From the Sidelines
By Marty Gordon
When Kevin Dresser first came to Christiansburg, he was leading a Grundy High School wrestling team that became dominate not only in southwest Virginia, but the entire state and southeastern United States.
Luring him to coach at Christiansburg High School was not an easy task, but it was done and the rest is now history.
He led Grundy to eight state titles, and then at CHS, he won five state championships and three runner-ups. Dresser then took over a Virginia Tech program former coach Tom Brands left for Iowa. That was in 2006, and Dresser has had the Hokies in the top eight for the past three seasons.
Earlier this week, he took the job at Iowa State leaving the NRV for the Midwest.
Dresser was a two-time Iowa state champion at Humboldt High School. In 2009, he was inducted into the Iowa High School Athletic Association’s wrestling hall of fame.
So, it should not come of a surprise that when offered a chance to go home, he decided to go home.
His family still lives just 30 miles from the Iowa State campus. But despite his departure, Dresser will leave plenty of his fingerprints on the area’s wrestling world.
Dresser helped start a Christiansburg training facility called Hawkeye Hall, again a tie to his early days in the Midwest. Also, Hawkeye Bingo has helped to finance many of those wrestling trips out of state that have helped the Blue Demons to better themselves. It also gave up-and-coming wrestlers a place to practice year-round.
Dresser will be leaving his name on the overall Christiansburg wrestling program and hopefully the one at Virginia Tech will continue to prosper without him.
We thank you Coach Dresser for helping us to reach the peak of the wrestling world here in little southwest Virginia. We wish you luck in your new venture and can’t wait to see what you’re able to accomplish at Iowa State.
Dresser’s salary at Iowa State is reportedly a 7-year deal worth $2.25 million with his base salary for the coming year being $300,000. The pay is similar to a college basketball coach at a mid-major school.
The interesting scenario in the move is that the former Iowa Hawkeye will now be coaching the school’s in-state rival.
Also, he might finally get a chance to face former Hokie boss Tom Brands who has refused to wrestle Virginia Tech during Dresser’s tenure in Blacksburg.
