Gratitude is the word that first comes to the mind of first year Triton College wrestling head coach
Chris Butz. After four seasons at the helm of the Morton College men's and women's wrestling programs, the school this past spring decided to discontinue the sport. Then in the early summer, the Triton job became available when coach Tim Duggan took a position at the four-year level. Butz jumped on the chance and within month's was back as a head coach at the NJCAA level.
"I am grateful for the opportunity," Butz said. "I am very familiar with Triton and the area. My relationships were good with the past (Triton) coaches and excited for what's ahead."
Being officially hired late in the summer usually provides its share of challenges for a new head coach. However, with Butz' time at Morton, located just a few miles away from Triton, has made the transition a smooth one. He inherits a handful of returners and recruits signed by the previous staff as many were wrestlers he recruited himself over the past couple of years.
"The wrestlers we have returning, I have seen them first-hand coaching against them last year," Butz said. "A good amount of the freshman, I recruited at some point. Our first couple of weeks of training because of that familiarity, it has made the transition a seamless one."
The Trojans will have three returners from the previous regime that Butz has high expectations for. Local product
Bennett Eichert from Walther Chrisitan Academy (184lbs) was a national qualifier in 2024 for Triton.
Jase Salin qualified for nationals last season at 157. Then also back is
Keygan Jennings (141lbs) who had a good freshman season after wrestling up two weight classes a year ago.
Some of the new faces this season will be highlighted by freshman
Dylan Eimer (125lbs) from Atlanta, Il.,
Everett McClelland (197lbs) from Valparaiso, Ind., and Chicago native
Ben Kusar (133lbs) who attended St. Patrick High School before finishing up in Iowa.
"Tim (Duggan) did a good job in recruiting these guys," Butz said. "They all come in with solid pedigrees."
As the season progresses, Butz believes freshman
David Johnson, (149lbs) an Evergreen Park High School graduate and
Andrew Alvarado (149lbs) out of Marian Central Catholic "can make some noise by the end of year."
To keep the transition simple, Butz did not make any major changes in the schedule highlighted by Triton hosting the 34
th Annual Art Kraft Memorial Tournament on December 13. Triton will return to the NJCAA Coaches Association duals January 9 and 10 in Miami, Ok. But the Trojans have one other big test the first half of the season as for the first time all the Great Lakes District teams will get together for a dual meet November 22 at Harper College.
"The addition of the district duals will provide us a unique opportunity for our wrestlers as we'll get to see all of our district opponents early in the year," Butz said. "In the past, we would normally see them sprinkled throughout the year and not see everyone at full force until the district tournament right before nationals."
No matter what happens during the highs and lows of a long season, Butz wants to keep the approach simple.
"I'm a huge barometer guy," he said. "Every match we have is a chance to see where we are at. This guides what we need to fix and how we need to approach the next one. We have the expectation of winning and we want to make sure our team is preparing and adjusting properly to help us get ready for the end of the year."
Follow Triton Athletics on TwitterÂ
@TritonTrojans1Â or on InstagramÂ
@Triton_College_Athletics
Â
Â
Â
