High school wrestling: McHenry coach Will Gaddy set to retire after 21 seasons

Before Thursday’s dual match against Huntley, the McHenry wrestling program recognized the graduating seniors who were about to compete in their final home dual. Longtime McHenry coach Will Gaddy stood next to the mat and shook hands with his seniors and their parents.

There was no mention or fanfare made of the fact it also was the last home dual for Gaddy, who said afterward he is retiring from coaching at the end of the season, his 21st with the Warriors.

"Been around a long time, and that's kind of hard on a head wrestling coach because coaching wrestling is so demanding. It just wears on you," Gaddy said. "But I've loved every minute of it. Gotten to know a lot of really good kids and families, and I wouldn't trade any of it for the world."

Gaddy has coached the Warriors for 21 seasons but said he wants to be able to spend more time with his family, especially his 13-year-old son. “He wrestles, plays football, baseball. … I want to be a good dad for him,” Gaddy said. He will remain on campus as a teacher.

“It’s always hard to replace somebody like that,” McHenry athletic director Barry Burmeister said. “I imagine he’ll probably walk out of here and, if I had my choice, he’d be walking right out of here into the Wrestling Hall of Fame in Illinois. But I’m sure he will always be here, still be a resource we can use. He’s still going to teach here, and I’m sure we can lean on him if we need some of his expertise. We’ll adjust and we’ll go forward.”

Burmeister said Gaddy first brought up leaving his coaching position last season, but Burmeister talked him into staying for another year.

“I don’t think that I’ll be that lucky to be able to talk him into it again this year,” Burmeister said.

Asked what Gaddy has meant to McHenry, Burmeister said, “It means that I don’t have to worry about what the shape or condition of our wrestling program was going to be, I know it’s in good hands."

Gaddy entered this season with a 280-125 overall dual record at McHenry. The Warriors are 11-8 this season in what Gaddy calls a rebuilding year. Last season, the Warriors won the regular-season Fox Valley Conference Valley Division title and sent four wrestlers to state (second best in school history), with one placing.

“If you ask him, he’ll say the kids are the special ones, he’ll say the kids are special," Burmeister said. "If you ask me, it takes a special coach to get the kids to be as successful as we have been."

Burmeister said they have yet to think about the search for a new coach because they still are focusing on this season.

The Warriors have one home date on the calendar, as they are scheduled to host a 3A regional Feb. 2.

“We’re hosting regionals, so that’ll be a nice way to send him out, we put on a pretty good show here,” Burmeister said.