Glen Strandberg
Sports Editor

It’s been a long, long time since the Rangers had to find a new head coach for its impressive wrestling program, and with any luck, after Forest Lake’s official hiring of Billy Pierce, the need to find his successor will take place far off into the future.

More than 30 years have passed since Bob Dettmer took command of the Rangers, but with Dettmer’s recent retirement—which coincided with his election to the Minnesota House of Representatives—the wrestling team was in search of a new leader.

What Forest Lake landed was an already proven coach as well as a former standout wrestler.

Type 'Billy Pierce Wrestler' into Yahoo!, and the first 10 entrants are filled with words or phrases like, Thrives, All-American, Hall of Fame and Undefeated.

That will happen when you are a two-time state champion wrestler at Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis (76-0 record during his junior and senior years as a heavyweight); a Cadet and Junior National Champion; Big 10 Champion and three-time All-American while competing for the University of Minnesota; third in the 2000 Olympic Trials; second in the 2002 US Nationals, and third in the 2002 World Team Trials.

Pierce also coached at Edison High School for five years, before moving over as co-head coach for two seasons at powerful Anoka.

"Thank you for contacting us, Mr. Pierce—you’re hired."

Actually, considering what Dettmer has established at the high school, the job opening brought in a number of highly qualified candidates. Activities Director Joel Olson said there were six or seven applicants who wrestled in college and were already coaching.

“He was the one with the most experience coaching and (achieved) the highest level of wrestling,” Olson noted.

A group made up of parents, other Forest Lake coaches, Olson, and high school principal Dr. Steve Massey, decided on Pierce.

“We’re already a successful program with what Bob has done. And just going from there, I think (going) up, is what he’s going to do,” Olson said of Pierce. “Take it to the next step—and that’s getting to the state tournament and that kind of stuff. So that’s what we’re excited about.”

After Pierce’s flourishing career with Minnesota came to a close, he pursued a chance to be on the world’s biggest athletic stage. He said his dreams were to be an NCAA champion for the Gophers, and then after graduating in 1996 he would put in four years of training and wrestle in the 2000 Olympics. From there he wanted to teach and coach in Minneapolis.

“That was kind of my scripted out life from when I was in late high school,” he said.

He would take third in the Olympic Trials, while the top spot went to Rulon Gardner, the eventual gold medalist. Coming in second at the trials was the defending silver medalist from 1996.

“So I was in pretty good company,” Pierce joked.

The close call at the 2002 US Nationals turned out to be a loss to Dremiel Byers, who would become the World Super Heavyweight Champion and the 2002 Greco-Roman Wrestler of the Year.

That’s not only good company, but it’s about as select as one can find.

With that loss, Pierce was officially done with competing, which catapults us up to the present.

Pierce admits that maybe there are some things he could have done differently in those pivotal matches, but he’s fine with how it all turned out.

“I wouldn’t say there’s a regret, but maybe that’s what drives me to be successful as a coach,” he said.

And speaking of being a coach, Pierce said that while there wasn’t anything pushing him away from Anoka, he also wanted to establish his own program and tradition—one that didn’t come with the title of co-head coach.

It didn’t hurt to come across a school that was used to winning and also brought a loyal following. While Pierce was at a youth tournament in Rochester last winter, that dedicated support got his attention.

“I saw all of the Forest Lake families down there and their kids wrestling, and Anoka didn’t have that,” he said.

“I can’t wait. This is a great opportunity. Getting to know more about the youth program and the high school program the last couple of months has just made the decision that much more worthwhile.”

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