COACHING STAFF

Brian is currently in his 22nd year of coaching. He has 12 years experience at Rockford, 5 years at Avondale H.S., 3 at Kalamazoo Central H.S., and 1 at Upton M.S. He and his wife Caroline have two children. Jaime is 11 and is in the 6th grade at East, and Jack is 9 and attends 3rd grade at Crestwood. When he's not coaching wrestling, Brian is an active football coach for Rockford and he is busy coaching his kids' sports teams. He is also a teacher in the technology department at Rockford High School. In his spare time he likes to run, hike, read, and fish.

His message to kids: Your attitude directly determines the amount of effort you are willing to put into everything you do. Start with the right attitude.

Doug has been actively wrestling for 26 years. He wrestled in high school and continued at Ferris State University. He is currently in his 10th year of coaching at Rockford. Before that, he served as an assistant coach for two years at his alma mater, Flint Carman-Ainsworth. Doug is a trooper for the Michigan State Police and is the defensive tactics instructor for his district. He and his wife Chris(who teaches English at the Freshman Center) have two children. Jackson, 10, is a 4th grader at Meadow Rdige, and Olivia, 7, is also at Meadow Ridge in 1st grade. Doug enjoys training for and competing in mIxed martial arts competitions, working out, and playing golf.

His message to kids: We are successful precisely because we form the habits of doing things that failures do not like to do.

Greg "Hobe" Hobart has been a coach in Rockford for 30 years! In addition, he is the head coach for the boys' varsity crew team. Greg wrestled for and graduated from Rockford, and he has four grown children who are all living on their own. In his free time, Greg enjoys cooking and competing in BBQ events around the country. He also loves photography and has a passion for woodworking.

His message to kids: Train as hard as you can. You only get out of wrestling what you put into it.

Brian is our newest addition to the Rockford coaching staff! This will be his first year, but he has coached for the past 14 years--most recently at Forest Hills Central M.S. and H.S. As a wrestler, Brian won a state championship and earned all American status in high school. He continued his wrestling career at Central Michigan. Brian and his wife Jill have three children--Cullen (15), Ty (5), and Camryn (3). He enjoys spending time with his family, reading, playing golf, and playing various yard games. He is also an avid Detroit Lions fan and fantasy football enthusiast.

His message to kids: Good character is more to be praised than outstanding talent. Most talents are to some extent a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to build it piece by piece, by thought, choice, courage, and determination. --John Luther