BUTLER, IN - A former Angola Head Coach will be taking the reigns to lead the Eastside Wrestling Team.

In a Facebook post made Tuesday morning, Coach Dough Smoker announced he has accepted the position to become the new Head Wrestling coach at Eastside. Smoker has served for 9 years at Angola High School as the head wrestling coach. He resigned at the end of the 2019-2020 earlier this spring.

Smoker said in his post he would like to “thank Angola for the opportunity to coach the wrestling program for the past 9 years”. Smoker said he has met many “great people and friends while at Angola and wants to wish them the best of luck”.

Prior to his nine year run at Angola, Smoker was also the head wrestling coach at Prairie Heights. In addition to serving as the head wrestling coach at Prairie Heights, Smoker was also an assistant football coach for the panthers.

Eastside will be the third school in the NECC where Smoker will have served as a head coach. Smoker and Eastside head football coach Todd Mason coached wrestling together while they both coached at Prairie Heights.