Pete Rogers is heading south, leaving the helm of a NCAA Division III wrestling program, to assisting at a D1 program in the Big Ten, a conference he knew well as a wrestler.
Rogers, who has been head coach at Lakeland College in Sheboygan, Wisconsin for nearly a decade, had accepted an assistant coaching position at Purdue University in Indiana, a Big Ten rival to his alma mater, Ohio State.
The school's press statement referred to Rogers as "the architect of the Lakeland College wrestling program's climb into the national spotlight." In his nine seasons as head coach of the Muskies, Rogers took a program that had struggled to field a complete roster, to one that was nationally-ranked in each of the past three seasons, along with finishing among the top 30 teams at the NCAA Division III championships the past two years.
"I started right out of college and I knew how to wrestle, but I didn't necessarily know how to coach," said Rogers, who came into coaching right after being a Buckeye wrestler. "There was a lot of trial and error those first few years. Going from the worst it could be to finishing in the top 30 in the nation and being consistently ranked nationally has been a great experience."
Lakeland athletic director Jane Bouche said a search for Rogers' successor will begin immediately.
"We are obviously sorry to see Pete leaving, but we're thrilled for him as he takes the next step in his career," Bouche said. "Pete leaves behind a great wrestling program, and I'm confident we will attract quality coaching candidates."
At Purdue, Rogers will work for head coach Scott Hinkel, and have a chance to work with his two nephews, Patrick and AJ Kissel, both members of the Boilermakers' wrestling team.
As a wrestler at Ohio State, Rogers had a solid career, finishing with an 80-63 record, including a 20-4 campaign his senior season when he placed third in the Big Ten and advanced to the NCAA Championships for the second time in his career. Rogers was voted the Buckeyes' Most Dedicated Wrestler and a team captain for the 1999-2000 season.
Thanks to the amateur wrestling website d3wrestle.com for alerting us to this story.
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Resources
Lakeland College: Pete Rogers leaves Lakeland for return to Big Ten
Purdue University wrestling: Official website
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