Editor’s Note: A correction has been made for this story that appeared in the print edition to reflect that Hoopes wrestled for four seasons at Utah Valley University, not two years.
For the first time in the 21st century, the Star Valley High School wrestling program has a new head coach.
This past week in a supplemental meeting the LCSD#2 Board of Trustees approved the hire of Brigg Hoopes to take over a program that has been helmed for the past 27 years by Eddie Clark who retired from the position at the conclusion of this past season. Clark won over 600 duals, compiled 11 state championships and eight runner-up finishes. His teams never placed lower than fifth and were in the top three for all but two of those 27 campaigns.
Hoopes, 28, is an SVHS graduate of 2016 and wrestled under Clark as well as many other coaches in the program at the high school and middle school levels. He just completed his fourth season as the head coach of Southern Virginia University, a position he took directly after spending four seasons wrestling for Utah Valley University.
Coming home was one of the primary draws for the job as was the sport and the program itself.
“I love wrestling, and I enjoy coaching young men,” he told SVI. “It’s something I’m good at and I can make a huge difference. I feel like I can impact young men’s lives and wrestling is a way I can do it. I love it here at SVU but Star Valley is home and I’ve always said if it came open I would try and get the job. I have family there and I want my kids to grow up the way I grew up.”
Hoopes also spent just under a year training with the Penn State Nittany Lion Wrestling Club where he also got to see first hand how the best program in the NCAA operates. The Lions have won the last five national titles and 13 of the last 15 under former Utah legend Cael Sanderson.
“I was able to witness a lot of how they coached and my brother Austin wrestled for them and got a first-hand look at how their athletes treated the room. It was a special place and they want to keep it special and then his leadership is awesome to watch.”
Hoopes will be taking a Physical Education job at SVHS as well. It’s a position which he credits to the many previous coaches and community members who have helped him along the way.
“I wrestled under Coach Clark, [Casey] Parry, [Adam] Guild and [Winston] Patterson,” he noted. “Coach Waldon and Coach Hoopes at the middle school. “For me I love those guys. I deeply love them and am still super grateful for them. Coach Clark did something really special there. He has an awesome legacy and I’m really excited to be the guy who gets to continue that and build on it. I always felt like they loved me and cared about me.”
Hoopes recalled that overcoming a major injury and even a loss in the state finals has helped him get to where he is so far.
“I had a pretty devastating injury my junior year after placing as a sophomore,” he said. “After that I really felt like I put my mind to become the best wrestler I could be. I worked out at my uncle’s place and T.J. Guild came in and Ricky Fairbanks would come in and the Kenningtons as well. They all did a lot to help me that year. The Thompsons and Jake was a big part of becoming the kind of wrestler I was. His dad also provided me with a lot of help.”
It ended up being the first team title in a run of seven consecutive for the program. Hoopes lost in the finals to four-time champion Kye Catlin.
“What stuck with me was after I lost in the finals as a senior was the love from the coaches and admiration and made me feel like the best guy in the world,” Hoopes remembered. “But I think maybe that loss was a blessing, it’s made me love to coach because I know there are more than wins and losses. We want high moral values, good dads and good professionals.”
Hoopes brings his wife Ashlin a son, Brooks (2) and a four-month old daughter named Stevie.
“I want to say how grateful I am to the school district and all the administrators who believe in me and have given me the opportunity at SVHS,” Hoopes concluded. “I’m really excited to be back home and working with such a great group of young men.”
