Travis McIntosh served as an assisant at St. Paris Graham for the past three seasons (Photo/Sam Janicki, SJanickiPhoto.com)Travis McIntosh, assistant wrestling coach at Graham High School in St. Paris, Ohio for the past three seasons, has been named head coach of the mat program ranked No. 5 in the nation last season by InterMat.
The announcement was made Monday evening by Superintendent Kirk Koennecke.
McIntosh replaces Jeff Jordan, who announced his retirement in mid-September after nearly a quarter-century on the Falcons coaching staff, and 17 seasons at the helm.
"Over the course of 25 years, Graham is fortunate to have built a successful and respected national program with strong coaches, most notably Jeff Jordan," Koennecke told the Springfield (Ohio) News-Sun. "Recognizing this unique culture, and sustaining it, was important as we searched close quarters for a quality candidate that understood this. Travis McIntosh stood out."
"It has always been a dream of mine to be a part of Graham wrestling," McIntosh said. "I am excited to continue the legacy and success that Coach Jordan has worked so hard to build over the last 25 years. I am humbled that I have been chosen to be the next leader of this program. I am looking forward to continuing to build relationships with my wrestlers and continuing the Graham tradition of winning state titles. I appreciate the support from Coach Jordan and the Graham Administration through this transition. I look forward to the responsibilities and challenges ahead as the next head coach."
McIntosh has long been a fixture in western Ohio wrestling, first as an athlete, then as a coach. A graduate of Miami Trace High School, McIntosh was a four-time state qualifier and two-time state placer, winning a state title as a senior. After graduation, McIntosh headed south to Campbellsville University in Kentucky, where he was an NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) Wrestling Championships finalist, then served as an assistant coach for the Tigers before coming to Graham three years ago as an assistant.
McIntosh takes over the controls of a program that has made a name for itself both in the state of Ohio and nationwide. Under Jordan, Graham won the Division II state title the last 17 seasons and was awarded team national championships in 2008, '10 and '15.
Largely known throughout the amateur wrestling world as St. Paris Graham, the school is a four-year public high school located in St. Paris, a town of approximately 2,000 residents in western Ohio, north of Dayton and west of Columbus. Graham High School has an enrollment of approximately 650 students.
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