Jim Best knows wrestling is more than just combat on a mat.

“I love the science of the sport from a technical perspective, and I love what the sport has taught me and so many other young people,” Best said. “That is work ethic, self-accountability, patience and responsibility.”

Best takes over the Emmaus wrestling program from Thad Smith after serving four years as his top assistant. Others have used adjectives such as patient, focused, technical, driven and intense to describe Best’s coaching style.

“I have always found coaching to be an opportunity to have a positive influence on a young person’s life, and hopefully provide a positive experience which motivates them to get involved in coaching at some point,” Best said.

His own path to coaching came after superlative high school and college wrestling careers.

Best earned District 11 championships in 1983 and 1984 and won a Northeast Regional Championship later that year. He finished third in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, was a freestyle All-American in ‘83 and finished fourth in the state the next season.

After matriculating to North Carolina State, he finished third in the Atlantic Coast Conference during 1985 and then runner-up the next season in 1986. Best qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the Wolfpack in ‘86.

With his competitive career finished, Best became immersed gradually in coaching, helping first at North Carolina State and then with his high school alma mater when he returned to from North Carolina.

“The longer I helped the more I realized how gratifying it is to help someone else, by imparting your knowledge to help them achieve their goals and dreams,” Best said.

After a few years of volunteering, Best was fortunate to have his high school coach offer him an assistant coaching job. He served as an assistant at Parkland High School from 1992 through 2000 and then served as the program’s head coach from 2000 through 2003. After returning to the Trojan program as an assistant in the 2016-2017 campaign, Best accepted an offer from Smith to join his staff at Emmaus.

Now he succeeds Smith and looks to continue moving the program in a winning direction.