Chad Hisler, above on right shouting out instructions to one of his grapplers at Saturday’s Dick Kennedy Memorial Duals, was officially named the head coach of the Lynx program by the Webster City School Board last night. Tyler Patten (left) was added to the staff as a paid assistant coach as was Joel Kennedy. The Lynx will host a quadrangular this evening starting at 5 p.m. DFJ photo/Troy Banning

WEBSTER CITY — It’s the role that Chad Hisler has filled on an interim basis for close to two years, but now he’s got the official title.

Hisler was named the head wrestling coach at Webster City by a unanimous vote from the school board Wednesday evening. He’s served as the acting head coach since January of 2015 when then head coach Ted Larson was put on leave.

“I’m really excited about the opportunity to lead this group because it’s a great group of kids,” Hisler said. “I look forward to the challenge of trying to keep this a high-level program.”

It’s the second head coaching gig that Hisler has accepted this year. He was picked to replace Tony Bussan at the helm of the Lynx boys’ track program this past summer.

Hisler also serves as an assistant football coach.

A 1992 graduate of WCHS and a former Lynx wrestler himself, Hisler has spent 16 years as a coach on the mats. Following his graduation from Buena Vista University in 1997, he spent six years as an assistant coach at Fort Dodge St. Edmond where he helped guide the Gaels to the 2005 North Central Conference dual title and a berth in the Class 1A state duals.

Hisler has been on the WCHS staff since the beginning of the 2005-06 season, a period in which the program has prospered. The Lynx have won three of the last six NCC tournament titles and reached the 2A state duals in 2011, 2012 and 2014. He was in the corner of 220-pounder Gavin Dinsdale when he won a state title this past February.

“(Hisler) has served as interim head coach since January of 2015 and has done an admirable job at that and has been willing to do whatever’s been asked of him,” Webster City Superintendent Mike Sherwood said on the hire.

Also on Wednesday, the Webster City School Board approved Joel Kennedy and Tyler Patten to join Bill Bertran as paid assistant coaches for the wrestling program.

Kennedy, a 2006 WCHS graduate and former state wrestling medal winner, has been a coach with the program since 2010.

Patten, a 2011 WCHS graduate and one of the most successful Lynx grapplers ever, placed third in 2008 and 2009 before making back-to-back runs to the state finals where he won silver in 2010 and 2011.

“We have a great staff put together with Billy, Joel and Tyler,” Hisler said. “They have great knowledge.

“(Kennedy and Patten) are younger and it helps to have some young guys in the room that can really work one on one with the kids and help them achieve their goals.”