If you've been following these entries for a while, you could get the impression that my whole career was devoted to the U.S. Army. You'd probably be pretty close, but there is/was more to me than just being a soldier.I may have mentioned a few entries ago that I was also in the teaching/coaching business. I began my teaching career after graduating from THE Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. My first serious job offers came from school districts in Australia, Xenia, Ohio and Troy Ohio. I figured the distance to Australia would have been too much to overcome, and the
Army wouldn't let me out of my contract, so that one was out. Too bad, mate. The second offer I was considering was from Xenia and I am very glad God was watching out for us as I chose the Troy offer. It was not too 
long after that that the Xenia tornado hit and wiped out most of the town, and probably the area I would have lived given my financial outlook at that time.Troy was a great town to begin a career. I met some real nice people, and the school was absolutely superior. I began my coaching career doing freshmen football. Jim Turner and I coached them in the single wing and went undefeated and only gave up two touchdowns. That was pretty good considering the powerful league we were in at the time (Western Ohio League) -- one of the best "big schools" leagues in the state.
I picked up wrestling at first as a volunteer coach at the junior high.
I had never wrestled before, but thought it would be a tough sport and I would like it. After about 5 years as an assistant coach at the high school, I took over the position. We conditioned during the off season and worked very hard. I had some of the best, toughest, most determined young men in the school. They came from good families (not all of them had both parents, but they were good just the same). They were great in the classroom, and were super role models before that became popular. In fact, a LOT of them gave back to the sport either by having their own kids go into it and do well, or by becoming coaches themselves.
Did I say we were tough? Oh yeah, we were successful too. We won the W.O.L. , a feat that has never been done by any other wrestling team at TROY. We also finished second 2 times. We had a DIV. I state champ -- again something no other wrestling team in THS history can claim. We had a number of other place
finishers, to include a second place one year which was won by a 155-pounder who wrestled the last two periods of regulation and the whole overtime with a separated shoulder!One of the most gratifying things about being the head wrestling coach for 13 years was the ties I built with those guys, their families and the others associated with the program. I was very fortunate to have worked with such fine people. But I also appreciate how they made me a better father, teacher, and person. I have been away from that town for a little over 12 years now, but I can still go there and run into people who want to stop and talk about those teams.
Coaches are always trying to inspire and motivate their players, and there are lots of ways to go about it. Now I'm not saying I was all that good at this area, but these sayings seemed to work for my guys:
1. Lead, follow, or get the hell out of the way.
2. Get better or die.
3. If you can't, that's my fault. If you won't, ...
HOOAH
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