Jefferson family special to Briggs

CEDAR RAPIDS - He has been the modern-day patriarch of Cedar Rapids Jefferson wrestling.

Dick Briggs seemed destined for that role, growing up in the J-Hawks family as a 1974 graduate and still living within the shadow of his childhood home on the Westside. Everything about Briggs bleeds Columbia blue.

His 33rd season at the helm of his alma mater promises to be memorable. Not only will it mark the final time he will coach his son, Kyle, but the J-Hawks will travel to an out-of-state tournament hosted by a team coached by his former wrestler Brian Bos, a member of Briggs' first Jefferson squad.

Briggs' tenure began in the 1983-84 season when Bos was a junior. Now, Bos is the head coach at Pipestone (Minn.) High School. Briggs said he accidentally stumbled across the six-team round-robin dual tournament in an online calendar, and jumped at the chance for a reunion.

'I was so excited to take the team up to Minnesota and see Brian again,” said Briggs, who has shared the co-head coach title with another former J-Hawk Matt Orton the last four seasons. 'I haven't seen him in years. He's had a very successful career in Pipestone. I'm not sure we would have went there if it wasn't for Brian being there.”

As a relatively young coach, who took over after a brief stint at Cedar Rapids Washington, Briggs remembered the strong bond he had with Bos and teammate Darrell Long. They helped turn a team with a losing record into Mississippi Valley Conference champions, tallying the first 17 of Briggs' 264 career dual victories.

'He and Darrell Long were two of the guys that went everywhere in the spring and summer,” said Briggs, who placed fourth at state as a senior and was a member of state champion teams for Coach Bill McNiel. 'Every weekend they would go and it was sort of the three of us.

'It made us a lot closer. I always have a great appreciation for Brian.”

After the J-Hawks return from the Jan. 2 tournament, Briggs will have just a month left in a cherished dual role of dad/coach. Kyle, unbeaten and ranked second at 152 by The Predicament, will graduate bringing a 'bittersweet” end to an era that began about 11 years ago.

'I'm in it for the journey and he's in it for the awards,” Briggs said. 'No matter what happens right now, it's been an awesome ride.”

The ride started slow. Briggs limited his son's exposure to competition when he began about age 6. He only allowed him to attend one practice a week, instead of two, and permitted him to wrestle in one tournament. The event 12 years ago remains a fresh memory, but it was much different from the numerous bouts he previously coached.

'I can remember it like it was yesterday,” Briggs said. 'It was at Jefferson. I had coached thousands of wrestling matches at that point of my life. You get nervous, excited and all the emotions you get from coaching but all of a sudden you have this 5- or 6-year-old on the mat and I was a wreck. I struggled. When the match was over I thought, ‘Who was that guy?' The dad part of me had kicked in.”

Plenty of losses occurred during those early years, but the younger Briggs could always count on his dad to be there. Kyle Briggs recalled that fun was encouraged and that helped develop love for the sport. They share that affection for wrestling and Kyle Briggs plans to continue the sport in college.

'I think it's been great,” said Kyle Briggs, who is undecided where he will attend. 'All I've ever known is having him help me every step of the way.”

Having him matside for matches has been a comforting sight. Briggs was there each time his son earned state medals, placing seventh and eighth, respectively.

'It's definitely a confidence boost,” Kyle Briggs said. 'He's kind of like my Yoda. He's got my back. He's watching over me.”

There is no question as to who the better wrestler is, whether that is now or then. Dick Briggs was adamant on who takes the top prize in the house.

'He's way better than I ever was,” Dick Briggs said. 'That is another source of pride as well. I like how he loves the sport.”

Things aren't always smooth just like any parent-teenager relationship. Sometimes an intermediary is necessary to teach lessons. Other coaches or drill partners step in to convey messages from one to the other.

'I think we have all suffered through some of those frustrations with our own kids,” Orton said. 'Sometimes it's easier to buffer through the third party.”

Dick Briggs said his son regularly watches wrestling video and initiates discussions, making it easier to slip in some coaching. The roles blend together, but the environment changes the tone of the interaction.

'There's not really a difference,” Kyle Briggs said. 'We kind of mesh them together. There is a certain amount of tolerance between us. He's always my coach and always my dad in any situation.”

They have similarities, including a no-fear attitude and penchant to embrace challenges.

Dick Briggs is a sky diving enthusiast. The 17-year-old Briggs has already inquired about jumping with his dad when he is able to after his February birthday. Not surprising from someone who was determined to run a marathon without formal training just because we was not impressed with others accomplishing it.

On a fall evening following school, Kyle Briggs borrowed his mom's car, drove out a 26-mile route across the Metro, changed and then ran it in a little more than five hours. He didn't take keys, his phone and didn't let anyone know his course. The rest of his family drove by him as he finished the run in the dark.

'Part of me was proud,” Briggs said before chuckling. 'Part of me thought of it as dumb.”

Kyle Briggs was just the second J-Hawk in program history to qualify for state as a freshman. He has had success on the mat, but the growth, work ethic and leadership shown outside of competition is just as impressive to both dad and coach.

'He's a very focused and driven kid,” Briggs said. 'He's still able to grow and giving help and advice to the younger guys.”

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

'It mostly comes from him,” Kyle Briggs said. 'It's not like he coached me to it. He taught me as a kid you don't stop and take anything for granted. You have to work for what you want.”

Dick Briggs has fostered a family attitude throughout the Jefferson program for more than three decades. It is common for former wrestlers to return to the room, a dual or tournament for solace from their daily troubles. The program welcomes them with open arms, and Briggs is a big reason.

'It's not just about wrestling,” said Orton, who was the second of 10 state champions and one of more than 130 state qualifiers under Briggs. 'Throughout the time he has been there, I think people find a home in the family of Jefferson wrestling. It's always been the case.”

The clock with his son on the team is ticking down, but his time with the program could be, too. The 59-year-old retired teacher is uncertain when his time with the J-Hawk family will close. He is already the dean of MVC coaches, holding his post about 15 years longer than Linn-Mar's Doug Streicher. When he took the reins, he was the sixth coach in program history and joined famous names like Gary Kurdelmeier and McNiel, and those will like be turned to the sole possession of Orton.

'It would be strange not having him there,” Orton said. 'It would be weird not having him for anything, a practice, tournament or dual.

'He's been a part of Jefferson since I've known Jefferson. ”

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