Daniel Cormier named head wrestling coach at California high school

Daniel Cormier will be adding the role of educator to his already outstanding career resume this fall. The current UFC light heavyweight champion will be taking on head wrestling coach duties at Santa Clara County’s Gilroy High School in Northern California where Cormier, his wife and two children live.

What’s equally impressive to Daniel’s new role is that he’ll be coaching for free. Yes, you read that correctly. Cormier has opted to have his salary go directly to his assistant coaches, including Shawn Bunch (Edinboro University) and Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma State University), both two-time NCAA All-Americans.

Cormier has been coaching a youth wrestling program at AKA for years, as well as two others at Knoxx Gym and Lute! Training Academy, so it’s a safe assumption that he’ll be well-equipped for his new job. In a Bloody Elbow interview last month, the affable champion mentioned plans to take an active role in his children’s competitive efforts and to continue coaching the aforementioned programs.

Speaking to Bloody Elbow last night, Cormier said that his coaching engagement will begin this coming November and offered the following statement,

“It’s a very big deal to me. I’m excited about helping kids in my town. I’m also excited about my son having a lot of new training partners. I’m very thankful for my wife, Salina, Dr. Marco Sanchez (school principal), and the entire Gilroy wrestling community for giving me this opportunity.”

You can catch Daniel Cormier’s coaching efforts on the 27th season of The Ultimate Fighter, which debuts tonight on FS1. Cormier will face current heavyweight champion and opposing TUF coach Stipe Miocic in the main event of UFC 226 on July 7, 2018 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Hat tip to MMAFighting.com for the story alert.