We all know in Kids wrestling alot of Dads get introduced to the sport of wrestling without having ever wrestled themselves. Has there ever been a successful High School wrestling coach who never wrestled in High School themselves?

But is a very interesting topic... Does anyone think it is possible to become a head coach of a SUCCESSFUL program without any wrestling expierence, other than from the stands????

Rich Montgomery Rock Falls, Sterling Newman and started at Jersyville.

Not a HS coach, but Bill Wright did great things for Savanna's Junior High in the 70s! He developed the discipline and taught the basics. Combine that with Anderson's expertise and you get champions.

Usually the coach is better when he didn't wrestle or wasn't a good wrestler....I think that is because, he can watch a good wrestler and know how to explain there moves, but the good wrestler can't explain how he does some of the moves he does... So yes there is exceptions (Dan Gable) but most of the time the coach either didn't wrestle or wasn't a good wrestler...But thta is my opinion lets hear some more...
~HULKSTER~

Most good coaches were good wrestlers in their day. The vast majority of major college wrestling coaches were very successful in wrestlers in college. Many of these coaches were successful international wrestlers also like John Smith, Bob Douglas, J. Robinson, Russ Hellickson, Tim Cysewski, and Mark Johnson just to name a few. Most of the top HS programs are coached by guys that were at least halfway decent college wrestlers. Few, if any are coached by guys that weren't good in high school.

Generally the best teachers of individual sports are those that performed them at the highest levels. This is more true in wrestling than any other sport, because hard work on technique, strength and conditioning allow men who are not necessarily the most gifted athletes to be highly successful.