Linn-Mar boys wrestling honors 26-year head coach Doug Streicher

MARION, Iowa (KCRG) - Doug Streicher wasn’t focused on the surprise, he knew several alumni came back to Marion for Linn-Mar’s tournament Saturday, but he didn’t realize it was to honor him.

“I saw a few kids that normally haven’t come back in the past and I didn’t think much of it,” said Streicher. When I saw (activities director) Tonya (Moe) pulling out the microphone, and then I saw some more guys come out of the side here then I kind of knew something shady was going on.”

That “something shady” was a pause in Linn-Mar’s dual tournament to honor Streicher, who has coached at Linn-Mar since 1997. He recently surpassed 400 dual wins.

The mat was filled from edge to edge with wrestlers and assistants past and present.

“I love seeing all those guys,” Streicher said. “It makes you emotional.”

One of those alumni was Matt McDonough, graduated over a decade ago with three state championships. But the wins are just a small part of the legacy Streicher continues to build.

“Obviously you want to win but it’s more about the group the guys around you and the love we had for each other and that love that coach Streicher gave to us,’ McDonough said.

McDonough, just like Streicher himself, went on to wrestle at Iowa, but Streicher says what’s kept him around for 26 years isn’t developing great wrestlers, it’s developing people.

“We’re trying to make guys that work hard they show gratitude they’re empathetic, good human beings,” he said. “It’s just the whole picture that I like to look at.”

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