Doyle Takes Over Magnolia Mat Program
The Magnolia Blue Eagle wrestling program has been on the rise for the past several years, and one might think that with the departure of Dr. Vince Monseau as the head coach, there would be a dropoff.
Monseau is a household name in wrestling in the Ohio Valley.
So is the Doyle name.
Danny Doyle is the nephew of a OVAC wrestling commissioner and son of Jack Doyle, Wheeling Park head wrestling coach. Cousin Sean Doyle is the Wheeling Jesuit head wrestling coach. Wrestling is what the family eats, sleeps and talks. Wherever there is a Doyle, you hear wrestling stories.
Now Dan is the man with the plan to keep Magnolia wrestling on the rise. He, along with Assistant Coach Eric McKeever and Dr. Monseau guided the Eagles to their first OVAC Class AAA tournament championship last season, along with Magnolia’s first OVAC wrestling champion – Caleb Nice.
With the Magnolia wrestling program ready for a facelift after some disappointing seasons, in came Monseau and McKeever to the rescue. Not only did the Blue Eagle wrestling program rise to the top of the wrestling ranks, it won the OVAC Class AAA regular season, but finished runner-up in the OVAC Tournament.
This past season, Monseau knew he couldn’t continue being the wrestling coach and got the young Dan Doyle fresh out of college to take over along with McKeever to keep the wrestling program heading into the right path.
Monseau, along with Doyle and McKeever, turned things around even more, winning the school’s first OVAC Class AAA Tournament championship. MHS was also was runner-up in the regular season last year.
Monseau didn’t need to teach Doyle very much as Doyle was a six-year college wrestler at West Liberty and was captain three years. He wrestled at Wheeling Park where he won a OVAC championship and state runner-up in high school.
Doyle always knew he wanted to be a head coach sometime. In fact, he could have joined his father at West Liberty and been an assistant coach for the rest of his life, and it would be all good.
However, he wanted more and sought to learn from Monseau for a season to see how remarkable the kids and parents were at Magnolia.
Doyle was hooked and ready to lead the Eagles to bigger and better things. He wants to bring his knowledge and technique he learned in college, teaching it to the ones that could use it,.
With the loss of only four wrestlers to graduation, the Eagles return a great deal, including all four state qualifiers, and a nice group of incoming freshmen.
It looks like Blue Eagle wrestling will continue to rise to the top of the high school wrestling world.
Doyle wants his wrestlers to be aggressive on the mats. For instance, if a wrestler is winning by one, go get a takedown and win by two. If you are winning by three, win by four.
Doyle is 25 and teaches special education at MHS. He sees his grapplers in the hallways, and has an open door policy for all his wrestlers.
Doyle said teams only get 18 points or matches and he wants to get as many matches for his wrestlers as possible, and their schedule will show it this season.
“We will be battle-tested all season. We may be slow in the win column at the beginning of the season, but by the OVAC wrestling tourney, regional and state, they should be battle-tested and ready to make some noise,” Doyle said.
He feels that he will have the same flexibility as last season, and be able to use strategy with his guys.
“The numbers are nice, but my goal is to have 30 out. I’m a goal-oriented coach. I know what its like to be a scared freshman, and I know what’s like to be a senior wanting to win. It’s a common bond we all have,” added Doyle.
Coach Monseau cared about building a program, and he brought in a young energetic wrestling guy from a wrestling family that will continue to spring-board the art of wrestling at Magnolia High School.
Doyle mentioned that most of the kids work very hard, as well as their parents, who help with fundraising and anything else the team might need.
Doyle’s ultimate objective as a coach is to make his wrestlers become self-motivated, which makes the training that follows easier. Part of that devotion comes from Dan’s shared experience growing up in a wrestling family and in college.
His dream of being in charge and building a program from ground zero is now here, now he will put his dreams into reality come wrestling season and take his turn into building another layer of tradition.