When coaches look back at their career, they remember the athletes whose lives they were able to influence and the relationships that they built. Ashton Cooper is in his fourth year as a coach and teacher at Duncan High School. He says that he enjoys all aspects of being a coach.

“What I enjoy most about teaching and coaching is the relationships I get to build everyday,” Cooper said. “With students, with athletes, and with peers.”

Ashton is the head wrestling coach and also the head coach of the junior high softball team at Duncan. As a student athlete himself, Cooper says that there were many coaches that were impactful to his life and helped him become the coach he is today.

“My own high school and college wrestling coaches have been crucial mentors to me,” he said. “Jay Johnston, Jimmy Thompson, Justin Bode, Mike Machholz,  plus the high school coaches I have been on staff with; Bobby Cook, Josh Hughes, Dillon Prutch. I have also taken a lot from the Softball coaches I have been under Robert Cowan, Rodney Bowen and Jimmy Miller.  All these coaches love hard work, love details and love the kids.  Even guys outside of wrestling,  just great fathers and motivators like Corey Ensey, Darrel Martin and Abe Ramirez.”

During his career, both as a head coach and as an assistant coach, Cooper has been a part of some successful coaching staffs that has brought home their share of hardware.

“I have been on staff to coach one Dual State Wrestling Championship team, one Academic State Champion team, and a combined five runner up teams,” he said. “Also, a total of eight District Championships in wrestling and two Regional Champion softball teams. Nine State Champions, twenty-three state placers, a class 5A Wrestler of the Year, and one College All-American. I have been extremely blessed being around some great teams and kids.”