For the first time in the Durango High School girls wrestling program’s history, the Demons have a new coach.
Ryan McGrath was hired in October to replace Kyle Hanson, who had been the girls wrestling coach since the program began in 2021. Hanson stepped away from the program at the end of last school year to focus on his growing business and his family, according to Durango High School Athletic Director Ryan Knorr.
Knorr credited Hanson with establishing the program, being a great communicator with parents and wrestlers and giving the program great momentum for McGrath to take over.
“I feel great about the team,” McGrath said. “We've got a good mix of returning athletes; we’ve got a strong group of freshmen. Girls wrestling is one of the growing sports in the nation, and so it's exciting to see these athletes engaging and working as hard as they are.”
McGrath and his wife, Jennifer, both graduated from Durango High School. Their two sons, Caleb and Christopher, both graduated from Durango High School. McGrath wasn’t exposed to any sort of grappling until he joined the Navy after high school.
Once McGrath and his wife had kids, their kids started wrestling when they were young, and McGrath started getting more involved in wrestling and training. He started studying Brazilian jiu-jitsu over a decade ago and competed until injuries stopped him. McGrath coaches Brazilian jiu-jitsu locally and is president of the board for the Durango Peewee Wrestling Club.
“Wrestling is a really exceptional skill sports endeavor for especially young adults, but almost anybody to pursue,” McGrath said. “It's a fantastic model for life, for learning how to manage stress; learning how to handle adversity; learning how to make decisions in tough situations; learning to challenge yourself, evaluate yourself and really build some mental strength.”
McGrath had helped coach Durango boys wrestling at different times over the past decade, so he was familiar with the programs, and Knorr was familiar with McGrath. Once Hanson resigned, Knorr went to Durango boys wrestling head coach Jason Silva for advice on a great local candidate. McGrath’s name came up; he met with Knorr, and Knorr felt like he had an ideal candidate.
“He has really high expectations in terms of trying to set up really good tournaments that they can see really good competition and build off,” Knorr said about McGrath. “He's kept a lot of the same staff from before, so there's some continuity there for the girls. We're really excited to see where the program goes under his leadership.”
The Demons will return a strong core this season. Marie Baker and Aleia Fenberg return after going to state last season, and Hana Maletich and Lillian Fenberg return after missing out on state last season.
McGrath is excited about the group because there aren’t any athletes who are wrestling-curious. All of them are passionate, dedicated and challenge the coaching staff, which makes McGrath excited to coach them.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
