Allen ISD Where Eagles Soar Magazine Spring 2018 | Page 13

The Best Coach
Jerry Best leads the State
Champion wrestling team
E
agle Stadium is known for being the home of
champions, but that nickname doesn’t belong
strictly to the football team. Tucked away in the
lower level of the stadium is the practice space for the
Allen wrestling program that has won eight consecutive
UIL State Championships. Jerry Best is the longtime
leader of the wrestling program and he has no intention
of seeing the team’s dominance come to an end.
Best coaches the varsity team and oversees the Allen
wrestling program that has participants all the way
down to 4-years-old. Best started Allen’s wrestling
program from scratch 16 years ago and quickly turned
it into a dynasty. When asked what kind of athletes he
looks for in creating a championship-winning team,
Best is quick to answer.
“We’re looking for kids that hate to lose,” he said.
“Our students need to work hard and have a lot of
discipline. You can be fast and squat a ton of weight and
still not be successful because you didn’t put in the time
to practice.”
Head Coach Jerry Best
boys’ club, either. AHS senior Alex Liles, for example,
is a three-time undefeated state champion in the girls
bracket. Liles began wrestling in sixth-grade with
encouragement from her older brother, and now enjoys
serving as a role model for younger girls.
“I love competing and being able to show little kids
that girls can participate in the same things that guys
do,” Liles said.
Liles says that Coach Best
The team has plenty
is always pushing the team
of time to practice and
to maximize its potential
train with the wrestling
and to never settle for
season running from
less. Despite the collection
October to March,
of state championship
and freestyle wrestling
trophies, Best lets his team
picking up from March
know that future success is
to July. Practices begin
not guaranteed. The team
with plenty of stretching
will often hold fundraisers
and some agility
to raise enough money
exercises before moving
to compete in top-level
on to position training.
wrestling tournaments
Eagle Wrestler Logan Brown
The athletes partner up
across the country.
and begin contorting
each other into several variations of uncomfortable
“I teach the students that there could always
looking positions. Coach Best walks up and down the
be somebody out there better than yourself, and
room, taking a moment to watch each group and offer
sometimes you just haven’t found them yet.” Best said.
advice.
The UIL State Tournament will be held in late
Best has seen many successful Allen wrestlers
February, and if the past eight years are any indication,
advance to compete at Division 1 colleges such as
the Allen wrestling team will be back in the mix once
Oklahoma, Penn State and West Point. It’s not just a
again.
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