Northwestern wrestling coach Drew Pariano confirmed Tuesday night that he was a finalist to coach the USA Cadet World Team in Baku, Azerbaijan during the summer. According to Pariano, USA wrestling officials first contacted him about the position.

The Cadet team typically features the top 15 to 17 year-old wrestlers in the country. The opportunity could lead to a head start for Pariano for future recruiting classes. NU already has a top-10 recruiting class for this year according to WIN magazine, including the 2012 Post-Tribune Wrestler of the Year, Jason Tsirtsis.

The NCAA typically allows college coaches to work with such teams even with issues regarding recruiting, Pariano said. The coach has already worked with USA Wrestling in the past.

An announcement is expected from USA Wrestling in the next couple weeks. If given the position, Pariano would coach the Cadet team in Azerbaijan in the later portion of summer. It would not interfere with his duties at NU.