UW wrestling associate coach Kyle hired as prep coach in Oklahoma

“He’s definitely been a guy I’ve leaned on a lot through the years,” UW head coach Mark Branch said, “and he’s kind of been a staple.”

A native of St. Charles, Missouri, Kyle wrestled for Oklahoma State from 2003-07 while Branch was an assistant coach there. Kyle was a member of OSU’s four national championship teams from 2003-06.

When Branch was hired as the 14th head coach in UW program history, it didn’t take long to recruit Kyle to Laramie.

“He was one of the first guys that came to my mind as somebody that I could utilize and help me build this program,” Branch said. “He followed me out here after my first year. Ethan’s just a smart guy and a great wrestling technician, and a guy I could trust and rely on. He’s always been very loyal and very responsible and trustworthy, and I knew he didn’t really have any coaching experience, but I knew that he was going to develop into a great coach.

“He’s obviously going to be sorely missed here, not only by the guys on our team, but our coaching staff, as well.”

Kyle was instrumental in helping the Cowboys climb the ranks of Division I wrestling. This past season, Kyle helped guide five UW wrestlers to the NCAA Championships – which were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic – and was part of Brian Andrews’ Big 12 heavyweight championship.

In 2019, Kyle helped seven Cowboys qualify for the NCAA Championships, and he also played a key role in helping the Cowboys post 16 dual wins during the regular season – the most since the 1966-67 season – and reach as high as No. 8 in the national dual rankings.

Kyle also oversaw UW standouts Bryce Meredith, Montorie Bridges, Archie Colgan, Branson Ashworth, Drew Templeton and Tyler Cox, among others. Meredith, a Cheyenne Central graduate, was a two-time NCAA runner-up and a three-time All-American.

“With Ethan being here with me over the last 11 years, he definitely had a lot of weight on his shoulders,” Branch said. “I relied on him a lot for a lot of different things. He knew the ins and outs of pretty much everything just because he’s been here since we started. And really, when I came here, … they’ve had different levels of success throughout the history of this program, but we certainly started from scratch and started with our own game plan and our own ideas. And so he was a part of that process from early on.”

Kyle’s decision to move on was somewhat of a surprise, said Branch, who added he has known about it for the past month.

“He had an opportunity and felt like the timing was as good as it was going to get, and I don’t think it was an easy decision for him,” Branch said. “He has a lot of love for Stillwater, Oklahoma, and that was one of the things he told me right away. He said, ‘I love Stillwater, and if there’s one place that I could pick to live, Stillwater’s one of those places.’

“He still has a lot of teammates and friends back in that area, so it’s not like he’s just jumping ship to something unfamiliar. He’s very familiar with that program and the resources and the things that are surrounding that program.”

Ever since Kyle first informed Branch of his decision to leave, the current coaching vacancy has been on Branch’s mind. The coronavirus pandemic almost certainly has made it difficult to solidify a hire, but Branch said he is making progress on securing a replacement.

“I would say we’ve moved forward to get a little deeper into it,” Branch said. “This process could go really quick, or it could drag on a little bit. I’d prefer probably for it to be a little quick, but I also want to make the right decision.”

Branch said he would like to have the position filled by July 1 and no later than August, at which time, he hopes, student-athletes and students alike will be allowed to return to campus for the fall semester. But Branch stressed the importance of making the right hire, no matter how long it takes.

“I’m not trying to get somebody in here and be (Kyle’s) protégé or compare them to Ethan,” Branch said, “I’m literally wanting somebody to come in here and every day they come in, they’re trying to be better than they were the day before, and they’re trying to be the best that they can be as a coach and as a person.”

Tyler Poslosky is a writer for WyoSports. He can be reached at 307-633-3123 or by email at tposlosky@wyosports.net. Follow him on Twitter at @TylerPoslosky.