In the Corner with Coach Atwood: John Anders
The trials, trails, tribulations, and travels the sport of wrestling brings to someone’s life are truly amazing. Many people experience complete 180-degree turnarounds while others experience coming of age realizations that some of the people, places, and things aren’t what you believed they were. This is the experience John Anders had with someone he didn’t like, appreciate, or value very much at all. The person I’m referring to is me, Maurice Atwood.
The eldest son of John and Pam Anders, John (and his brother Joseph) grew up in Trinity. The boys lived the typical lifestyle of two toddlers living in a rural community with loving and supporting parents. John played football and baseball. John’s father was the baseball coach. His best friend from childhood is Zac Hicks (they’re still best friends to this day). On growing up in Trinity, John commented, “I did not have a rough upbringing. We were not poor, but we were not rich. My parents ensured I had everything I needed. I am forever grateful to them for teaching me the value of hard work as I have used their teachings to help develop a balance between work, school, coaching, and family. That is not easy, but I really do try my best to give my all in everything I do.”
Wrestling didn’t enter John’s life until he entered middle school at Archdale-Trinity Middle School. It was at ATMS where John decided to join the wrestling team. His 8th grade year he finished 2nd in the conference tournament.
In high school, John attended Trinity High School wrestling all four years. He finished his high school career with 147 wins, capping his career by placing 4th in the state his senior season. That same season he was voted Most Outstanding Wrestler in the conference.
The Trinity team John was a part of was outstanding, having won a highly competitive conference back-to-back with schools like Ragsdale and Southwestern Randolph serving as their conference nemesis while both schools were experiencing high levels of wrestling success. John’s senior year was 2008, and that season Trinity finished 31-2 overall with the two losses coming to a team in NC wrestling folklore as perhaps the greatest team NC has ever seen: Parkland.
John’s disenchantment with yours truly stemmed from the rivalry that developed between Trinity and Parkland. It was an intense rivalry that expanded beyond John’s senior year until Parkland moved up to 4A in 2010. The disenchantment with yours truly by Trinity wasn’t limited to John. There were plenty of Trinity people joining alongside John with the boo birds back then. I heard them.
But times have changed.
After graduating from Trinity, John attended the University of North Carolina-Pembroke on a teaching fellows’ scholarship and graduated Magna Cum Laude. John did not wrestle in college. Instead, he worked throughout the time he attended UNCP at Oak Hollow Marina in High Point. This was primarily a weekend job, but a job John loved, nonetheless. John drove a patrol boat, sold bait and tackle, etc. In John’s word, the job was “awesome.”
John graduated in 4 years from UNCP (May 2012) and received job offers almost immediately from two schools, North Rowan and Randleman. John chose Randleman due to the proximity of where he lived. This was a decision he would soon regret, because according to John, “I was an idiot, because Tim Pittman went on to win a state championship at North Rowan that year.”
The following school year, 2013-14, Kyle Spencer, who was John’s coach at Trinity HS, landed a job as a teacher and head wrestling coach at Glenn High School in Winston-Salem. John went along with Kyle to teach social studies and serve as Kyle’s assistant coach. Regarding his time at Glenn, John said, “I want to say that Glenn is very special to me. I worked there for five years, but the people I met, and worked for and with, are very special to me. Joe McCormick and Brad Craddock always had my back.”
In the five years John worked at Glenn he was an assistant for 4 years and interim head coach his last year. The first 3 years he assisted Kyle, then David House, and finally, yours truly (for a couple months.)
In 2017-18, John’s coaching career took an unexpected twist with my removal as head wrestling coach at Glenn. This was a decision that did not sit well with many people in the Glenn orbit, including, and especially, John. John reflected, “While I was at Glenn, I coached with three state championship winning head coaches in Kyle Spencer, David House, and Maurice Atwood. Any success I have had as a coach is because of the knowledge I gained from those phenomenal coaches.”
The decision to remove me would ultimately lead to John leaving the following year to return home to Trinity High School. Regarding that, John stated, “I didn’t agree with what happened to you, and I didn’t want to be a head coach. I’m fine being an assistant. And then an opportunity at Trinity came open and it was a no brainer to take the opportunity to come home. I would like everyone to know that I consider you a mentor and a friend and I am grateful for the time I got to work with the GOAT. I am also very grateful to have worked with, and learned from Mike Turner, Kendall Nelson, and Jesse Arnold. I would never have left Glenn had it not been for my dream teaching job opening in my hometown of Trinity.”
