David Gonzalez named USA Wrestling Developmental Coach of the Year
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by Gary Abbott
David Gonzalez of Chandler, Ariz. has been named Developmental Coach of the Year by USA Wrestling, the national governing body for amateur wrestling in the United States. The award honors the top coach in the nation working with age-group wrestlers and programs.
He has served as an Arizona National Team coach since 1994, working with Junior and Cadet wrestlers at USA Wrestling national events. He has coached numerous USA Wrestling All-Americans, as well as national champions at the different age levels.
Gonzalez is currently the USA Wrestling state chairperson in Arizona and its membership director. He has served as Kids Director, Cadet Director and Junior Director for the association. He has also volunteered as a mat official and pairing official at local events.
Under his leadership, Arizona has developed three Regional Training Sites (Cottonwood, Tucson, Phoenix) which help prepare wrestlers for major competitions. He has run the National Team Training Camps for the last 10 years. Gonzalez conducts numerous clinics throughout the year, keeping Arizona coaches and athletes on the same page technically and tactically. He also creates the annual event schedule for USA Wrestling tournaments in Arizona.
He has coached numerous Arizona athletes and teams at Western and Southern Plains Regional events. Gonzalez coaches Team Arizona at the Western State Duals, and the teams have won both freestyle and Greco-Roman titles.
Gonzalez is a NCEP Silver Certified Coach. He has attended the last four USA Wrestling State Leaders Summits. He is commissioner for wrestling at the Grand Canyon State Games. Gonzalez also serves on the Arizona State High School State Championships Committee.
He has served two years as the head coach at Desert Vista High School, and has been a coach with the program for a number of years. He also served six years as an assistant coach at Sunnyside High School. He was a high school wrestler for Marcos Deniza High School in Tempe prior to getting involved in coaching.
"It is a great honor," said Gonzalez. "It makes me feel that we are putting Arizona at the right level within wrestling. We are getting known as a state that has strong programs. It lets me know that we have some great wrestling people in the state. Without them, I would not have accomplished what I have done, nor could the state have accomplished all that it has achieved for USA Wrestling."
Developmental Coach of the Year
1989 - Al Kastl, Michigan
1990 - Kevin McCleary, Pennsylvania
1991 - J. D. Robbins, California
1992 - Tony Jones, Oregon
1993 - Morrie Geselter, Illinois
1994 - Jerry Kuntz, Oklahoma
1995 - Mike Hagerty, Missouri
1996 - Bob Kopnisky, Indiana
1997 - John Leone, New York
1998 - Mike Rial, Iowa
1999 - Greg Strobel, Pennsylvania
2000 - John Hohman, Pennsylvania
2001 - Randy Baker, Minnesota
2002 - Archie Randall, Oklahoma
2003 - John Matthews, Arizona
2004 - Sean Bormet, Illinois
2005 - Joe DeMeo, New York
2006 - Russ Cozart, Florida
2007 - Jason Christenson, Iowa
2008 - David Gonzalez, Arizona
He has served as an Arizona National Team coach since 1994, working with Junior and Cadet wrestlers at USA Wrestling national events. He has coached numerous USA Wrestling All-Americans, as well as national champions at the different age levels.
Gonzalez is currently the USA Wrestling state chairperson in Arizona and its membership director. He has served as Kids Director, Cadet Director and Junior Director for the association. He has also volunteered as a mat official and pairing official at local events.
Under his leadership, Arizona has developed three Regional Training Sites (Cottonwood, Tucson, Phoenix) which help prepare wrestlers for major competitions. He has run the National Team Training Camps for the last 10 years. Gonzalez conducts numerous clinics throughout the year, keeping Arizona coaches and athletes on the same page technically and tactically. He also creates the annual event schedule for USA Wrestling tournaments in Arizona.
He has coached numerous Arizona athletes and teams at Western and Southern Plains Regional events. Gonzalez coaches Team Arizona at the Western State Duals, and the teams have won both freestyle and Greco-Roman titles.
Gonzalez is a NCEP Silver Certified Coach. He has attended the last four USA Wrestling State Leaders Summits. He is commissioner for wrestling at the Grand Canyon State Games. Gonzalez also serves on the Arizona State High School State Championships Committee.
He has served two years as the head coach at Desert Vista High School, and has been a coach with the program for a number of years. He also served six years as an assistant coach at Sunnyside High School. He was a high school wrestler for Marcos Deniza High School in Tempe prior to getting involved in coaching.
"It is a great honor," said Gonzalez. "It makes me feel that we are putting Arizona at the right level within wrestling. We are getting known as a state that has strong programs. It lets me know that we have some great wrestling people in the state. Without them, I would not have accomplished what I have done, nor could the state have accomplished all that it has achieved for USA Wrestling."
Developmental Coach of the Year
1989 - Al Kastl, Michigan
1990 - Kevin McCleary, Pennsylvania
1991 - J. D. Robbins, California
1992 - Tony Jones, Oregon
1993 - Morrie Geselter, Illinois
1994 - Jerry Kuntz, Oklahoma
1995 - Mike Hagerty, Missouri
1996 - Bob Kopnisky, Indiana
1997 - John Leone, New York
1998 - Mike Rial, Iowa
1999 - Greg Strobel, Pennsylvania
2000 - John Hohman, Pennsylvania
2001 - Randy Baker, Minnesota
2002 - Archie Randall, Oklahoma
2003 - John Matthews, Arizona
2004 - Sean Bormet, Illinois
2005 - Joe DeMeo, New York
2006 - Russ Cozart, Florida
2007 - Jason Christenson, Iowa
2008 - David Gonzalez, Arizona
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