Bridgeport High alumnus Tino Kusic, center, is welcomed back to his alma mater by Bridgeport High Principal Jack Fisher, left, and Superintendent Brent Ripley. Kusic will start as coach of the wrestling team this coming school year.

BRIDGEPORT – A new coach will lead the Bulldogs wrestling team at Bridgeport High this coming school year. The school is welcoming back alumnus Tino Kusic, a 2019 graduate who was shaped by the school’s athletic programs.

“I wrestled all four years, played football, played baseball three years,” he said.

Kusic recently graduated from West Liberty University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in digital media design. He is currently studying for a master’s degree in education.

Returning to work for his alma mater is another dream come true for Kusic.

“I moved here in sixth grade from northwest Ohio. My dad graduated from Bridgeport in 1991, so he was excited to send us here. During my 10 years here I loved it, from the faculty to the students to athletics, everything about it. It’s a powerful community. There’s a lot of support from top to bottom. It gives you that real small-town feeling, which is kind of hard to beat.”

Since coming back, he has been catching up with the faculty and seeing old teachers. He is impressed with the state-funded multipurpose facility to be dubbed “the Bridge,” now under construction on campus, and the opportunities it promises.

“With the Bridge project going on, it’s an exciting time to be a part of the school district.”

Kusic will bring close to 20 years of wrestling experience to the job.

“I’ve been around wrestling since first grade, even going to West Liberty I’ve worked with the team closely doing their photography and digital media.”

As a more recent alumnus, Kusic also has a student athlete’s perspective and can relate to players. He aims to be a role model for young wrestlers.

“What I want to try to bring is leadership. I want to develop these kids’ character,” he said. This includes joining them in training. “I want to lead by example. I’ll be in the room every day with the kids.”

Kusic said he will be working with a strong team, but a relatively small one, so his objectives as a coach include building a deep bench by recruiting younger students into the wrestling team.

He added he will also have some considerable talent, including two state-qualifiers from last school year.

“Pushing these kids every day to be their best, to grow as a wrestler and as a student and as a person as a whole.”

Kusic’s own experiences in wrestling taught him resilience in the face of difficult situations.

“It teaches a lot about character. There’s a lot of wins and losses in the sport. It allowed me to carry myself in a respectable manner, trying to be a good teammate and a good sport out on the mat,” he said. “The character it builds is inseparable. There’s a lot of lessons we learn in the practice room or out competing.”

Kusic encourages student athletes to give wrestling a shot during the winter sports season.

He will also be part of the baseball coaching staff. He values cross training and the chance to inspire student athletes on one team to join another.

Kusic will also be a full-time middle school and high school substitute teacher this year. He welcomes the opportunity to gain experience, build relationships with students and staff and seek guidance from educators.

“I have a lot to learn myself, but I look forward to it and I’m excited.”

Bridgeport Exempted Village School District Superintendent Brent Ripley sees good things in the future. The reorganization accompanying the Bridge’s construction will benefit operations like the wrestling program. There will be space in the elementary school gym in the year following the Bridge’s completion so the wrestlers will be able to train on campus in a spacious area rather than going to the field house, eliminating inconveniences caused by lack of transportation.

Kusic also anticipates making use of the weight room in the Bridge’s planned health center, to be named “the Dog Pound.”

Ripley said Kusic came highly recommended by people in the area who commended his work ethic and love for Bridgeport.

“That loyalty and buy-in is something that we value as a district,” Ripley said. He added the Bulldogs will continue to prove themselves.

“The grass is greener here, and when you have people that love kids and love what they’re doing, that’s going to transfer to our kids staying, investing and enrolling in Bridgeport.”

Bridgeport High Principal Jack Fisher looks forward to working with Kusic.

“I’ve only heard great things from the staff and the community,” he said. “It speaks highly of his athletic abilities, his personal characteristics and leadership and the guidance he’ll bring to our kids.”