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Published 8:51 PM EST Feb 27, 2020
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West Valley wrestling coach Dan Eckley held the silver whistle in his mouth as 'Eye of the Tiger' began to blast over the speakers in an isolated building at the school on Tuesday afternoon.
It was one last final charge for the soft-spoken, yet firm 68-year-old man, as his six boys shadow wrestled.
The final six minutes that Eckley would ever coach at West Valley. After the timer went off, he gathered his students for one last huddle and led them in a final '1 2 3 Eagles!' chant.
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After being the face of wrestling in the North State, Eckley — a California Wrestling Hall of Famer and Chico State Sports Hall of Famer — will retire after this weekend's CIF State Wrestling tournament in Bakersfield.
He made the decision to spend more time watching his grandchildren who are coming of age and competing in sports. Eckley's grandson Jackson Walker, a 5-foot-10 guard, made the varsity basketball team as a freshman. Eckley has eight other grandsons who live in Nebraska and Pennsylvania. All of them wrestle.
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'I've only been able to watch Jackson's game a little bit and then the only thing I get from my grandsons in Pennsylvania and Nebraska (on video),” Eckley said. “Those are fun but I want to be part of their lives. It's now that time.'
Eckley leaves West Valley as the winningest coach in CIF Northern Section wrestling history. He has a dual meet record of 341-62-2 and his teams finished in the top five of the CIF Northern Master’s Tournament in 23 of 30 years.
His career began at Anderson High School in 1975. He coached at Anderson for nine years. He moved to Germany in 1984 for missionary work. While living there, he coached wrestling at Nurnberg American High School for two years.
After three years of working in Germany, Eckley returned to the North State to become a youth minister at Anderson/Cottonwood Neighborhood Church and coach wrestling at West Valley from 1987-2000.
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He stopped coaching and said he was 'demoted' to doing adult ministry for 14 years. His attention was focused on providing spiritual guidance for the men and women that attended Anderson/Cottonwood Neighborhood Church. The time and dedication spent in preparing sermons meant he couldn't put more attention on coaching the sport he loved.
'It was a demotion for me because I love high school kids,' Eckley said as he watched his wrestlers led by senior Cade Lambert trot around the track. 'I've wanted to be a coach and a teacher since I was a little kid.'
Eckley credits his wife for helping him continue to coach and his work as a youth minister.
The former captain of Chico State wrestling remembers the day the two met. He had just returned from a national tournament when he met Shelly. Ten days later, he asked Shelly to marry him. She said no.
He finally got it right five months later on the third attempt during Shelly's birthday. The two have been together for 47 years.
'I've always said a guy can make a lot of mistakes in life, but you can make one really good choice that can make up for a lot of them,' Eckley said with a bashful smile. 'I found a great woman and I couldn't coach or do youth ministry without her. The kids love her and bring her flowers for the team dinner. She means the world to me.'
Eckley's influence goes back generations. He is now coaching the sons of wrestlers he mentored in the 1980s and 1990s. Lambert, who qualified for the state meet in Bakersfield, followed in the footsteps of his father Dirk Lambert. The elder Lambert wrestled in the early 1990s.
The Lamberts were one of multiple families whose wrestling lineage is tied with Eckley. He turned boys into men using a combination of compassion and discipline.
'Coach Eckley is everything I've ever know about West Valley wrestling,' Lambert said. 'He's been with me through it all and Eckley is extremely disciplined and by the book. He has definitely helped me perfect my technique and perfection is the only thing he accepts.'
West Valley senior Rocky Raby, the bruising 154-pounder, won his second CIF Master's title this year. He said his favorite memory was observing Eckley's reaction after he won his first title.
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'I just remember him jumping super high in the air,' Raby said. 'I remember looking at him and I was just glad I made him proud.'
Rocky's brother Niall, a freshman, placed third in his first CIF Master's Tournament. Niall explained his biggest takeaway during his only year with Eckley are the life lessons he taught off the mat.
'He preaches about being a good person and learning to be resilient,' Niall Raby said.
Eckley's influence hasn't only impacted the dozens of athletes he's coached and mentored over the years. He's also helped grow the sport and provide a foundation for today's coaches. Enterprise wrestling coach Ray Lobsinger was an assistant under Eckley for several years.
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'He taught me about just being consistent with what you teach that produces results,' Lobsinger said. 'He (loves) teaching cradles it's something that I teach here at Enterprise. That's the move he likes to go to. You just have to be working to committing to those moves every day.'
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Even after practice was over, Eckley being the consummate overseer of students was the last one in the gym. He puts the pads back on the walls, placing them in their proper places like a jigsaw puzzle. He gave his wrestlers money for food for the state tournament and then glanced around the area that is covered with pictures of winners he’s produced over the past three decades.
Ethan Hanson started working for the Redding Record Searchlight after four years with the Los Angeles Daily News as a freelancer. His coverage includes working the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament in South Bend, Indiana, and writing about the St. Louis Rams' move to Los Angeles with the Ventura County Star. He began his career as a play-by-play broadcaster for LA Pierce College from 2011-2017. Follow him on Twitter at @EthanAHanson_RS.
Published 8:51 PM EST Feb 27, 2020