Coach Staggs Celebrates 200th Dual-Match Career Win as PCA’s First and Only Wrestling Coach 

Wrestling is arguably one of the most-disciplined athletic programs among the dozens of sanctioned sports teams across the country. It’s the only sport where athletes must defeat an inanimate object – the scale – before even stepping into the competition. “Wrestling is a physically grueling sport; the practices and competitions are hard, but that’s what makes it special,” said Trent Staggs, PCA’s head wrestling coach. “You learn so much about yourself and what you are capable of doing. The pain and suffering you put yourself through is a testament to all those who do it. It reveals your true character.” The commitment to coach such a program requires more than a passion for the sport, the school, or even the student-athletes, but a lifelong commitment that combines all of these things and a gritty determination that never quits. Coach Staggs is the textbook definition of a wrestling coach and has been working season after season to put the Panther wrestling program on the map as PCA’s first and only head wrestling coach. 

Coach Staggs just celebrated his 200th dual-match career win as one of the highlights of his more than two decades of coaching. His passion for wrestling wasn’t an overnight phenomenon but a love of the sport that pulses through every fiber of his being. Growing up in Indiana, the unofficial birthplace of wrestling, he was surrounded by award-winning programs and great coaches. After moving up through the coaching ranks in his home state, he was offered the opportunity to start a new program on PCA’s campus in 2012. And the rest, they say, is history. Fast forwarding from the first season with only one experienced student-athlete to today’s multiple state qualifiers, Coach Staggs has had an immeasurable impact on the program. “I truly think that the culture and family environment we have created is what makes our program what it is,” commented Staggs. “When I was hired, I told everybody that we were going to create a wrestling family, which is one of the things I am most proud of. Over the years, we’ve seen the number of young men who want to be a part of the program grow, and we always have former wrestlers attend meets and tournaments. The continued growth and involvement shows me that we are doing good things.”  

Except for PCA’s first wrestling season, there has been at least one individual state qualifier every year, and several have placed in the state tournament. These program gains aren’t the results of one coach but a team of coaches who desire to see the sport thrive on campus and in the local area. “I could not have the impact I do without the help of Jason Furr and Robert Holt,” said Coach Staggs. “Jason has been an assistant coach with me since the first season, and without his help and commitment to the program and me, we are not the program you see today. The other unsung hero is Robert Holt, the Director of Operations for our program. He does all the behind-the-scenes and logistical work that allows me to focus on coaching.” 

The future of Panther wrestling is bright with Coach Staggs and his coaching staff. Like any head coach, he wants to keep growing the program and raise the competition within it. Every season they work toward developing top-notch student-athletes with the goal of winning a state championship. He would also like to start a youth program on campus. He wants to share his love of wrestling with future student-athletes by building a brotherhood of camaraderie, trust, and others-first attitude, showcasing the sport’s developmental benefits, and making young men physically and mentally tougher. But more than the recognition of a blue map or spreading awareness about the sport, he desires to share the enteral love of Christ with all of his student-athletes. “My number one goal is to watch each of our wrestlers go to heaven,” remarks Coach Staggs. “Faith, Family, Fight is our creed. You must have faith in God and a belief that He is the one and only way to salvation. Family is built upon a personal saving faith by creating a brotherhood of young men that will do whatever they can to support, help and compete for each other. When you build the first two parts then you must be willing to fight for them.” 

Congratulations, Coach Staggs! Keep fighting for these things, and PCA will be behind you every step of the way.