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About Our
Wrestling Coaches
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Coach Bert Newton
is in his third year at Mountain Brook as head Coach for the
Spartans’ wrestling team. Coach Newton was a two time state champion
as a high
school student at Homewood High School. After collegiate wrestling at
Anderson College in South Carolina, Coach Newton earned his BS degree
in education from the University of Montevallo. Coach Newton comes to
Mountain brook from Spain Park High School where he coached football
and wrestling. He brings many years of experience as both a coach and
a wrestler to our team. Coach Newton is married to
JoAnna, and has a baby girl named Reese.
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Coach Steve
Knutson
began
his wrestling career as a seventh grader in the fall of 1989. After
middle school, Knutson became a starter for the Buccaneer varsity team
at Berry High, and was a three time starter, 5th in 1992, 2nd in 1994
and 4th in 1995). By the time Knutson graduated from high school, he
held the school record for the most victories. Coach Knutson was the
inaugural coach at Berry middle School. Under Coach Knutson's
leadership, the Berry Bucs were the 1997 Jefferson county Champions.
Moving up to coach the freshman team at Hoover High, Coach Knutson had
the Bucs finishing as the Jefferson county Runner-ups. For the 2000
season, Coach Knutson was named head Assistant for the varsity team
where he remained through the 2005 season. While at Hoover, Coach
Knutson's Bucs finished 5th in 2000, 4th in 2001 and 2004, runner-ups
in 2002, and were the 6A Champions in both 2003 and 2005. At Mountain
Brook we have finished 13th in 2006 and 2007, and 9th
in 2008. Coach Knutson has coached 16 state champions, 16 runner-ups,
11 third place finishers, 6 fourth place finishers, one All American
and two All American Honorable Mentions. In 2002, Wrestling USA
Magazine named Knutson as the National Assistant Coach of the year.
Coach Knutson holds a BS degree in kinesiology. |
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Coach Justin Luck
was a three year
lettermen at Hoover High School. Due to his dedication to the team and
the sport of wrestling he was a two time recipient of the "Justin
Tucker Award". Luck also was awarded the Skull and Crossbones
Award for toughness. Justin was an integral member of two 6A
State Championship teams (2003 and 2005). A 6A State Tournament
Qualifier and an NHSCA National Tournament Qualifier (Junior year). As
a coach Justin started very young. Luck would
spend two nights a week helping with the youth league team, even after
his own practice had ended. Justin took his three years of youth
league experience and applied that last year as an assistant at Bumpus
Middle School. Justin is an outstanding young man with a firm
grasp of the techniques and philosophy of the coaching staff. He
will be a very valuable asset to the program.
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Coach John
Milton John Milton is a 2002
graduate from Oak Mountain High School. He began wrestling as a 9th
grader at Pelham High School and then wrestled for the varsity team at
Oak Mountain High School his sophomore through senior year, In 2002
John placed 3rd at 160lbs in the 5A state tournament. John
attended the University of North Alabama where he received his B.S. in
Social Science Education. While in college, he coached football and
wrestling at Deshler High School for four years. After college, John
began his graduate degree at Troy University where he served as a
graduate assistant to the Troy University football team. After two
years in Troy working with the Troy University football team for a
year and working at a local high school for another year, John returns
home to Birmingham to begin his first year at Mountain Brook. John
teaches 9th grade World History at the Junior High School
and also coaches football.
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Coach Jeff Harris
graduated
from Homewood high School and attended UAB where he earned a BS degree in
physical education. For the past three years, Coach Harris has been teaching
physical education at Mountain brook Junior High. He coaches the running
backs in the varsity football program in addition to assisting Coach Newton
in wrestling. Prior to coaching at Mountain Brook, Coach Harris taught and
coached in the Hoover School System for ten years. During his tenure in
Hoover, Coach Harris served as head football coach, head wrestling coach,
and athletic director at Berry Middle School. He also served as the Metro
South league president from 1998 to 2001. In ten years, Coach Harris’
football teams won three Metro South Championships and three second place
finishes. As head wrestling coach at berry, his teams won two Jefferson
County Championships, one second place finish and one third place finish.
Coach Harris spent four years as Coach Newton’s freshman wrestling coach at
Spain park High School. Kristie, Coach Harris’ wife, also teaches at
Mountain Brook Junior high, and they have one six year old daughter, Maci. |
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Coach Sean Moran grew
up in Olean, N.Y. He began college at Muskingum College in central
Ohio, where he played football and baseball. This is his ninth year
in Mountain Brook. Coach Moran coached varsity softball for three
years and JV soccer for two seasons. Sean began coaching football at
the Junior High for two years, and then went to the ninth grade for
three years. Coach Moran coached the junior high wrestling team for
seven years where the program has expanded from 20 wrestlers to an
average of 55 wrestlers over the last 5 seasons. During his time at
the Junior High, Mountain Brook has had two third place finishes, two
fourth place finishes and a fifth place finish in the county
championships in the last five years. Presently, Sean Moran coaches
running backs on the varsity, junior high wrestling and high school
baseball. Coach Moran’s wife is Kelli Moran and he has two daughters,
Kacie is 11 and Jordan is 9. |
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Coach
Tad Brisendine
is in his seventh year of teaching physical education at Cherokee Bend
Elementary. Coach Brisendine has been an assistant wrestling coach for
three years at Mountain Brook Junior High. Coach Brisendine has both
his BS and MA in physical education from the University of Alabama at
Birmingham. Coach Brisendine spent 4 years in US Navy stationed abored
the USS Rueben James (FFG-57) out of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Coach
Brisendine has completed 2 deployments to the Persian Gulf. Coach
Brisendine is 2-time Ironman Triathlon and 12-time marathon
finisher. Coach Brisendine is recipient of the Runner's World
Magazine's "Golden Shoe Award" which recognizes individuals who have
contributed and Influenced the running community.
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