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Will Stewart 

Joined: 09/18/1999 Posts: 79529
Likes: 81277


Email from Dresser (sent out to his mailing list).


I'm sure most of you guys are on that list, but here's the email.

---------------------------------

To the Hokie Nation, all of its fans and supporters, and to my team and staff:

In April 2006, I was given the privilege and the honor of becoming the Head Wrestling Coach at Virginia Tech. During my 11 seasons here, I along with many, many others have built a Division I wrestling powerhouse. I am so proud to be able to say that. And I am very sad today to resign as the Head Wrestling Coach at Virginia Tech.

As you all know, I have been offered the job at Iowa State University. Late last night, I accepted. I realize that to many on the outside, the timing of this resignation might not appear great. However, the young men of this program know how prepared they are -- with or without me. Tony Robie, Mike Zadick, and Derek St. John have done the lion's share of the work in the room to get this team ready for another Top 5 run in St. Louis, and potentially more.
I take pride in knowing that I hired the best staff in the nation and they can get it done. With that said, I want to thank my three assistant coaches, as well as Sean Collins -- you are the ones who have made this an unbelievable place for me.

I feel I am leaving this team and this program in great shape. And I am confident that the next four weeks will confirm that fact as we approach the ACC tournament and the NCAA championships.

Why Iowa State, you might ask. And -- why now? Iowa State is 45 minutes from where I grew up. It is where I saw my first college wrestling match, and it is where I fell in love with the sport of wrestling. It also is where my family still lives -- including my 75-year-old mother and my only brother. It is, frankly, one of only a very VERY few places that could ever take me away from Virginia Tech.

Iowa State has offered me a HUGE challenge -- a challenge that excites me. The job will be my last hurrah in the world of college wrestling -- and it offers a chance for me to take my family back to where I grew up. Unfortunately, opportunity does not always have great timing, and it is not always predictable. I was offered the job at this time and taking it meant agreeing to accept it now.

To the Hokie Nation, I want to say Thank You. This place and this fan base are so special to me. I hope you feel my contributions over the past 11 years have made a positive impact on this university. I walk out with my head held high. It has been a great ride. It is time for me to pass the torch and go back home one last time.

To the parents of the current wrestlers and the parents of the incoming freshmen, your sons will be in great hands. I wouldn't leave if they weren't.

To the members of this team, I hope in time you will understand this move. I have a chance to go home and make a difference just like I was able to do at Virginia Tech 11 seasons ago. This team will continue to do great things -- with or without Kevin Dresser.

To all of the people who work in Cassell Coliseum -- all I can say is: Thank You and You Are The Best! I have loved coming to work every day since April of 2006.

To Whit Babcock and Chris Helms, thank you for all the support you have provided. Chris Helms, you have become a valued confidant, Thank You. Whit Babcock, you gave me a 5-year contract when not many coaches in the sport of wrestling had a 5-year contract. Whit raised the bar for Virginia Tech Wrestling every time I asked for more. Whit stepped up again this time to keep me in Blacksburg. But this opportunity was different. Thank you Whit for your efforts!

In closing, I have learned that the best way to describe me is as a "builder." And as it appears, 10 years is about my shelf life. Virginia Tech is in a great place and now I get an opportunity to rebuild one of the most storied programs in wrestling history.

I leave VT as a Forever Hokie. I leave feeling like we did a very good job. I will not start my day-to-day coaching duties until after the NCAA tournament. So until then, I look forward to attending the ACC Championships and, of course, the NCAA Championships as a fan.

Thank you for allowing me to be your Coach.
Kevin Dresser

P.S. If you would like to reach out to me, my personal email is [email protected]. As you can imagine, the next couple of weeks will be very busy during this transition, but I will respond to everyone eventually.

Posted: 02/20/2017 at 4:37PM



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Current Thread:
 
  
Email from Dresser (sent out to his mailing list). -- Will Stewart  02/20/2017 4:37PM
  Class! ** -- Jeffrey4VT 02/20/2017 7:19PM
  That's a great email ** -- hokieinking 02/20/2017 5:31PM
  Tell him he has to agree to schedule VT every year ** -- bigbadbird 02/20/2017 5:06PM

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