New wrestling coach Brian DeCarli earns first victory at Kenny
Fehlman/Adam Baxter Memorial Hollister Duals last weekend, takes
over the SBHS wrestling program from Matt Olejnik
HOLLISTER
It’s not as if Brian DeCarli is taking over the helm for a rebuilding program or a section pushover that has holes up and down the lineup card.
DeCarli is taking over a San Benito wrestling team that finished second in the Central Coast Section last year, returns two state qualifiers and, in some circles, is ranked No. 4 in the CCS coming into this season.
And yet, even before last weekend’s Kenny Fehlman/Adam Baxter Memorial Hollister Duals were held, pressure and nerves seemed to have been driven to the mat by DeCarli himself.
“I don’t have any nervousness,” DeCarli said. “(Assistant coach) Pat Dunn, he kept telling me in the beginning, ‘Don’t be nervous. Don’t be nervous. Don’t be nervous.’ I’m like, ‘Man, I’m not nervous at all.’
“This is why I came here. This is always where I’ve wanted to do it … I’ve always wanted to go somewhere where they’ve had an established program; something that has a lot of tradition, a lot of support in the community, and that the kids really care about.”
Well, mission: accomplished.
Of course, if it weren’t for Gilroy, St. Francis and Palma, a trio of teams ranked in front of the ‘Balers coming into this season, DeCarli might be able to put his feet up and relax.
But the rookie coach, who was hired during the summer months, has been itching to get the season underway. In fact, if wrestling is the topic of conversation, DeCarli may just talk your ear off.
He’s that excited of the upcoming season.
“The big thing that I love here is that I’m already able to do so much more with the kids because they’re so much more developed,” DeCarli said. “That’s really helped a lot. In fact, we’ve gone over stuff already that, in another situation, I wouldn’t even have been able to get to until halfway through the season.
“It’s been really accelerated.”
DeCarli, 29, is taking over for Matt Olejnik, who coached for 14 years at San Benito High and led the Haybalers to three CCS titles, two runner-up finishes, one fourth-place standing and six league titles.
After last weekend’s first place victory at the Fehlman/Baxter tourney, though, DeCarli has already officially started his own legacy at San Benito High.
Born in King City but raised in Greenfield, DeCarli picked up the sport when he was in the seventh grade. Wrestling for four years at Salinas’ Palma High School, DeCarli finished sixth in the state during his 152-pound senior year in 1997. He walked on at Fresno State and got a starting gig at 165 pounds, wrestling for four years for the Bulldogs before graduating in 2001.
Noticing how today’s grappler picks up wrestling when they’re 4- or 5-years-old, for the most part, DeCarli managed to push himself to state despite lacking in experience with other wrestlers on the mat.
“I made it to the semis at state wrestling for six years when everybody else had another four or five years on top of me experience wise,” DeCarli said. “I just outworked them. And a lot of my mentality is we’re gonna outwork everybody.”
DeCarli took a year off from wrestling after graduating, but dived right back into the sport in 2003 when he took over the coaching duties for four years at Kingsburg High, located just south of Fresno.
More recently, DeCarli was the head wrestling coach for one year at Corcoran High, near Tulare.
Picking up techniques and strategies along the way, DeCarli said the one thing he won’t do as a coach is try to teach his wrestling style to different wrestlers, with different body styles and different weights.
It just doesn’t translate, he said.
“Just because you’re a good or a great wrestler, doesn’t mean you’ll be a good or a great coach,” DeCarli said. “When I first started getting in, I felt whatever I’m gonna do is gonna work for my kids. But if you look at my body type, not every kid has my body type.
“You want to put everything out there, present it, let them learn from it. If they like something, pick it up and then they can actually use it out there … What makes a great coach is actually recognizing his own weaknesses and being able to see what it takes to up that level.”
Two-time state qualifier Junior Davila said his new head coach is pretty tough and hands-on, and is teaching the ‘Balers plenty.
“He’s been working us harder,” Davila said. “He’s been getting us conditioned and he shows us a lot of different moves.
“Sometimes we all get in a circle and just learn from what he’s teaching us.”
Pressure and nerves aside, DeCarli will lead the ‘Balers into the Tri-County Athletic League season on Jan. 14, then to the TCAL Championships on Feb. 13, and finally the Central Coast Section Championships on Feb. 20.
Pressure and nerves aside, DeCarli will look to topple his alma mater in Palma, as well as six-time CCS champion and league rival Gilroy.
“We’re a pretty confident bunch,” DeCarli said. “And as far as myself, I wouldn’t have taken this job if I wasn’t comfortable with the eyes on me, judging me and saying, ‘Well, they took second last year. It’s a lot easier for him to drop than it is to increase one.’
“But by increasing one, that means you took out a pretty good team. So that’s the way I look at it. Let’s increase it by one.”
Without mentioning any teams, DeCarli added, “And that would be a great one.”
