Coach Tyler Olson
Pictures and Content Courtesy of Tyler Olson
My name is Tyler Olson. I am the Head Coach of the boys and girls wrestling teams at West Wendover High School. I grew up in St. George, Utah. I am married to my best friend Sage, and we have a beautiful daughter AnnaMae who is almost two. Her first steps were actually on a wrestling mat during the summer camp that we host. Watch out Wrestling World! She is coming! I enjoy wrestling, hunting, fishing, and spending time with my family.
I did not start wrestling until I was a Senior in high school. I picked up the sport and the technique very quickly, and I loved every second of it. The main reason I chose to wrestle was because of my Head Coach Warren Richins. To this day he is still one of my idols. He is an incredible role model for youth in Southern Utah, and had a huge impact on my life. I had a decent record my Senior year, and I just missed qualifying for State that year in Utah due to a shoulder injury.
I developed a deep love of the sport of wrestling from my coach, Warren Richins. After I graduated from high school he invited me back to be an Assistant Coach. After Coach Richins was offered a position at his Alma Mater I was able to coach under the incredible Brian Pace. I coached at Desert Hills High School in St. George, Utah. Coaching at Desert Hills was an incredible experience, and I was able to help many young athletes medal in the State Tournament, and we had the opportunity to see many Champions along the way as well.
While coaching at Desert Hills I was attending Dixie State University, where I graduated with my degree in Dducation. I chose to pursue a career in Education so that I could coach as my job. I love coaching, and I love my career and how it allows me to coach and do what I love. After graduating in 2020 I found a small town in rural Nevada that was in need of teachers, and in need of coaches. I accepted the position and immediately fell in love with the community. While coaching under some incredible coaches I was able to develop my own coaching philosophy “I prioritize instilling discipline and hard work, emphasizing academic success, character development, and mental toughness in my wrestlers. I believe that wins and losses are secondary to continuous improvement and effort, fostering a team environment focused on lifelong skills and community involvement.”
After graduating with my degree in Education we moved to West Wendover, Nevada. My first year coaching here at West Wendover High School was a lot of fun. We had a total of seven wrestlers on the team–five boys and two girls. Sadly both girls were unable to wrestle in the postseason due to injuries, but all five of the boys on the team Qualified for State that year. The weekend of State four were able to travel, and the four who traveled, all medaled in the State Tournament. With Four State Medalists I decided I needed to recruit and grow the team to show the rest of the state that “Little West Wendover” had potential. The following year I was named as the Head Coach and the program grew like crazy. We recruited six girls and an astounding Twenty boys. That year the team had Twelve State Qualifiers, and Five Medals were brought home–including the school’s First State Champion in eight seasons!
Now that we are in my second year here, we are growing, and we are young losing so only two Seniors. We are returning ten girls, two of whom are Medalists at the 2024 State Tournament, and 25 boys. Plus, we are adding some of the younger ones to the roster who will be joining the high school team after wrestling for a few years on the Middle School / USA teams. WWHS has a bright future in the sport of wrestling. This team has been the biggest underdog story I’ve seen in small rural Northern Nevada. The kids are hardworking and talented, and the coaches that I have working by my side here at WWHS bring just as much, if not more, to the table than I do! Coach Steve Graham, Coach Joe Rivera, and Coach Lusio Gonzales III are all incredible coaches and have pushed me to be a better coach, and have helped push the students to achieve their goals and reach their full potential.