Daniel Nguyen returns to his alma mater, this time as head wrestling coach in hopes of claiming a district win and helping his players off the mat.
Nguyen takes over the role as head coach after previously holding the role of assistant coach.
“I’ve always been eager to be head coach one day, so I saw the position open up, and then I went for it and applied,” Nguyen said. “It’s definitely a big difference from being an assistant. There’s a lot more on the administrative side than I knew about, but I just didn’t realize how much goes behind the scenes.”
Coming into the new season, Nguyen has given both himself and his athletes new goals this year.
“In the first week, I made sure [the wrestlers] had a goal sheet,” Nguyen said. “They had to find three wrestling goals and then also a life goal. My goal is to make wrestlers be a better person before they come into the room. I really want them to live life to their fullest potential and learn what wrestling teaches you.”
As a wrestler at Marshall, Nguyen competed in the Liberty District. As the school returns to the district, Nguyen is excited about the move and hopes that it brings the team a title.
“One of my own personal goals is to win the district,” Nguyen said. “When I was a wrestler here I was also in the Liberty District, so going back I’m pretty excited to see some of those schools that are in [the Liberty District].”
Nguyen said heading into a new district has not discouraged the team from attaining a title, and he hopes he makes not only the team better but the individuals in it as well.