By By SCOTT NOVAK / Niles Daily Star
A familiar face has been chosen to lead the Dowagiac wrestling program.
Long-time assistant and one-time head coach John Green has been tabbed by the Dowagiac Board of Education to replace Chuck Rubino, who retired following last season.
Green, who was the head coach of the Chieftains in 1985-86, then remained as assistant coach when Rubino was hired in the 1986-87 season.
Green also has head coaching experience at Decatur where he guided the Raiders' program from 1978 to 1981.
Last season Green was named the Michigan High School Wrestling Coaches Association's Assistant of the Year.
Green knows all about Dowagiac's long-standing tradition of excellence in wrestling.
He, along side Rubino, raised the bar on the expectations of the program by making four consecutive trips to the state quarterfinals in Battle Creek.
Dowagiac reached the state finals in 1998 when it lost to Ogemaw Heights, 36-20.
Dowagiac was a semifinalist in 1997 and again in 2000.
The combination of Rubino and Green won six Lakeland Conference championships, including four consecutive.
Dowagiac has won 11 district titles, including eight of the last nine, and were regional champions five times.
When asked how he planned to keep that tradition alive, Green responded, "by making the most of what we have with what we've got."
Green said the Chieftain program has a strong group of returning wrestlers and a solid group of freshmen coming in.
Green said that he still enjoys coaching and is looking forward to working with some of the younger coaches Dowagiac now has in the program.