WILLMAR -- Wisconsin native Casey Johnson is settling into his first full-time job as a Willmar Community Education and Recreation Coordinator.
Johnson, 26, will have a dual role, however, as he has been hired to coach the Willmar High School varsity wrestling team. He replaces Tom Beyer, who retired after steering the program since 1981.
Johnson's duties at WCER will include adult recreation (volleyball, basketball, softball etc.), aquatics and special needs, according to department head Steve Brisendine.
"Casey has a degree in physical education and also adaptive P.E. which will be very useful as we look at expanding programs in that area," said Brisendine.
The position has not stabilized since the retirement of Dave Gort two years ago. Nick Thompson left and took a position in Inver Grove Heights. His replacement, Steve Krampf, left after only two weeks to take a higher-paying supervisory position in Colorado, Brisendine said.
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Johnson has student taught and coached part-time the past two years while finishing his course work at St. Cloud State University, where he was on the wrestling team for three seasons.
He has worked as an assistant wrestling coach at Holdingford and middle school baseball coach at Sauk Rapids.
Johnson's background in athletics includes a 145-14 record in four years of high school wrestling in Chetek, Wis., north of Eau Claire. He had three top-four placements in the Wisconsin state meet, including state champion at 112 pounds his sophomore year.
He also has played a lot of baseball, he said, including amateur baseball both in Wisconsin and more recently for Holdingford.
