Jack Carney has reached the top of his profession in just four years as a head coach. His peers — some of whom he has looked up to for years — voted him the Division II high school wrestling Coach of the Year following Wrangell’s historic state title win last weekend.

The award is decided by a vote of all the coaches in the division. For Carney, the recognition from other coaches was deeply personal. He grew up watching many of these coaches lead legendary programs across Alaska.

“It is such an honor because the other coaches voted me in,” Carney said. “Some of these guys were my heroes when I was a teenager. Now they are shaking my hand and telling me I’m doing a good job.”

Carney has spent four seasons as the head coach at Wrangell. Before that, he won awards as an assistant. However, leading a small high school of 75 students to a state championship over much larger schools solidified his reputation.

Carney’s coaching style focuses on more than just moves on the mat. He emphasizes a “team first” mentality. This was evident when the referees also voted Wrangell as the winner of the Sportsmanship Award for the tournament, held Friday and Saturday, Dec. 19-20, in Anchorage.

“I wanted to build the best program in the state,” Carney said. “Slowly, the community and the kids saw that vision. This year was a statement.”

To celebrate the win, Carney kept a promise to his team. He allowed the wrestlers to dye his beard pink. It was a small price to pay for a “storybook” season that ended with a trophy and the respect of the entire state.