MOORHEAD, Minn. – Minnesota State University Moorhead wrestling head coach Kris Nelson and a couple of his former athletes join forces again in a different role for the soon approaching 2011-12 season.
Former North Dakota State University wrestlers Eric Sanders and Geoff Martin are teaming up with their former coach Kris Nelson to coach this season’s Dragon wrestling team. The two were brought on in August to become assistant coaches. Nelson coached Sanders from 2003-08 and recruited and coached Martin from 2006-09.
Nelson says the two coaches already have some familiarity with the athletes since they all wrestled in the Fargo/Moorhead area. Nelson thinks that it will have a positive impact for the upcoming season.
“I think the guys respect them (Sanders and Martin) and know that they’re both in it to make the program better.”
Both coaches will look to make an impact on the team for this season and seasons to come. Sanders looks to bring in recruits from the Minnesota area while Martin will aim to bring in North Dakota recruits.
“It’s good to have a young guy like Geoff in there that can get on the mats and wrestle with the guys. So he’s in there everyday wrestling live, working on technique,” Nelson says about Martin.
Even as a current student at NDSU, Martin has been around the team bringing as much to the table as he can.
“I’ve worked with a lot of the guys on the team. I think they show good work ethic and good heart,” Martin says about the Dragons wrestlers.
Nate Baker returns to the coaching staff as an assistant for his fifth season. Baker’s experience from winning a national championship in 2006 as a Dragon plus the two new additions has Nelson fired up for this season’s coaching staff.
The Dragons open the 2011-12 season Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Bison Open in Fargo, N.D. at 10 a.m. Four current Dragons finished fourth or higher at the 2010 Bison Open. All-American Corey Ulmer finished fourth, sophomore Gerad Fugleberg finished third, Brandon Manderscheid took sixth, Tyler Kivel placed fifth, and senior Trent Sovde took second.