https://www.nwcaonline.com/nwca-announces-2020-21-scholastic-coach-of-the-year-winners/

Manheim, PA – On Friday the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) announced the full slate winners for their Scholastic Coach of the Year Awards.  Head Coaches and Assistant Coaching Staffs are honored for both Boys and Girls programs at the National, Section, and State levels.

Being honored in their respective division as National Coaches of the year are, for the boys, Steve Thorpe of Sweet Home High School (Oregon – Section 8) and for the girls, Michael Garcia from Basha High School (Arizona – Section 7). Both Coach Thorpe and Coach Garcia and their squads demonstrated a very high level of excellence and perseverance through one of the most trying seasons on record due to the extreme impact of COVID-19.

Receiving the National Boys Head Coach of the Year is Coach Steve Thorp of Sweet Home High School.  A most impressive stat, Coach Thorpe’s entire 30-year career has been spent at Sweet Home High, the past 25 as the head coach. During this time his squads have won six state championships, finished as State Runners-up six times, and has finished in 3rd or 4th place in six other seasons.  He has coached 182 state placers, with 30 state champions. His current dual record is 627-137-1. His 2020-21 squad won the state championship with 21 state qualifiers, 12 placers, and four state champions.

This year’s National Girls Head Coach of the Year, Coach Michael Garci has been coaching the sport for 25 years, the past 17 at Basha High.  Coach Garcia was intimately involved in the proposal to add girls wrestling as a high school sport in Arizona and currently sits on various state committees to help continue developing the sport of girls wrestling in Arizona.  This season, his squad captured the State Championship with 14 State Qualifiers, nine placers, and three individual state champions.