Jacob Rollans

Coach Jacob Rollans
Slam NV High School
Pictures Courtesy of Jacob Rollans
Wrestling and Football
My name is Jacob Rollans, or you may know me as Coach Jake, or you may know me as the weird guy with the green dyed hair at the USA Nevada State tournament. I have been coaching since 2003, during that time I was an Assistant Coach for Gator Club Wrestling, the Assistant Coach for Green Valley Youth Wrestling Club, the Head Coach of Team GV, the Head Coach of Team Nevada Select, and now I am the Co-Head High School Wrestling Coach of Slam, NV and the Assistant Coach for Gold Rush. I have coached countless State Champions, many Fargo All Americans, many Future College Wrestlers, Three World Team Members, and in 2016 I was voted as the Western Regional Developmental Coach of the Year. I was asked to share a little of my coaching journey and why wrestling and football complement each other.
 
My coaching journey began February 16, 2003. I was a Senior in High School, and me and my team were traveling back from the State Tournament in Reno, NV. My High School Wrestling Career did not finish the way I had hoped, I came up short in the Nevada State Finals, finishing Second. The loss had really hurt, but in hindsight, it may have been because of this loss that when my Head Coach, Aric Thomas, sat next to me on the bus ride home and asked me to help run Green Valley High School’s Youth Program, I jumped at the opportunity. I had a chip on my shoulder and felt like I had more to prove. I started working with the kids program, Gator Wrestling Club, the very next week.
 
For the next four seasons, I would be an Assistant Coach for the Youth Program and the High School. This was a very challenging time for me, but it led to a lot of growth. I was assisting a coach on the Youth Program that had a very different Coaching Philosophy. There were many times where my frustration boiled over in the High School Coaches Office, but I was twenty years old and thought I knew everything. I am so glad I had those years to prepare and shut my mouth and learn from an older, more experienced coach. Honestly, when I was fresh out of High School, I was not ready to run the program, but after those four years, I was ready to take off and run with it.
 
I finally took over the Youth Program at Green Valley High School in 2007, and Team GV was born. In that room, I found my passion, which is working with kids and helping them fall in love with wrestling. Luckily, I had an amazing group of parents supporting me, JD Brathor, Richard Razo, and Gary Zernich to name a few. One parent really opened my eyes to the bigger picture of wrestling on a National Level, that parent was Randy Newman. Randy’s son, Ryder Newman, was my First National Champion and my First Division I Wrestler. Randy saw the potential in me and the potential in the club. At the time, my goals were focused on helping the High School win a State Championship, but Randy pushed me to travel more, and get more on the National Scene.
 
My goals now had changed, I was no longer concerned about winning State Titles, I wanted to be the best team in the country. With that philosophy, local success certainly came. We won Eight SNWA Titles in ten years, as well as won all but one USA State Championship. The success eventually translated into the High School Program, where Green Valley High School won Seven State Championships in nine years. During that time, on average, 80% of the GVHS Varsity Wrestling Team had come through my program. Everything was going as planned, both the High School and my Youth Program were having incredible success and I thought that we would continue for years to come. Unfortunately, that was not the case. After Five Straight High School State Titles, the GVHS Head Coach came to my classroom informing me that Team GV would no longer be affiliated with the High School program, and that I would no longer be on the coaching staff. My world was crushed, that school had been my home for sixteen years, but God never closes a door without opening a window. The very next week I was offered a teaching position and the Head High School Coaching job at a brand new public charter school called Slam NV
 
Opening up a new school and building a program has been extremely challenging, but so rewarding. In our first year eligible to compete in the postseason, we had nine wrestlers in the 3A State Finals and tied a State Record of having Seven Individual State Champions. After that year, I decided to share my Head Coaching duties with my good friend, Zach Hocker, in order for each of us to provide the best for our athletes, as well as, spend more time with our families. After a difficult Covid year, we are continuing to push what our wrestlers are capable of and continuing to try to be the best in the country. We just accepted an invitation to bring the first group of wrestlers from Nevada to the prestigious Beast of the East Tournament in Delaware.
 
The biggest challenge that I have encountered as a Head High School Coach is finding athletes for the upper weight classes. Naturally, to remedy this situation, I have approached many football players, but have had little success in recruiting them to wrestling. Here are the excuses that I have heard; I do not want to wear tights, rolling around with guys is “sus, bro”, I do not want to have to “cut” weight, and I just want to focus on the weight room to prepare for next football season. I wish that they would realize how beneficial wrestling is for football players, especially; lineman, linebackers, and running backs. Here is what a football player will gain from just a season of wrestling; body positioning, foot work, hand fighting, aggressiveness, power, and overall body strength. Wanting to lift in the offseason is great, but weights do not fight back. If a football player truly wants to get stronger, give them a season of moving, pushing, and fighting another human being. That is how you develop true strength for the football field. On the other hand, I also encourage my wrestlers to do football. Give them a break from the grind of wrestling, and allow them to work and build different muscles and skills on the football field. The two sports complement each other so well.
 
I never would have had the success that I did without the support of some incredible parents, coaches and families over the years! I just wanted to give a little shout out to a few that I had not mentioned earlier; Bill Sullivan, Joe Cannon, Joey Aniciete and Khaye Aniciete, Marina Scott, Chet and Terazza Van Orden, Martin and Suzy Ojeda, Bryan and Melissa Thammavongsa, Jesse Farrer, Tony and Yvette Saldate, Bill Mitchell, Jimmy May, Travis White, Leroy and Rena Dias, Travis Harmon, Marty Mazzara, Jim Campbell, Doc, Aza and Judy Graham, Robert Avila, my best friend Fab, James Downing, Dan Burgess, Chase Pami and of course, Rob Cate (I am sorry if I missed anyone!). I am forever grateful for everything and everyone coaching wrestling has brought to my life. I have had the opportunity to travel all over the world and mold numerous young men and women, but what I am most thankful for is that coaching brought my wife, Nikki, into my life. We have four beautiful children, the two oldest have just started wrestling at Gold Rush with me coaching them, so it looks like I am going to be around for quite some time!