Qualls forging another generation of wrestlers in Athens

Published 6:30 am Saturday, January 14, 2017

For two decades, Daryle Qualls led Athens High School wrestling teams, turning the program into a state powerhouse.

Now, the Hall of Fame coach is leading a new generation of wrestlers — albeit a bit younger. Qualls started an Athens youth AAU wrestling team last year and the program has nearly doubled in participation in its second season.

“The reason for doing it was getting these kids ready for the high school level and taking them to better tournaments,” said Qualls. “The main purpose of our program is based on trying to get the high school team better.”

Qualls served as the Golden Eagles head wrestling coach 18 of his 25 years at Athens High School. He coached six state championship teams, four runner-up teams, 31 individual state champions, five All-Americans and earned four national coaching awards.

The longtime high school coach now instructs a group of wrestlers, ages 5-12 during the high school wrestling season, which is November through February. After that season, many of the current Athens High wrestlers will join the program.

“We had about 15 kids last year and we’re up to about 26 this year,” said Qualls. “We’ve got some kids coming in from the county. Hopefully, some of these kids outside Athens city limits will want to be a part of the program.”

Athens won its first state championship with Qualls in 1988 and went on to dominate high school wrestling in Alabama for the next decade. AHS won state titles in 1988, ‘91, ‘93, ‘94, ‘96 and ‘97, finishing runner-up four times.

After retiring from Athens, Qualls returned to coach in 2009 at Scottsboro High School, where he led the Wildcats to a state championship in 2012.

“I think (the high school team) has improved in a lot of ways. Not just as far as the kids’ talent, but the program overall,” said Qualls. “A couple of my former wrestlers are coaches now. You’ve got different ways of teaching and right now, we’re all on the same page, which will make a big difference. We’ve got them in some prestigious tournaments, that will make them better.”

Andrew Campbell is in his second season as Athens head coach while Lee Schwan is an assistant coach. Both wrestled under Qualls at Athens. The team finished third at state in Class 6A last year and Qualls thinks they could challenge for a state title this season.

If not this year, the team will have a good chance to win its first state championship since 1997 with a new generation of wrestlers coming through the pipeline.

“Our AAU team has secured a home tournament this year,” said Qualls. “It’s the only one in the state that weekend and it will be pretty big. It’s a five-mat tournament, so there will a lot of teams there. We will have a lot of people coming into town from a bunch of different states.”

National Hall of Fame

In May, Qualls will become part of the inaugural Alabama chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. The induction won’t be the first time Qualls has been honored. Last June, he was inducted into the Limestone County Sports Hall of Fame.

Some of Qualls other national awards include America’s Who’s Who of High School Wrestling Coaches in 1998, Wrestling USA Magazine state Man of the Year in 1991 and 1993, and Coaches Care Award by Gatorade in 1994. A Huntsville native, he was inducted into the Madison County Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.

“There are five coaches and one referee in the first class,” said Qualls. “I am honored. My high school coach is going in at the same time, so I couldn’t ask for a better inauguration.”

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