Tommy Bauer set to lead Ashland wrestling program

The new coach of the Ashland High School wrestling team is no stranger to Arrow athletics and Ashland University athletics followers.

Tommy Bauer has been selected as the new coach of the Arrow wrestling program, replacing Sean Seder, who resigned from the position in March. He will become the new wrestling coach pending approval by the Ashland Board of Education.

"I'm pretty excited and look forward to taking over the program," Bauer noted. "It's still in development and growth in the sport of wrestling and influencing kids' lives.

"I want to keep the program moving forward in a positive direction," he continued. "The program has had a lot of success the last 10 years and I look forward to carrying out through."

This past season, Bauer served as a volunteer assistant coach at Ashland Middle School and helped guide the middle school wrestling team to the Ohio Cardinal Conference title.

At Ashland Middle School, Bauer coached four junior high Ohio Athletic Committee state qualifiers, and one alternate, as well as one junior high OAC state placer, and two National High School Wrestling Association middle school All-Americans.

Bauer is no stranger to the Ashland wrestling sports scene, as the 2001 Ashland High School graduate was an Ohio High School Athletic Association wrestling state placer and a two-time state qualifier, a multi-time OCC champion and compiled 120-plus career wins. He also is a USA Ohio Freestyle. Greco Roman State multi-time placer served as a member of the 1998 USA Cadet National Team and was on the 2000 USA Ohio Junior National Team.

"From a guy who moved to Ashland in the second grade and joined the JAWS program in 1987 as a 5-year-old and was able to graduate from Ashland University, and do my whole career in Ashland, this is something I hold a high regard," Bauer said. "I feel proud to be an Ashland man and have the opportunity to come back in and see it full circle and lead the Arrows to the next generation of great wrestling seasons."

Bauer went on to wrestle at Ashland University from 2001-2005, where he was a four-time National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II qualifier, and a three-time NCAA All-American, with 100-plus wins.

He was also an All-American in both 2003 and 2004 in Division II (sixth place), an All-American in 2004 (seventh place) in Div. II, a three-year captain and graduated from AU with a bachelor's degree in business management and marketing.

Pending the school board's approval, Bauer will assemble a wrestling staff.

"We're having some conversations internally, and the goal is to put the right men and women around these young Arrows to help influence them," Bauer said. "We're going to put the right people in place."

Bauer not only wants to mold young men to become strong in the sport but young ladies as well if some are interested.

"Girls wrestling is the fastest growing sport in America, and the opportunity young women are being provided on the national level, and obviously, Ohio recognized that with the OHSAA sanctioned last year offering that sport," Bauer pointed out. "I fully intend to instill those girls with opportunities to work into some depth and help raise funds and hopefully work with and partner with the athletic office and bring girls wrestling to the Ashland City Schools. It's an exciting time for girls wrestling."

From 2010-2015, Bauer served as an assistant wrestling coach at Clear Fork High School.

From 2008 to the present, Bauer worked with youth, middle school, and high school student-athletes, coaching year-round development, and training multiple state qualifiers, and finalists from youth through high school.

"I want to implement a culture of developing with integrity, and the consistency to the sport of wrestling to grow individuals in life and seeing a path outside of wrestling as well," Bauer said. "Some of the great coaches I've been with and influenced by proved those examples and I look forward to instilling some of those back into the program."

Bauer has been married to his wife, Stacy for 17 years, and the couple has three children: Mason (14), Avery (12), and Madalyn (11).

"Stacy has seen my competing career in high school and college all the way through and saw me coach kids as a high school assistant at Clear Fork and supplementary for many areas kids the last 18 years," Bauer said. "Stacy is excited for me to have this opportunity to lead this Arrows program forward from bottom to top. Without Stacy, I would not be where I am today."

Bauer is a senior national account manager at Primary Colors in Ashland.

This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Wrestling: Tommy Bauer set to take over Ashland High School program