Madison Athletics announces the hiring of two new varsity coaches.

Both of these individuals are Cub alumni who have been involved with their sports for a number of years

In recent meetings, the School Board of Trustees approved the hiring of Phillip Wimpee as the Varsity Wrestling Coach and Kyle Harsin as the interim Varsity Baseball Coach.

“Both of these individuals are Cub alumni who have been involved with their sports for a number of years,” shared Madison Athletic Director Patric Morrison. “They both have a passion for their respective sport, an appreciation for the rich historical aspects of the programs they lead, and an interest in the student-athletes they lead that goes far beyond the mat and diamond. They both are very aware of where their programs are currently, where they want them to go, and have a solid student-centered plan to achieve the goals they have set for their team and athletes.”

Phillip Wimpee, Madison Varsity Wrestling :Wimpee is no stranger to the sport of wrestling, he’s been involved in various capacities for 19 years. He was a four-year varsity wrestler while at Madison, has been involved as an assistant and head coach at the club level, and is now a licensed official with high school and junior high tournament experience. What he looks most forward to this season is when the ‘lightbulb’ moment occurs and each athlete realizes their potential and contribution to the team. “I have a tremendous amount of love and respect for the program at Madison and for wrestling as a whole,” Wimpee shared. “I always dreamed about running a high school program one day, but I never really thought it would happen at the place that gave me so much. So although it sounds cliché it really is a dream come true.”

On this year’s team, he shared that Madison has generally been known for having a hard-nosed, physical style of wrestling. Although there are no plans of changing that, he plans to focus more heavily on positioning and wrestling at a personal best instead of having just wins and losses in mind. Combining that addition, with a practice environment more conducive to maintaining a high level of energy, he thinks the team will continue to make strides throughout the season and during the state tournament.

“Overall we are a very young team but we have several high-quality leaders in the room that our younger wrestlers are really beginning to emulate so that will serve us well as the season and years progress,” he continued. Van Skinner, Travon Resendiz, and Ally Zuckshwerdt were recently named team captains due to their work ethic and off-season output. Aside from those three, Sophomores Trenton Bivens, Taytem Anderson, and Elijah Stewart all also had productive off-seasons and either competed in or placed in high-quality tournaments.

Wimpee is a police officer for the City of Madison Police Department. “I really believe it’s a great opportunity to have an impact on the youth in the community, through both roles, and I’m excited for the challenge that being a lay coach entails,” he shared. “Lastly, I just want to reiterate how grateful I am to be in this role. I am very fortunate to have a supportive and incredibly knowledgeable coaching staff in Sam Johnson, Brandon Brawner, and Joe Stewart that have made this transition a lot easier. Each of them brings their own strengths and experiences and together I believe that will pay big dividends for the future of the program.

Kyle Harsin, Madison Varsity Baseball Born and raised in Madison, some of Harsin’s fondest childhood memories are of playing little league baseball at Rucker Sports Complex, then on to play high school baseball at MCHS, summers on the American Legion Post 9 teams, and ultimately college baseball at the University of Louisville and Hanover College have combined to create the foundation for a life-long passion as Harsin steps in to lead the Cubs. “It's an honor to be coaching at my high school alma mater which has a rich baseball history,” he shared.

Returning a very strong senior class, Harsin looks for all eight to contribute. “That is a luxury that few coaches get to experience,” he stated. “Offensively, I see us making big steps this year. To add to that, we have a deep pitching staff with a lot of varsity experience. It will be our job as coaches to get this group to play loose, confident, and aggressive.” Mixing in a number of underclassmen, this team is both talented on the field and as a group of individuals. “We have a very talented group of players with lots of valuable high school baseball experience but I am especially excited to get to work with our baseball coaching staff,” he reflected. “I am very fortunate to get to coach with some of the best baseball minds in the area.”

Following some pretty iconic names and influences such as Coach Bob Kring, Coach Mike Modisett, Coach Gary O’Neal, and Coach Delbert Liter and the values they instilled in him as a youth, Harsin will continue to build on high standards and accountability. “The thing that I will keep the same is that I will continue to hold our players to a high standard on and off the field,” he shared. “When you get to play baseball in a program as rich in history as Madison, you not only represent your teammates, but you are representing your school and the city of Madison.” Look for the team to be more involved in community service and engagement projects, as well as, working with younger Cubs as they develop their game.

In addition to baseball, Harsin is the Sales Manager at Environmental Laboratories located in Madison