North Bend wrestling coaches Ralph Swanson and Gary Prince are working with the team as interim coaches and oversee their first Coast Classic wrestling tournament this weekend. World Photo by Lou Sennick.

NORTH BEND — In sports, there are coaches and there are students.

North Bend’s newest wrestling coach, Gary Prince, can be considered a mixture of both. The longtime assistant football coach recently filled the program’s coaching vacancy after initial candidates Clint and Ben Messner dropped out for personal reasons.

While standing outside the team’s sweat-polished wrestling room Wednesday, Prince admitted he felt somewhat out of place as the new coach, considering his experience.

“I have none,” he said with a laugh. “I went to college at Southern Oregon University and back then, they had a great program, so I heard. That’s about all my experience.”

In a most comical and welcoming manner, Prince was being dead serious. He took over the job with the intention of guiding a dedicated group of young athletes while learning their trade on the fly.

“It’s an entirely different animal,” he said of wrestling. “I knew these guys trained hard, but man, this really is something else.

“I’m starting to pick things up more. Their conditioning makes it easy for me. All I have to do is run them into the ground.”

Although a novice to the sport, Prince has a superb understanding for the athletes he coaches, which stems from his mentoring as a football coach and full-time teacher.

“He’s been here ... for a long time and knew our kids and certainly demonstrated that he knew how to work with the kids and that he had the right type of attitude,” said North Bend Athletic Director Boyd Bjorkquist. “We thought things were going to work out to have Clint and Ben coach, but things changed for them. It just didn’t fit together anymore. We were down to the start of the season and getting ready to go, and Gary showed a willingness to do it.”

Without sufficient knowledge for the sport, however, Prince said his enthusiasm only could take the athletes so far. Hence, he recruited the program’s lion-hearted volunteer coach, Ralph Swanson, to join him as a co-head coach.

“He’s made a huge difference for this team,”  Prince said. “He has history at this school and his experience goes a long way, and we’ve just had a blast so far.”

Swanson’s legacy is literally written on the wrestling room walls, emblazoned with photographs and mottos — not to mention his name printed beneath the inscription: 1979 state champions. Swanson was part of that storied six-man squad that won the school’s first team state title.

“Having a coach like that definitely gets you excited,” said senior Korey Karavanich. “We’ve got a young team, and it definitely helps having coaches that get behind you.”

Swanson’s pedigree is a plus, but it carries little weight in building a championship team, he said.

“Success comes mainly with hard work and dedication, and the kids build that for themselves,” Swanson added. “I’m just hoping to be a part of it.

“That’s something I’ve always enjoyed doing — staying a part of this program. Wrestling is definitely something I take a lot of pride in, and it’s something I have a lot of special memories with here.”

The latest came last year when he and former coach David Allison, who was one of his teammates on the 1979 team, guided four wrestlers to place at state, including Shaun Fletcher who placed first in the 135-pound division.

“That was a very special team,” Swanson recalled. “You’re privileged to coach kids like that.”

Unlike the 2006-2007 Bulldogs, this year’s team is short on veterans but not spirit. Like their coaches, they’ve set the bar high.

“Our goal is to compete for a district title, and we can do that if we train for it,” Swanson said. “We’ve been working the kids’ butts off, trying to get them in shape.”

“I can’t believe how hard they work at practice,” Prince added. “Sometimes, I’ll even ask them what else they want to do.”

Regardless of their experience, both coaches have built the Bulldogs’ work ethic into a well-oiled machine.

“They both get after us,” said senior Nathan Kelly. “They command respect and everybody gives to them.”

Together, Swanson and Prince have created a productive character foil, with Prince’s administrative skills complementing Swanson’s wrestling savvy.

Each referred to the other as a blessing.

“I’m terrible with paper work and scheduling events and weigh-ins. That’s where Gary comes in. He handles the hard stuff,” Swanson said.

Or as Bjorkquist put it:

“Gary doesn’t know wrestling, and Ralph knows wrestling and not organization.”

That odd-couple combination gets its first major test this weekend at the 23rd-annual Coast Classic, a premiere tournament — held in North Bend’s home gym of all places — with several top programs in attendance.

“It’s going to be a big weekend for this team,” Prince said. “It’s your home court and you’ve got to have a good showing.”

Both coaches mainly hope the kids enjoy the experience, much like the season.

“They’re going to be put to the test this weekend, and they need to do is have fun with it,” Swanson said. “Hopefully, we’ll all give it our best.”