(Harlan) Harlan wrestling coach John Murtaugh is known for his classic one liners. He’s the guest this week on “Why I Coach.”
He spent the first 17 years of his professional career at Wayne, NE before returning to his hometown of Harlan. Murtaugh says the reason he got into coaching was to make a difference in kid’s lives. “I don’t coach because I want to have a certain dual record. I don’t even know what it is. I coach because I want to make a difference in kid’s lives. It’s not about me, it’s about them. I’ve been lucky to coach a lot of great kids and along with great kids come great sets of parents.”
Murtaugh has also been a staple of Harlan’s football success where he serves as the defensive coordinator. “One of the things I enjoy the most, because I’ve been in other places where you don’t have this, in Harlan the kids want to win just as much as we do as coaches. When you have that, everyone is pulling together and coaching football is a pretty easy business in Harlan. We prepare our tails off, but the kids are right along side us. They want to get to the dome, they want to win championships. It doesn’t always work out, but by gosh they show up every Friday night and give it all they’ve got.”
Coach says when he took over the Harlan wrestling program he had to crack down on discipline and crank up the work ethic. Another important element was to make a wrestling family. “I started out and I backed off and gradually picked it up as the years went along. We started morning workouts. We’ve done that for probably ten or so years. We come in every morning at 7:00 and either lift or drill and then we condition and have an afternoon practice. If I would tell the kids next year we weren’t going to have a morning practice they’d look at me like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ because it’s our culture now. They don’t even bat an eye. I always say in wrestling you have to go through hell to get to heaven. You have to work and work and work. Early you are going to get your butt beat around, but you have to keep working at it and eventually you’ll reach the promised land. Whatever that might be for you.”
Murtaugh was asked how much longer he plans to keep coaching. “I don’t know? How long until I die,” he jokes. “I can retire in two years. I don’t know, I really still enjoy it and I feel like I’m making a difference with kids. What am I going to do? I have very few hobbies. I love doing what I’m doing. I’ll keep doing it and hopefully my health will cooperate with me. I have no idea, that’s the short answer. I don’t have a clue.
He gives a lot of credit to current assistants Matt Hoch and Broghan Kelly for helping him continue doing what he’s doing. Murtaugh says Kenard Carstens was one of the main influences on him in his younger years.
***Photos Courtesy of Mike Oeffner, Harlan Newspapers
Previous Coaches
John Kesselring, Adair-Casey alum
Eric Maassen, (AHST grad) Sheldon
Jerome Hoegh, Atlantic grad (West Sioux)
Gaylord Schelling, Atlantic and Tri-Center
Dick Strittmatter, Atlantic native
Chad Klein, Audubon Native (Kuemper Catholic and Boone)
In Memory of Bob Monahan, Audubon (Monte Riebhoff)
In Memory of Bob Monahan, Audubon (Steve Ahrendsen)
In Memory of Bob Monahan, Audubon (Scott Weber)
In Memory of Bob Monahan, Audubon (Curt Mace)
Chris Stimson, Elk Horn-Kimballton
Jan Jensen, Elk Horn-Kimballton alum
Seth Poldberg, EH-K grad and Guthrie Center coach
Trevor Gipple, (Griswold grad) SW Valley
Angie Spangenberg, Harlan and Red Oak
Eric Stein (Harlan grad) Iowa Central
Darrell Burmeister, Nodaway Valley
Lanny Kliefoth, Nodaway Valley
