Kearney, Neb. - Starting in May 2014, a new feature called "Loper Reconnection" will profile former UNK student-athletes. Student Andrew Hanson asks the chosen Loper a series of questions.

The first subject is former wrestler Brian Hagan. After placing fifth at the 1989 NAIA National Championships, Hagan earned his second All-American honor a year later when he won the 118 lbs. class. He joined Ali Elias ('90/150 lbs.) as the only UNK wrestlers, at the time, to have won a national title.

He currently ranks 16th on UNK's all-time wins list with 96.


Name: Brian Hagan
Hometown/High School: Gibbon, Neb./Gibbon
Years: 1987-90
Sport: Wrestling
Current Residence: Kearney


Prior to former Kearney State College wrestler Brian Hagan's arrival on campus, the Loper wrestling team didn't have a top-10 finish at the NAIA National Championships nor an individual national champion.
 
That all changed, however, at the 1990 NAIA wrestling championships in Hays, Kan. when Hagan and teammate Ali Elias each captured national championships and helped KSC record a seventh place finish in their final year competing at that level.
 
Hagan's journey to becoming the Lopers' first of two national champions in 1990 was not a simple one. In fact, he almost didn't come to Kearney.
 
"I signed at UNO (Nebraska-Omaha) and had been on three or four different visits there," Hagan said. "Ed Scantling was the wrestling coach coming in, and he called and said 'Why don't you take a look at Kearney State College before you go to UNO?"
 
So Hagan gave Scantling a chance, but his persuasion wasn't the only thing to bring Hagan to Kearney.

Since Hagan went to high school just down the road in Gibbon, a lot of his friends were coming to KSC. His career goals also played a factor. "I wanted to become a teacher, and I knew that Kearney State had put out a lot of great teachers," said Hagan.
 
That was just the beginning to Hagan's journey.
 
After finishing fifth as a junior in the 118 lbs. weight class, he decided that he needed to devote everything to become a national champion. And he did just that but no before some drama.

When the 1990 championships rolled around, Hagan seemingly had the title wrapped up. All he had to do was milk five seconds off of the clock and a first place finish was his.
 
"I had it won by one point, I had no stalling calls and there was five seconds left, so I just backed up and would take a stalling call," Hagan reflected. "I backed up and the referee called a fleeing-the-mat and gave the other guy a point and that took it to overtime."
 
He persevered, though. At the end overtime he and his foe were still tied and the decision went to the judges. Hagan emerged victorious, though, and he captured the title on a criteria decision.
 
Following graduation from KSC in 1990 with a degree in Education, Hagan went straight into teaching and coaching, and he made a quick impact in the wrestling community.
 
His coaching career started in an assistant capacity at his alma mater, Gibbon High School.
 
During the 1991 season, he helped guide Trent McAuliff to the Nebraska state title at 125 lbs., which Hagan called one of the most memorable moments in his coaching career.
 
After spending two years as an assistant to his former high school coach, Hagan was named Gibbon's head coach -- a position he held for five more years before returning to Kearney when a teaching job at a new middle school opened up in 1998.
 
The move to Kearney also meant a change in coaching. When Hagan arrived at Sunrise Middle School, he became the wrestling coach and immediately started to make an impact on the youn gwrestlers.
 
One of his biggest undertakings in the community has been the "Kearney MatCats" youth wrestling program. The program has allowed Hagan to reach a much larger audience.

"It started around 2000 and I was the head coach for 10 years," he said.
 
This was not Hagan's first time working with a youth program as he was involved with the Gibbon Youth Program as well.
 
Now, Hagan serves as a board member for the Kearney MatCats and has seen the program average nearly 150 kids a year since it's inception. The age of wrestlers range from preschoolers to eighth graders.
 
"They sign up in November and December and start in January," he said. "We have organized practices for different age levels and the coaches are assigned to them. We go all around Nebraska, and some kids go around the United States representing the MatCats."
 
Other former UNK wrestlers are involved with the program as well.
 
Bryce Abbey, who was a four-time All-American wrestler for the Lopers, coaches the pre-school through second grade group. Two other current UNK wrestlers, Ryan Bauer and Chase White, coach the third through fifth graders.
 
"Our sixth, seventh and eighth graders head coach was Timothy Crocker, and he actually was a MatCat, Kearney Bearcat and Loper," Hagan said.
 
The sense of familiarity from kindergarten through a wrestler's high school years and beyond is something Hagan is proud of.
 
"We just have that correlation that goes through our kids in Kearney," Hagan said. "They're getting the same language from kindergarten through the end of college on the drills and everything."
 
Hagan's reason for going into teaching, whether it be in the classroom or on the wrestling mat was pretty simple. "My senior year, I was a student-aide for my second grade teacher," he reflected. "I really liked what she did, and I thought this is what I want to do."

As he continues to teach physical education and help coach, now as an assistant at Kearney High School, Hagan strives to make an impact in both the classroom and in the wrestling community.
 
"I wanted to be around kids. I enjoy teaching and watching them learn and see that learning process," Hagan added. "I've been doing that for 23 years now."