Q and A with new wrestling coach

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Dean Carlson, Executive Online Editor

 

On April 25, 2023, Prospect announced their new wrestling coach and math teacher Ashton Brown. According to Prospect’s update on the matter, “Brown is in his 11th year as a teacher and spent the first four years of his career in his home state of Ohio, before moving to Illinois where he spent his last six years at Burlington Centraland Genoa Kingston High School. Brown has experience as a wrestling coach and collegiate athlete. He wrestled at Findlay University and after the completion of his collegiate career he began teaching math and coaching wrestling and football. Throughout his coaching career he’s helped to bring home three Individual IHSA State Championships for wrestling.”

 

Q: Why have you decided to start coaching at prospect?

A: “I was really excited, I’ve heard great things about [Prospect] … Teaching at a great school like that would be amazing,” Brown said.

 

Q: What do you hope to bring to our wrestling program?

A: “I would say commitment, energy, and determination to both work hard on and off the mat,” Brown said.

 

Q: How does it feel to join the Prospect community?

A: “Exciting, I really haven’t found anyone who hasn’t loved Prospect. It seems like a community that that [once a student graduates] they find their way back to Mt. Prospect to help the community. So for being such a big school, this is a very unique feel that only Prospect has,” Brown said.

 

Q: What was going through your mind when you heard your were officially coaching for us?

A: “A lot of excitement but also a lot of nervousness at the same time. I have great relationships with the kids I’ve been coaching but when one door closes, another opens. It was a lot of sadness in closing that door [of coaching the other school] with the athletes that worked really hard for me the last few years so it was a lot of mixed emotions. However, I was excited to meet the [Prospect] kids,” Brown said.

 

Q: How badly did you want to coach here and why?

A: “I wanted to coach here because Prospect has a history for success. That’s one of the things that really excited me at Prospect because, I believe, 8 of the past 9 regional championships Prospects won and they  got fourth at team state two years ago and even more than that too,” Brown said. “But I also heard great things about the kids. Through the interview process I was able to find out how much the team is willing to work hard and get better.”

 

 

“Looking back I hope we can view this season as a success for the little things such as team unity, working hard, having that culture. In the end of the day, those are the things are hard to measure but if you’re in the wrestling room you can say ‘hey man, these kids really bought in and they really worked hard everyday,'” Brown said.