Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Fort Dodge head coach Bobby Thompson talks to the 2018 Dodger wrestling team. FDSH won the state dual title and the traditional championship that season.

Wrestling is much more than wins and losses.

The relationships formed are what makes lasting impressions for years to come.

Fort Dodge head coach Bobby Thompson has helped build state championships, championship teams, and lasting memories for every Dodger wrestler that has stepped into the school’s venerable wrestling room.

After 21 years at FDSH, Thompson has decided to retire.

Thompson began his career here in the 2005-06 school year after spending seasons years in Ames and three in Humboldt.

“Bobby trained us to be fierce competitors, but more importantly, he trained us to be uncomfortable — to lean into hard things,” said two-time Dodger state champion Sam Cook. “He knew when to push and when to put an arm around a kid who needed it.

“We worked hard, but we also had a lot of fun, and there was always a sense that we were part of something bigger than ourselves.”

His alma mater wasn’t the first stop for Thompson, but it was the last for the 1983 FDSH graduate.

Thompson, a 1990 Nebraska-Omaha grad, has coaching tamps on his resume from Omaha, Neb.; Valdosta, Ga.; Lawton, Okla.; Ardmore, Okla. and Columbia, Mo., before he moved back to Iowa to take over the Little Cyclones’ program.

In his career, Thompson is 307-151 for dual matches. He finishes as Fort Dodge’s all-time wins leader, with a mark of 185-91. Ed Birnbaum is second with a career mark of 165-79, ahead of the mentor to both, Don Miller (117-40-3).

While coaching the Red and Black, eight different Dodgers claimed a total of 18 state championships. In his career, Thompson has been a part of 23 individual state titles.

“He has an intuition and knack for wrestling that is very unique that I quite haven’t seen before,” said assistant coach Tanner Utley. “Being a Dodger is his life’s work…an honorary badge, and he didn’t want it any other way.

“It was one hell of a ride being on his staff over this last decade — truly an honor and privilege. I’ll always be thankful for the opportunity he gave me.”

Thompson, who was a part of the 1980 Fort Dodge state championship team, guided the Dodgers to one of their most memorable seasons in school history eight years ago. The Dodgers won the state dual title to go along with the traditional team crown.

That winter, legend Brody Teske wrapped up his remarkable career with his fourth state championship to finish 177-1.

“Coach Thompson has meant a great deal to me, far beyond just wrestling,” said Tesk, Fort Dodge’s only four-time state champion to date. “What sets him apart is how deeply he cares about every single kid who comes through the program.

“It doesn’t matter their skill level, background, or where they’re at in life, he meets each athlete exactly where they are and makes them feel valued.”

With this year’s state tournament being on the horizon, Thompson will lead one final group to Des Moines Feb. 18-21.

He is also in the process of coaching another nephew. Thompson was at the helm for three-time state champion nephew Drake Ayala, as well as finalist and four-time medalist Dru Ayala. He is now coaching freshman Knox Ayala.

“Coach Thomps has done so much for all of my brothers and me on and off the mat,” said Drake Ayala. “He taught me how important it really is to be a Dodger and be home grown.”

As the years go by and wins and losses fade, impressions and memories live on through time.

Here’s what some former Dodger wrestlers had to say about coach Thompson.

Dreshaun Ross (2026)

“Bobby has been the man from day one,” Ross said. “He’s the guy I go to if I ever need anything and he’ll get it done for me with no hesitation.

“Something I learned from him is to just be me and to never change who I am in any part of my (future). That’s something that I won’t ever forget for the rest of my life.”

Koy Davidson (2025)

“Throughout my time wrestling under Coach Thompson, it was nothing but the best,” Davidson said. “He was always there for me through the ups and downs. He didn’t just care about you as a wrestler — he genuinely cared about you as a person and would go out of his way to help however he could. Thomps was a huge confidence booster for me. He always knew how to put my head in the right direction when I needed it most.

“He’s influenced who I am today, and that’s something I’ll carry with me forever.”

“A lot of people don’t realize how much he does behind the scenes for the program. People are quick to judge, but they don’t see everything he truly puts into it.

“He will definitely be missed. Once a Dodger always a Dodger.”

Drake Ayala (2021)

“He always put the athletes first, and made sure we were taken care of in the best possible way,” Ayala said. “Bobby made sure we always had fun, and going on the trip to Chicago was one of my favorite wrestling memories ever. He still checks up on me while I am in college. But now he’s checking in on me as an uncle rather than a coach.

“I was lucky to be able to wrestle under Bobby Thompson, and I can’t thank him enough for all he’s done.”

