MANHEIM, PA - The National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA), in partnership with the United States Marine Corps, is proud to announce that Mitch Hancock, head wrestling coach at Detroit Catholic Central High School in Michigan, has been named the 2026 NWCA/MARINES "Battles Won" National High School Boys Head Coach of the Year.
In 20 years as head coach, Hancock has built one of the most accomplished high school wrestling programs in the United States. He carries a career dual-meet record of 425–68 and has led Detroit Catholic Central to 11 MHSAA Division 1 Team State Championships, including four consecutive team state titles and eight team state titles in an 11-year span. The Cougars have captured 18 total program state championships, 14 Regional Championships, and 15 District Championships under his leadership.
This past season, Hancock's squad finished 20–5, captured another Division 1 team state crown, and was ranked among the top 25 high school wrestling teams in the country. The program has been nationally ranked for more than 15 consecutive years.
Beyond team success, Hancock has developed 58-plus individual MHSAA state champions and more than 100 All-State wrestlers. His alumni have gone on to compete at NCAA Division I, II, and III programs, qualify for the NCAA Championships, and earn All-American honors at the next level. Hancock is also widely respected as a mentor to coaches across Michigan and the Midwest, and is known for a culture rooted in accountability, discipline, selflessness, and the relentless pursuit of excellence - both on the mat and in the classroom.
"Mitch Hancock represents the very best of what our sport stands for," said Mike Moyer, Executive Director of the NWCA. "We are deeply grateful to the United States Marine Corps for their continued partnership and for helping us recognize coaches whose leadership so clearly embodies the values of 'Battles Won.'"
The boys and girls Head Coach of the Year winners will be recognized during the NWCA Awards Luncheon at the 2026 NWCA Convention in Baltimore, MD, at the Renaissance Baltimore Inner Harbor Hotel later this summer. More information on the convention is available at
https://nwcaconvention.com.
2026 NWCA/MARINES "Battles Won" High School Boys Head Coach of the Year - Section Winners
- Section 1 - Zach Allen, Mill River Union High School (Vermont)
- Section 2 - Scott Burnett, Perrysburg High School (Ohio)
- Section 3 - Tripp Rogers, William Amos Hough High School (North Carolina)
- Section 4 - Mitch Hancock, Detroit Catholic Central High School (Michigan) - NATIONAL WINNER
- Section 5 - Tyler Gonzales, Maize High School (Kansas)
- Section 6 - Evan Copeland, V. Sue Cleveland High School (New Mexico)
- Section 7 - Troy Tirapelle, Buchanan High School (California)
- Section 8 - JD Alley, Culver High School (Oregon)
