Floyd Central has a rising star in wrestling coach
Willman
By Howie
Baker, THG Sports
Floyd Central wrestling
coach Rob Willman is quickly making a name for himself in Southeastern Indiana
coaching circles.
If
they win the Sectional, Willman takes his wrestlers to Disney World as a
reward for a job well done
Willman was recently named
the Hoosier Hills Conference Coach of the Year for the second time after leading
his team to a stunning victory in the conference tournament. He followed up
with a team Sectional title (which FC has won every year Willman has coached at
the school) and his second consecutive team Regional.
What is the secret to
Willman’s success in a part of the state known more for its great basketball
schools?
“Fun,” says Willman, “To
get kids out for a sport like wrestling, you have to make it fun. There will be
times in a match when these kids’ noses are right by someone’s stinky butt, so
if you don’t make practice fun, nobody will want to come out for the team.”
The man his wrestlers
refer to as “Captain Intensity” is an expert at making training fun. In the
offseason, he takes his team on weekly hikes in Harrison-Crawford State
Forest that end with a weenie roast. Willman also takes his team to Disney
World during Spring Break if they win a Sectional. “I just love riding SpaceMountain,” says Willman.
Willman is a kinder,
gentler coach than most of his peers which has made wrestling purists skeptical
of his style, but Willman has an answer for his detractors: “You can’t argue
with Sectional Championships.”
Willman salutes his team
after a day of hiking in Harrison-Crawford State Forest
Sadly, Willman may be out
of the wrestling business before he has a chance at a state title.
“I just obtained my
adminstrator’s license, and plan on applying for principal jobs as soon as the
season is over. It will be hard to leave wresting, a sport I have always
loved, but feel my true calling is to eventually be a superintendent.”
For the sake of Floyd
Central wrestling, let’s hope Willman’s interviews don’t go very smoothly.
