Wrestling: Cumbee excited about opportunity at JCA

JOLIET – When Ryan Cumbee was a senior at Providence Catholic, he helped lead the Celtics wrestling program to a phenomenal season.

The team captain went 46-0 and earned the IHSA Class AA state title at 135 pounds, while Providence ended the season with its third consecutive dual-team championship and a No. 7 national ranking. At one point, the Celtics were the top-ranked team in the nation.

That high school career sparked something in Cumbee that continues to this day. And now, Cumbee will take his passion to Joliet Catholic Academy as the wrestling coach alongside Cory McLaughlin.

So how can a Providence alumni work at Joliet Catholic? You can credit Rudy.

“I never felt a severe rivalry with Joliet Catholic when it came to wrestling, but I did feel a camaraderie with them, as many of my good friends were the football players that I worked out with at Rudy’s Gym,” Cumbee said.

“Getting to know them firsthand at that level, when I was one of the handful of wrestlers from an opposing school, to be welcomed in and see everyone push each other because we were local area athletes trying to make each other great, that’s where my Joliet Catholic story began.”

From his freshman year in high school until his senior year of college, Cumbee trained at Rudy’s Gym. Francis “Rudy” Ruettiger pushed Cumbee and helped him feel confident and strong in his matches throughout high school and college. He credits a lot of his success to the National FitnessHall of Famer.

Cumbee had another person in his life that laid out a great foundation, his father, Tom.

Most athletes can relate to this. They want to compete in their respective sports and play at the highest level that they can.

Tom Cumbee drove in the message that wrestling would help him further his education and give him the opportunity to go to a good college and get a great education so he can be successful later in life. Throughout college, Cumbee noticed that his father was helping him make the best decision.

After competing in the Big Ten and graduating from Northwestern University, it was only natural that he started coaching.

For nine years, Cumbee returned to Providence to serve as the assistant coach under Keith Healy. In 2012, he became the head coach at Marmion Academy and found tremendous success there.

The Cadets placed second and third in 2013 and 2014, respectively, in the IHSA State finals. Five of his wrestlers took individual titles at state, with Johnny Jimenez becoming a four-time state champion, and 15 of his wrestlers were all-staters.

That’s not what he’s most proud of, however. His best accomplishment at Marmion was something his father would be proud of, too.

“I had kids making very mature decisions on where to go after high school,” Cumbee said. “My last year [at Marmion], I had five kids commit on signing day to Duke, Air Force, Princeton, Harvard and Stanford. I felt like that was the pinnacle of my coaching career.”

For two years, Cumbee took a break from coaching at the high school level so he could spend more time with family. He also co-founded Celtic Elite Wrestling Club, which is located in New Lenox, and currently instructs more than 100 kids at the grade school level.

Even at that level, Cumbee starts practice each day by talking in ‘Cumbee’s Corner.’ The kids talk about what’s going on with their lives. He wants the wrestlers to know that their coaches care about them and want them to succeed also off the mat.

He holds all of his athletes accountable. At Marmion, he had a mandatory study hall. At Joliet Catholic, he already set the precedent.

“I told them in my first meeting with them that the most impressive thing that they can show me is not getting their hand raised at the end of a match, it’s showing me a report card with their grades being the best that they can do,” Cumbee said. “I say that because I know not everyone can be a straight A student. If you can show me a report card that is your best, I will be proud.”

Cumbee has found success throughout his career and looks to continue it.

In the upcoming seasons, Cumbee will combine with McLaughlin to try and build a strong program. They want to set the expectation that they will win, and they will compete in a tougher schedule to prepare for postseason.

The potential is there according to Cumbee. Now it’s time to get to work.

“I think that going to a school with the tradition like Joliet Catholic is an ideal situation,” Cumbee said. “The wrestling program’s potential has really been untapped because there is so much talent walking through that door, not even athletically.

“There are so many good kids that walk through that door every day. I cannot wait to get to work with and coach them and make sure that they become the best athletes that they want to be. I feel like I’ve hit the jackpot here in coaching jobs in the state of Illinois.”