish jumped at the chance to redeem himself and reaffirm his faith and joined Feder for a successful run at the 2017 Maccabiah Games, where the wrestling team earned a total of 19 medals, including 7 Golds. This experience gave Rob a renewed sense of purpose and is directly involved with Maccabi USA Wrestling in all aspects of its program.

"The wrestling is a small part of the Maccabiah experience. I want our team to tap into their Jewish roots and build pride in being Jewish."

- Rob "Prebes" Prebish

Prebish returned to Israel in 2022 as Head Coach, after appointed Head Coach Nate Engel could not make the trip. Prebish was assisted by multiple times NCAA Champion and World team memeber Dan Chaid and Chad Parnis and brought home 20 medals- including 8 Gold from an abridged tournament that only featured the US and Israel competing in wrestling. Following the Games, Maccabi USA Wrestling was notified that wrestling would not be part of the 2025 Games.

Undaunted, Prebish and the rest of the Maccabi USA Wrestling staff untied to work with the Maccabi World Union, United World Wrestling, Maccabi USA, and the Israeli Wrestling Federation to get wrestling back into the Games. The ongoing war in Israel in 2025 forced the Games to be postponed to 2026, which helped Maccabi USA Wrestling get wrestling back into the Games. Prebish will lead the charge and bring a brand new group of Jewish athletes to Israel to chase Maccabiah glory.

The status of the 2026 World Maccabiah Games is still up in the air, but Prebish and Maccabi USA Wrestling are hopeful that tensions will cool and the team will be able to travel to Israel in June.

Rob Prebish is currently in his 28th year of teaching and coaching: he is a middle school Health/PE teacher at Robious Middle School and an assistant wrestling coach at St. Christopher's School in Richmond, VA. The Saints have won 10 VISAA State team titles in Prebish's 18 years on staff. They have also finished in the top 10 at the National Prep Wrestling Championships 10 times over the same time, producing 3 National Prep Champions.

He returned to competetive wrestling in 2016, in the Masters/Veterans age group. Prebish has earned three United World Wrestling Veterans World Championships medals- including a Gold in 2022. He has also won two USA Wrestling Masters National Championships.