Bio

A resident of Niles, SMC’s head coach wrestled with the Roadrunners from 1983 to 1985 under Hall of Fame Coach Jim Judd and qualified for the NJCAA National Wrestling Championship. After graduating with an Associate Degree in Business Administration, Hesson continued wrestling at Findlay University in Ohio, qualifying for the NAIA Nationals and earning his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration.

Hesson served as Head Wrestling Coach at Niles High School from 2007 through the 2021 season. While at Niles, he earned Coach of the Year honors for the All-Southwest Michigan Team three separate times, the South Bend Tribune’s Coach of the Year award three times, WSJM’s Men’s Coach of the Year, Regional Coach of the Year four times and State of Michigan Division II Coach of the Year. Hesson’s teams won Academic All-State accolades for 12 consecutive years, and he coached the Vikings to eight district championships, five regional championships, a “Final Eight” and four “Final Four” finishes. He has also served with Southside School in Niles as an Outreach Worker since 2002.

In his first year coaching at SMC, the Roadrunners, with an all-freshman team coming back after a 30-year hiatus, went 5-0 to win the MCCAA Duals and later won the 2022-2023 MCCAA Conference Championship. The team then finished 3rd at the Great Lakes District Meet, qualifying nine wrestlers for the NJCAA National Championships in Council Bluffs, Iowa. In 2023-2024, while moving up to NJCAA Division 1, the Roadrunners again went undefeated in the MCCAA Duals Meet, earned the back-to-back MCCAA Conference championship, were Great Lakes District runners-up and qualified the maximum ten wrestlers for the national meet. SMC finished the season at #17 in the country and sophomore Caeleb Ishmael of Coloma was named an NJCAA All-American.

Then, in 2024-2025, the Roadrunners remained undefeated at the MCCAA Duals, three-peated as MCCAA Conference Champions, and beat three nationally-ranked teams to win the Great Lakes District Championship. SMC qualified ten wrestlers for the NJCAA National Championships, where they finished the season at #14 in the country in Division 1. Sophomores Nathan Andrina and Colby Klinger were named NWCA All-Americans, and Klinger also earned NJCAA All-American status. At the meet, Coach Hesson was named NWCA Coach of the Year.