Returning home has been a fruitful decision professionally. Since returning in the 2018-19 school year, John has accomplished the following:
2020- Trinity HS Teacher of the Year
2022- Received Master’s in School Administration (University of Louisiana Monroe)
2023- Admitted into Doctoral program at Arkansas State University (2026 expected graduation)
2024- Trinity wins 2A State Dual Team Championship finishing 38-0
As if Trinity HS hadn’t done enough for John by educating him, introducing him to Kyle Spencer who has become a lifelong confidant and mentor, and giving him a job several years after graduating, Trinity HS also allowed John to meet the love of his life. John is married to Courtney, and regarding her and the family they created, John stated, “I met my wife at Trinity High School. We’ve been together for 20 years and have been married for 10 years as of July 12th of this year. We have 2 children. My son, Wyatt, is 7 and will turn 8 on June 30th. He loves baseball. My daughter, Emmeline, is 5 and will start kindergarten this fall. They both will attend Trinity Elementary, which is something I’m very proud of.”
Outside of teaching, coaching, working on his doctorate, being a dad and a husband, John is an avid Carolina Panthers fan. I can’t tell you how many times this guy has predicted that the Panthers would win the Super Bowl. He’s probably made that prediction for this year. Regarding his devotion to the Panthers, John stated, “My love for the Panthers was forged by Steve Smith but was brought to an obsession my Cam Newton. Cam Newton is the greatest Panther of all-time and is a bona fide Hall of Famer. He has transcended the game and influenced the next wave of dual threat QBs with Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, and Deshaun Watson all paying homage to him. Cutting Cam Newton unceremoniously was the worst mistake our franchise ever made.”
John’s two other highly enjoyable past times are watching his son play baseball and his daughter perform in her dancing events. Regarding this John said, “Being with my kids as an encourager, teacher, and role model is the highest calling of my life. Watching them compete brings me more joy than anything I’ve accomplished in life.”
John’s future in education obviously will be to move into administration. Whenever that happens John’s high school coaching career will come to an end. From that point, he will join forces with his brother to run the Trinity Top Team, which is a youth wrestling club that serves the Trinity area, but also Randolph County at large. John added, “I am proud of my brother Joseph. His work at his club, Trinity Top Team, has been instrumental in the success of the high school program.”
I asked a few people to offer a quote about John. Here are their responses:
Brandon Coggins- Head Wrestling Coach, Trinity High School
“Anders is a great man, father, and friend. John has been a very close friend for many years now. Through the years I have seen him care for kids as if they are his own. He does all this while furthering his education, being a great father, great husband, and great mentor. He executes all this daily, which is extremely hard to find. Trinity High school is a better place because of him!”
Kyle Spencer- John’s wrestling coach at Trinity
“Going into my 23rd year of education and coaching John Anders has been one of the hardest working and overachieving athletes that I’ve coached and worked with. He not only came to practice as an athlete and coach ever day with a great work ethic and attitude he has continued to do the same in his professional and coaching career as well.”
Brad Craddock- Retired Principal, Glenn High School
“John is a great teacher that always worked to ensure his students mastered the material. You could always see his enthusiasm in his classroom and the students appreciated his efforts. He was the same when coaching. John seemed tough on his wrestlers, but they always seemed to love his approach. It is my honor to say he was part of my team at Glenn.”
Joe McCormick- Glenn Athletic Director
“John Anders is a great coach and a great man. I enjoyed our time working together. He was always eager to learn and always eager to help. We’ve missed him at Glenn since he left but aren’t surprised in the success he’s achieved at Trinity.”
Lee Lawson- National Wrestling Tournament Director for multiple events
“John Anders is a person I watched compete as a wrestler and then become a great coach and mentor. His guys love and respect him. We are lucky to have him in our sport.”
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Courtney Anders- John’s wife
“John has a passion for wrestling and the city of Trinity and puts his all into coaching his team. He also works so hard teaching, going to school, and being an incredible father. I’m so proud of him for achieving his dream of winning the state championship at Trinity High.”
Wyatt Anders
“I like wrestling with Daddy.”
Emmeline Anders
“I love Daddy. He plays with me.”
As everyone can see, John Anders is a REAL MAN in every sense of the word. I’m proud to call him a friend and knowing him has made me a better person. In fact, John makes everyone he knows a better person.
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Until next time...
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Coach Atwood-XX
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