Briggs earns 200th career dual win

Cedar Rapids Jefferson Coach Dick Briggs surpassed the 200-dual win mark last Thursday, guiding the J-Hawks to victories over Cedar Falls and Iowa City High. Briggs owns a 201-136-2 record in his 28th season at Jefferson.

Briggs dismissed the milestone. He acknowledged it might be good for the school or something for the wrestlers to take pride in, but doesn't matter personally.

“No, I don't care,” Briggs said of the feat. “It's just a number.

“I'm not a numbers guy, I guess.”

The number may not seem like much in a day when teams wrestle more than 20 duals a year. Dual tournaments are more prevalent than traditional invitational tournaments, raising dual and individual win totals. Briggs prefers invitational competition.

“I always felt it was more important for me to get my kids ready for the tournament,” Briggs said. “To do that it's better to wrestle in tournament formats.”

Briggs, a state placewinner for Jefferson in 1974 and a two-time All-American at the University of Northern Iowa, has coached 111 state qualifiers, 41 state medalists and 10 state champs. His teams have won five state team trophies, including a runner-up finish in 1990 when he was named the Class 3A Coach of the Year.

“It's pretty neat because I've had a lot of good kids through the years,” Briggs said.