Doug Dake was the first Ohio state wrestling champion at Westlake High School, where he also played football.

While attending Kent State University, he played rugby and wrestled. Doug was an All-American wrestler and was inducted into the Kent State Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.

He met the love of his life, Jodi, at Kent State, and they were married on July 4, 1987, in Ashland, Ohio.

They moved to Lansing, and Doug began his coaching career at both Ithaca College and Cornell University, before he became heavily involved in the Lansing Wrestling program where he coached for more than 20 years.

Doug served on the Lansing Town board for eight years and coached many youth sports, making many wonderful friends along the way.