Casteel hires Jimmy Overhiser as next wrestling coach

May 11—Jimmy Overhiser is used to a challenge.

Growing up in New York, he was one of the top wrestlers in the state in high school, where he won a state title and was named National Prep All-American. He also helped elevate his team to become the top wrestling program in the nation.

He battled through injuries throughout his college career but used those to find his way into coaching at the college level. But now, he's ready to run his own program.

And he just so happens to be filling the shoes of one of the state's best at Casteel High School.

"I wanted to go to a place that wanted to win," Overhiser said. "The foundation is set (at Casteel). They have an established team with good culture. The things that need to be done to be successful are already there. I love that it's ready to go."

Overhiser's impressive high school resume as a competitor, along with his high GPA, helped him earn a scholarship to continue his wrestling career at Cornell.

But it was there he began to suffer from injuries, including an ACL tear his senior year that virtually ended his wrestling career.

"My competitive experience was a little different than most," Overhiser said. "I competed extensively my redshirt year but that's about it. I think that's where my passion for coaching comes from. As a competitor, I failed."

Overhiser built relationships during his time at Cornell and while dealing with injuries that kept him away from the mat.

He began running camps, clinics and helping out at local high schools. He eventually joined the staff at Reinhardt University before making his way to Wisconsin-Whitewater and eventually, Army West Point.

As a coach, he helped produce two national champions, three All-Americans and 17 national qualifiers. He also spent time as the Director of Operations for the California Olympic Regional Training Center.

Now he aims to bring that experience to Casteel.

"I think it's important to remember the things that are important to us as athletes and be able to instill those as coaches," Overhiser said. "When someone tells me, 'Hey, this is my goal, to reach the Division I level,' or whatever it is, adjust the training accordingly.

"If that's your goal, here's what it takes."

Overhiser knows the caliber of program Casteel is. The program hired former coach Bob Callison away from Mountain View in 2016.

It was widely received as a home-run hire for the Colts, which were a new program at the time. Callison had already established himself as one of the top coaches in the state, winning back-to-back state titles in 2014 and 2015 before placing third in his final season with the Toros.

He was in the midst of building a dynasty at Mountain View, one that began 11 years before his departure to Casteel.

Callison's expertise in wrestling carried over to the Colts' program. In just his second season he produced the program's first state champion. In 2018, he was inducted into the Arizona High School Coaches Hall of Fame for his work in both wrestling and football.

Following his induction, he went on to produce several more state champions at Casteel during his tenure. He also led the Colts to back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022.

This past season Casteel placed fifth overall. It was the program's first season at the Division I level. Callison announced his resignation in March.

"There are things that I plan on changing here and there," Overhiser said. "But I describe it in a way where coach Callison has built an amazing house. I plan on redecorating a little, but that's all it really needs."

Overhiser is still in the process of working out a timeline to make his move to the Valley permanent. For now, he remains at West Point.

He hopes to make it out to Casteel for a few weekends and settle somewhere in the Valley come the summer. That's when he also plans to bring his family, too.

Overhiser knows the pressure that comes with taking over a program that has become accustomed to success in short order. But like he did during his own wrestling career and coaching at the Division I college level, he embraces the challenge and is excited for the opportunity to begin making his mark on the Casteel program.

"High school kids, their level of excitement for the sport is on another level because they have so much ahead of them," Overhiser said. "They're all chasing something, and they all have a goal. The level of excitement they have is unmatched and I'm really excited to experience that again."

Have an interesting story? Contact Zach Alvira at (480)898-5630 or zalvira@timespublications.com. Follow him on Twitter @ZachAlvira.