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Best Coaches?


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I was thinking about who the best coaches of all time in Indiana, trying to compile a list in my head. As far as dominance goes, Mike Goebel has to have that title with 12 championships. So here's my question: Who would be the top in these areas:

 

1) Best Overall (easiest I would guess)

2) Best turnaround of a team

3) Best technically

4) Best attitude

5) Best small school coach (For small, incomplete teams, basically making the most with the least)

 

Include year or years if you can.

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I was thinking about who the best coaches of all time in Indiana, trying to compile a list in my head. As far as dominance goes, Mike Goebel has to have that title with 12 championships. So here's my question: Who would be the top in these areas:

 

5) Best small school coach (For small, incomplete teams, basically making the most with the least)

 

 

I would throw Mark Kerrn from Jimtown into that discussion.  Jimtown is a 2A school and has had a lot of wrestling success over the past 10-15 years.  They wrestled in several Team Semi-States against teams like Penn and Mishawaka, but never got over that hump.  He is also currently in the Indiana Wrestling Hall of Fame. 

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For overall Steve Balash of Hobart has to be in there, with Bill Flatt of S.B. Riley.  Petrov of Hanover Central might be a small school guy if he hangs out another 10 years.  McCormick of Yorktown will be in a couple of cataeories.  Tony Abbott of Muncie South could be a small school guy if he keeps his 2-5 studs per year.  If this Dekalb County team that starts with a G does a decade of what they are doing now, they could be in there.

 

Karl Deak of Hammond High had his time.  Jim Nicholson of Elkhart Memorial deserves a special mention, as he kept Elkhart Memorial solid for a couple decades and Brian Seltzer is on his way to bettering that by turning Memorial into an elite team for a  soon -o-be decade.  Rollie Hoover from Elkhart High and Elkhart Central deserves a legacy award for spawning good wrestling in two high schools.

 

Tonte and the Perry group will be one of the great when legacies are discussed.

 

Snyder of Mishawaka will be in the mix if this keeps up.

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I'm looking at all time, of course more recent coaches are more readily thought of though.

 

How long has Kerrn been there? That's a decent program that always seems to have to fight their size and all the other great teams around them. I tip my hat to anyone who can get any small school momentum up north.

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Some of you old timers might remember him I would say small school coaches.  One of the best ever was Joe Burvan from Rensselaer.  He started the program in 68 and coached until he died in 95.  He always had the kids ready.  Very rarely had a state caliber kid but competed harder than most.  Unfortunately the program hasn't been the same since.  He lived for the sport.

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Burvan was a good guy and a great coach. Not a lot of people to pull from but really made the guys tough and as good as they could be. I wish I could see him today coaching a team with a solid freestyle program.

 

Vlink is another great choice. Anyone know what year he started?

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Randy Qualitza in my opinion was a great coach though he threw me up against a wall in wood shop my freshman year because I wouldn't do push-ups in his class. Then everything changed from his class to the Principle's office.....I couldn't win.  My mom was going to kick his butt and dad talked her out of it......My how times have changed.....and I deserved the ass beating I got.  By the way, what happened to the days that a coach would throw a chair and scream at the ref?  Quadzilla was good at it.

 

Personally, I think that Jim Tonte at Perry Meridian is the best.  He is very professional and you very seldom see him get out of shape over a call. Gee, why does he keep having a returning team to State every year?

 

Lance Ellis?  He will have Roncalli over the top in a couple of years. He is at all the summer matches with the young kids every weekend. Just watch and see that dedication pay off.

 

My other vote will go to Martinsville's coach Lee Liden.  He has a few studs down there.  The one thing that I have noticed is that everyone that comes off the mat get's coached. Win or loss.  His assistants do not tolerate unsportsman like conduct and are all class acts. 

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Ron Anderson of Winchester has to fall in here somewhere under the small school category.  They are currently on like a 13-14 year county title streak, and are always a top team in the TEC...He coached there for as long as i can remember before retiring two years, his legacy will last at that school for years to come.

 

Billy Hagaar of Randolph Southern has also had some very outstanding individuals for Randolph Southern which is a school of about 200 from 9-12. I personally went through that program, and it is great for such a small school.  When i was in elementary school we had a good freestyle program coached by parentsthat really got kids ready, but Billy brought a totally different attitude to that program.  Had two state placers and another qualifier, has had numerous semi qualifiers, and coached two current college wrestlers.  He is very hands on, and pushes all the kids in that room as far as they can go.  I remember when Billy, weighing around 135 pounds could go toe to toe in the room with current purdue wrestler Jason Martin, who at the time was wrestling 160.  The program has been down in numbers as of late, but that has to be expected with such a small school

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Jim Nicholson of Elkhart Memorial deserves a special mention, as he kept Elkhart Memorial solid for a couple decades and Brian Seltzer is on his way to bettering that by turning Memorial into an elite team for a  soon -o-be decade. 

 

Jim Nicholson should also be credited with taking a Elkhart Central wrestling team that had finsihed the previous 4 year with only a handful of wins and turning it into a team that has won four straight seasons with 15+ wins and a team regional appearance last year.

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Jim Nicholson of Elkhart Memorial deserves a special mention, as he kept Elkhart Memorial solid for a couple decades and Brian Seltzer is on his way to bettering that by turning Memorial into an elite team for a  soon -o-be decade. 

 

Jim Nicholson should also be credited with taking a Elkhart Central wrestling team that had finsihed the previous 4 year with only a handful of wins and turning it into a team that has won four straight seasons with 15+ wins and a team regional appearance last year.

 

 

Absolutely.  I guess I just didn't want to obscure Chuck Bowers, who has also been instrumental at EC in keeping. the ball rolling.

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