Wrestling: Pope John tabs Stewart as new coach

It didn't take Pope John long to find its new wrestling coach.

Bob Stewart was hired on Thursday to take over the Sussex County program. Athletic director Mia Gavan confirmed Stewart's hiring when reached on Friday. Gavan did not have a phone number for the new coach, but did provide an e-mail address. Stewart did not immediately return an e-mail message seeking comment.

"We liked the overall package," Gavan said when asked what the school liked about Stewart.

Stewart has been involved with the Sparta Pride recreation program, a feeder for Pope John. According to his bio on the Pride's website, Stewart wrestled for Minisink Valley High School in Slate Hill, N.Y., from 1976-79. He was a two-time district champion a region placewinner in 1979.

Stewart wrestled on the college level at Orange Community College and East Stroudsburg University. He received a Bachelor's of Science in Health and Physical Education Education at ESU in 1984.

As for his coaching experience, Stewart was the head man at Washingtonville (N.Y.) High School from 1986-87 and founded the Wizards Wrestling Club in 1986. He was inducted into the Minisink Valley High School Hall of Fame in 2006.

At Pope John, Stewart succeeds Bill Koch, who was told he would not be rehired following the season earlier this month. Koch guided the Lions for six seasons, compiling a 44-85 dual meet record. The Lions finished 4-15 this past season after a very successful 17-4 campaign in 2011-12 -- the only winning season during Koch's tenure.

Individually, Koch coached three District 3 champions and 12 other Region 1 qualifiers. The Lions put six wrestlers in the 2011 District 3 finals and sent seven to Region 1 that season. Koch, a former Region 1 qualifier at Mount Olive, took over a program that was at rock bottom in 2006. It appeared that he had the Lions going in the right direction with a total of 12 Region 1 qualifiers the last two seasons, though dual meets wins were still hard to come by.

Despite Koch's short-term success, Gavan said the school decided to go in a "different direction."

"Bill worked hard and gave it all he had," Gavan said. "The program isn't where we want it to be. We want it sitting above .500, getting kids to regionals, and bringing kids in on a regular basis. It was our decision to move forward and revamp the program."

Pope John has been rumored for some time to be seeking a coach that had ties with club programs in order to attract kids to a high school program that's fought declining numbers over the years.

In fairness to Koch, Pope John hasn't been a consistent winner in nearly two decades. The Lions' last state tournament appearance was in 1994, when they captured the Parochial North B championship -- the program's last of five state titles.

Nonetheless, Gavan feels Stewart is the man to bring the program back to its glory days.

"We feel like he can revive the program," she said.