Jeff VestaLabette Community College has promoted assistant coach Jeff Vesta to head up the wrestling program at the two-year Kansas school, the Parsons (Kan.) Sun reported Tuesday.
Vesta served as assistant to Ben McKenzie, who had been at the helm of the Cardinal wrestling program the past two seasons. McKenzie, who has been at Labette for more than two decades in various capacities within the athletic department, will remain at the school as a faculty member.
Vesta has already announced the hiring of Julian Smith -- a three-time All-American at the NCAA Division II program at McKendree University -- for his old position as assistant coach.
Vesta brings impressive mat credentials to his new job as Labette's head coach. He is originally from Manhattan, Kan. where he was a 6A high school state champion and six-time Fargo All-American. After high school, Vesta wrestled at Neosho County Community College, where he won a National Junior College Athletic Association National Championship at 125 pounds. He then attended Newberry College, where he was an NCAA Division II All-American. In addition, he served as a graduate assistant coach at Newberry in his senior year.
"I'm excited to start the journey," Vesta told the Parsons Sun. "I'm glad I got the chance to work at the school for a couple of years. They didn't want to hire someone that was unknown, and they want someone to stick around."
"I think they got the right man for the job," McKenzie said. "He's worked hard the past couple of years. He's a young, hungry guy that will do very well over the next several years to keep this program in the top of the nation."
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