Mike Simons of Thurston High School in Springfield is the 2020-21 National Wrestling Coach of the Year, selected by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Coaches Association.
Simons has been a high school wrestling coach for 25 years, including the last 18 at Thurston. He has made a push to increase participation numbers at Thurston and now has about 80 wrestlers – 45 boys and 35 girls – attending practice each day.
Since 2018, the Thurston boys team has finished among the top four teams at the state championships and the Thurston girls program has won four of the last 5 state championships, finishing 2nd in '22. Simons has collected a record of 312 wins with just 76 losses. He was named the 2019 NFHS Coach of the Year for girls wrestling in Oregon, as well as the sectional honor.
In 2013, Simons – through fundraising and community involvement – established the Thurston Middle School boys and girls wrestling program.
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