Brian was born in Bitburg, Germany, on a military base, and is the youngest of five children, with four older sisters. After his father, Bert, retired from the military, they family moved to the United States. Shortly after, Brian began wrestling, it didn’t long for his passion to blossom. Inspired by his sister Sonia, who was a wrestling manager in high school, Brian started his competitive journey by joining the Rasslin Rascals, a St. Louis County based youth program that was led by a group of legendary 80’s era coaches, Doyle Simpson, Don Anderson and Hall of Famer, Jack Crider.

As a competitor, Brian achieved many milestones. Brian was a freestyle and Greco-Roman national champion as a youth. In high school, competing for DeSmet Jesuit, he was a Missouri State champion and earned All-American honors. Brian’s success continued at the collegiate level, where he was a two-time JUCO national finalist and national champion. Continuing his career after competing for Forest Park CCC, Brian was a NAIA finalist, and finally an NCAA Division I All-American for the NC State Wolfpack. Brian continued wrestling after graduation and became a veteran’s freestyle and Greco-Roman national champion.

As a coach, Brian served as an assistant coach for several college programs, helping to produce countless college national champions and All-Americans. As a head club coach for freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling, he coached over thirty Fargo Cadet and Junior National All-Americans, eleven national finalists, and six champions. With much success to choose from, Brians says his best memories were times shared coaching his three sons during their competitive tenures.

During his long tenure at Missouri Baptist University, he served as the Men’s head coach, and then started a women’s program in 2007. The women’s program produced over 50 All-Americans and nine national champions. The St. Louis area program providing a much-needed option for female wrestlers to pursue their sport while earning a degree. Brian’s men’s team also saw success. In all, 25 All-Americans on the mat, and a top 15 national team GPA seven times. Brian served as President of the Women’s College Wrestling Association, overseeing substantial growth in women’s wrestling during his tenure, and was a keynote speaker at the NWCA Coaches Convention while also serving as Lead Mentor of their Leadership Academy.

Brian has seen over 200 of his student-athletes receive their degrees, with many going on to earn graduate degrees. Currently, more than 25 of his former athletes are coaching in some capacity, and Brian says there is no better feeling than seeing them succeed.