WDC hires new head and assistant wrestling coaches

Wadena-Deer Creek School District has hired Brad Wollum as the next head wrestling coach starting this 2021 season.

Wollum is in his fifth year as a science teacher at Wadena-Deer Creek High School and has served as a volunteer coach in the Wolverine wrestling program. He currently serves as an assistant in the highly successful WDC track and field program, according to a news release from WDC Schools.

Wollum was a recipient of last year's "Educator of Excellence Award" by Sourcewell and is known for implementing aviation and drone classes for WDC students.

Wollum is no stranger to success in prep wrestling. As a 2009 Canby High School graduate, he was part of one of the more storied programs in the state of Minnesota. Canby was a two-time state finalist during Wollum’s career, including a state title. Individually, Wollum advanced to the state tournament three times, finishing as a state runner-up as a junior and a third-place finisher as a senior. He has been involved in coaching at Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City and Canby schools prior to his career at Wadena-Deer Creek.

“Brad is an excellent teacher and coach,” said WDC Activities Director Norm Gallant. “We worked together when I was head coach and I know he has the right demeanor, work ethic, and personal character to be a successful head coach. I look forward to what he can do with our student-athletes in the wrestling program. He is well liked and builds great relationships with students. He has a great network of people from which to seek advice in coaching and will be a great addition to our school’s head coaching staff.”

Joining Wollum as an assistant will be Anthony Kern. Kern was hired last year as an elementary physical education teacher at Wadena-Deer Creek. Kern volunteered with the wrestling program last season and also brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the coaching staff, according to the WDC Schools news release.

Kern is a Verndale High School graduate where he was a three-time state entrant for the Bertha-Hewitt-Verndale Raiders, including a sixth-place finish as a junior. He also participated in the State Tournament with the team in 2014. He continued his wrestling career at Minnesota State University-Moorhead. Kern said he has "a passion to help student-athletes succeed in wrestling and in life," and his philosophy is to "get 1-percent better each day."

Gallant said WDC is excited for Kern to be an assistant in the school's wrestling program.

"I remember him as a high school wrestler. He was a great competitor and a class person. He also has a great work ethic and is an excellent teacher. He will relate well to our students and is an exceptional role model," said Gallant.

The duo replaces Kyle Hagen, who served as co-head coach from 2015-2018 and head coach last season, and his brother Jeremy Hagen, who was an assistant from 2015-2020.