Don�s started his head wrestling coach career with 6 years at Lebanon High School. He then coached 11 years at Delta High School. Under his coaching the Eagles came in fourth in the 1980 State tournament, then won five straight titles and finished second in 1986. His 1981 championship team scored 99 points, the highest scored in modern wrestling. His teams went 62 straight meets without a loss, at the time a national high school record. He coached 53 state qualifiers at Delta, 33 state place-winners and 13 state champions.
Throughout his career, Don received the following awards:
� Ball State Alumnus Coach of the Year Award for 1981-1985
� Wrestling Coach of the Year Award for District 4 in 1983
� IHSWCA Coach of the Year for 1981-85
� Named a member of the Delaware Co. and the IHSWCA Halls of Fame
� Awarded the most prestigious Tom Carnegie Award for overcoming personal adversity in the pursuit of his devotion to students and the sport (Don was diagnosed with colon cancer at the age of 32).
He concluded his career as athletic director at Delta and Knightstown, where Don went on working with students as a coach and official in the sport of wrestling.
After battling another round of colon cancer and a mild heart attack in 2001, Don died of an apparent heart attack in 2003.
