Little did 1995 FHS male Athlete of the Year Chad Olson realize that one day he would be back at his high school alma mater, this time on the other end of the coaching whistle.
But that's exactly what happened earlier this summer when he accepted a position as physical education teacher and head wrestling and ninth grade football coach at FHS.
Olson, who wrestled and played football at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, is no stranger to high school coaching. He served as a varsity assistant in several sports at Monticello before logging a a 10-year teaching and coaching stint at Richfield where he served as head mat coach for seven seasons. He also coached wrestling a season at Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount before becoming a Tiger assistant last winter.
"I don't think there is any more pressure on me because I went to school here," Olson said. "I think there is more excitement because I know how great it used to be and I feel everything is in place to get back there."
Though the first official practice session won't be until November, Olson has already conducted a dozen summer workouts to introduce skills that he hopes will become his program's signature.
The former three-sport standout at FHS said his short term goals include increasing the numbers of athletes out for the sport, making his wrestlers understand the "whys" of their sport, not just the "hows", further expanding a K-12 program, increasing academic performance of his athletes, and promoting good citizenship.
"In the long term, we want to make this program competitive with the best in the state," he said. "We also want to graduate young men who understand how to be good people and good citizens."
Olson and his wife Rachel, a physical education teacher at Riverview Elementary and assistant softball coach at Lakeville North, live in Castle Rock Township with son Dylan, 6, and twins Myles and Zachary, 4.
"When I graduated, I never saw myself returning to Farmington," Olson said. "But now that I have three kids of my own, I realize what a great place this is to live and raise a family. I'm really excited to be back and wear the orange and black."
But that's exactly what happened earlier this summer when he accepted a position as physical education teacher and head wrestling and ninth grade football coach at FHS.
Olson, who wrestled and played football at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, is no stranger to high school coaching. He served as a varsity assistant in several sports at Monticello before logging a a 10-year teaching and coaching stint at Richfield where he served as head mat coach for seven seasons. He also coached wrestling a season at Dakota County Technical College in Rosemount before becoming a Tiger assistant last winter.
"I don't think there is any more pressure on me because I went to school here," Olson said. "I think there is more excitement because I know how great it used to be and I feel everything is in place to get back there."
Though the first official practice session won't be until November, Olson has already conducted a dozen summer workouts to introduce skills that he hopes will become his program's signature.
The former three-sport standout at FHS said his short term goals include increasing the numbers of athletes out for the sport, making his wrestlers understand the "whys" of their sport, not just the "hows", further expanding a K-12 program, increasing academic performance of his athletes, and promoting good citizenship.
"In the long term, we want to make this program competitive with the best in the state," he said. "We also want to graduate young men who understand how to be good people and good citizens."
Olson and his wife Rachel, a physical education teacher at Riverview Elementary and assistant softball coach at Lakeville North, live in Castle Rock Township with son Dylan, 6, and twins Myles and Zachary, 4.
"When I graduated, I never saw myself returning to Farmington," Olson said. "But now that I have three kids of my own, I realize what a great place this is to live and raise a family. I'm really excited to be back and wear the orange and black."
