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Wadsworth wrestling will look for its third coach in five seasons after Louden Gordon submitted his resignation the morning of July 10.
Gordon, who was a state champion for Wadsworth and was part of the Grizzlies' 2010 state championship team, coached for two seasons.
"My decision did not come easy, as this was one of the most difficult choices I have had to make," Gordon said in a press release. "My goal is and always will be to mentor students and turn them into not only better athletes, but also exceptional students, reliable friends and model citizens.
"Being a wrestling coach is a full-time job, as it requires many hours of dedication. Recently, my wife gave birth to our first child during wrestling season and we could not have been more excited. At this time in our life, I would like to spend more time making memories and building my family."
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In two seasons with the Grizzlies, Gordon mentored 10 state qualifiers and had a stater runner-up in Jacob Earnest (2026) and state placers in Kyle Jardine (3rd in 2026), Kolten Mellon (5th in 2025 and 2026), Blake Frantz (7th in 2026), Jack Dinwiddie (7th in 2025) and Brody Grimm (7th in 2025).
His teams finished 11th in 2026 and 15th in 2025 at the state tournament.
"Having a former state champion from your school being a head coach is obviously a huge blessing," Wadsworth athletic director Tim Campbell said. "This is going to be a big loss for the wrestling community and our team."
The job will be posted internally for 10 days and administration will look outside the building if need be.
"This is so new to us right now that we don't know the direction we're going to go. We're mid-July and seemingly have a lot of time but I haven't even met with the coaching staff. There's really not a whole lot of information on what our direction is going to be just yet. We haven't had time to process this."
It's why Campbell won't jump at the first big name to apply.
"A big splash is one of those sexy terms that people use," Campbell said. "The more important thing is that we make the correct decision and make sure that our excellence in wrestling (is) at the top and that the kids remain our top priority to build our program to state championship caliber. We'll identify candidates that can do that whether it's external or internal. We'll due an extensive search. That part I can assure you."
Brad Bournival can be reached by email at [email protected] and is on X at @bbournival.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Wadsworth High School seeks new wrestling coach to maintain excellence
Continue reading...
Gordon, who was a state champion for Wadsworth and was part of the Grizzlies' 2010 state championship team, coached for two seasons.
"My decision did not come easy, as this was one of the most difficult choices I have had to make," Gordon said in a press release. "My goal is and always will be to mentor students and turn them into not only better athletes, but also exceptional students, reliable friends and model citizens.
"Being a wrestling coach is a full-time job, as it requires many hours of dedication. Recently, my wife gave birth to our first child during wrestling season and we could not have been more excited. At this time in our life, I would like to spend more time making memories and building my family."
Watch Ohio High School Football Live on the NFHS Network all season
Wadsworth wrestling prospered under Louden Gordon
In two seasons with the Grizzlies, Gordon mentored 10 state qualifiers and had a stater runner-up in Jacob Earnest (2026) and state placers in Kyle Jardine (3rd in 2026), Kolten Mellon (5th in 2025 and 2026), Blake Frantz (7th in 2026), Jack Dinwiddie (7th in 2025) and Brody Grimm (7th in 2025).
His teams finished 11th in 2026 and 15th in 2025 at the state tournament.
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"Having a former state champion from your school being a head coach is obviously a huge blessing," Wadsworth athletic director Tim Campbell said. "This is going to be a big loss for the wrestling community and our team."
What's next for Wadsworth wrestling?
The job will be posted internally for 10 days and administration will look outside the building if need be.
"This is so new to us right now that we don't know the direction we're going to go. We're mid-July and seemingly have a lot of time but I haven't even met with the coaching staff. There's really not a whole lot of information on what our direction is going to be just yet. We haven't had time to process this."
You must be registered for see images attach
It's why Campbell won't jump at the first big name to apply.
"A big splash is one of those sexy terms that people use," Campbell said. "The more important thing is that we make the correct decision and make sure that our excellence in wrestling (is) at the top and that the kids remain our top priority to build our program to state championship caliber. We'll identify candidates that can do that whether it's external or internal. We'll due an extensive search. That part I can assure you."
Brad Bournival can be reached by email at [email protected] and is on X at @bbournival.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Wadsworth High School seeks new wrestling coach to maintain excellence
Continue reading...