Carson Taylor (2020)

“Bobby was a great mentor for me in my wrestling career,” Taylor said. “He made wrestling fun for me which was such a big part of why I kept wrestling after high school. Sports are supposed to be fun and competitive. If you aren’t having fun you are never going to be great.

“Fort Dodge is such a great community and so supportive, and Bobby was a big reason for that. I also remember looking back at Bobby’s picture at the high school from when they won a team title and always worked toward that goal of winning a title as a team and individually.

“I’ll forever be grateful for the opportunity I had wrestling under him.”

Levi Egli (2020)

“Bobby was a great coach,” Egli said. “He did a really good job of giving you advice, but not getting in your way at the same time.

“He gave me space to develop my skill set and knowledge of the sport which helped me improve my wrestling a lot.”

Cayd Lara (2018)

“Coach BT meant the world to me,” Lara said. “Not just because he was and still is a phenomenal coach. Bobby’s more than just a ‘coach.’ With the daily check-ins, grades, attendance, really just making sure each of his athletes were aligned with how important the ‘little’ things are. I took those for granted at the time, but looking back now I’m very thankful I was able to have a coach like that holding not just myself, but each individual to such a high standard.”

“Fort Dodge wrestling has such a rich tradition, and Bobby has done a phenomenal job with our wrestling program. He always talked about sticking to your roots, and having each other’s back.

“We were always in the fight together. Coaches, athletes, we were all one.”

Drew Bennett (2018)

“Bobby was always super supportive and passionate towards his athletes at Fort Dodge,” Bennett said. “He always took care of us on and off the mat and made sure we were getting the recognition and support we deserved. It was an honor being apart of the 2018 state championship team. Years prior to that, he knew that we were the best team in the state and always knew we would win a team title before graduating.

“He made sure we didn’t get down on ourselves until we made it to the top. He helped me see what a coach should do to support his team during the highs and lows of the tough sport of wrestling.

“It’s always nice to see Bobby when I come home or at other wrestling events and talk about the awesome memories during our title run especially in 2018.”

Brody Teske (2018)

“He’s done an incredible job creating an experience that goes beyond wins and losses,” Teske said. “He’s always been a resource for mentorship and guidance — someone athletes can lean on whether it’s about wrestling or life. You always know he has your back, and because of that, you want to give your absolute best every time you step on the mat. We go to battle knowing he’s right there with us.

“Coach Thompson is also incredibly prideful when it comes to representing what it means to be a Dodger. He lives it and expects his athletes to live it. Wearing that name means something because of him and he makes sure everyone understands the responsibility and pride that comes with it. He’s a Dodger through and through.

“What I carry with me most is how he leads with care, accountability, and belief in his athletes. Coach Thompson is more than just a coach — he helps shape young men and continues to leave a lasting impact on everyone he works with. He’ll be very hard to replace, and his influence will be felt long after he steps away from the mat.”

Triston Lara (2017)

“I couldn’t thank and say enough great things about Coach Thompson and all that he has done throughout the years,” Lara said. “Coach Thompson believed in myself, and that’s something I’ll never forget. I was lucky enough to take wrestling to the next level after high school and none of that was possible without Coach Thompson. I couldn’t thank Coach enough and I’m forever in debt to him.

“One thing I’ll carry on with me for the rest of my life is the blue collar Fort Dodge grittiness that Coach Thompson poured into all of us. During a time when kids are starting to transfer to the big ‘wrestling’ schools or following clubs, Coach Thompson wasn’t phased.

“Coach Thompson didn’t need the outside noises or big metro towns. We can win championships here in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and we can win them now. With hard work and a group of guys who believe and love each other, it can be done here. Coach Thompson instilled a belief in myself and Fort Dodge that can never be taken from me.”

Sam Cook (2016)

“I met Bobby when I was in fifth grade,” Cook said. “I wanted to be a team manager for the Dodger wrestling program, and from that point on I spent a huge part of my life around him, all the way through my senior year in 2016.

“He taught us to take care of each other, to do things the right way, and to get our hands raised the right way — with class, humility, and respect. Fort Dodge wrestling has a tradition that’s recognized across the state and the country. People know Fort Dodge guys are tough, gritty, loyal, and relentless. Bobby was the leading factor behind that culture.

“What I’ve carried with me most is the standard he set — for effort, for accountability, and for loyalty to the people next to you. That mindset has stuck with me far beyond wrestling, and I know I’m not alone in that. An entire community of athletes and families is better because of the time and care he poured into that program.”

Duke Egli (2013)

“I remember Bobby being good at helping me regulate pressure in the big moments,” Egli said. “I don’t think I appreciated that enough until after I graduated from high school and looked back on it. He could get animated and fired up when it was needed, but at the same time, he kept things fun and let the upperclassmen have some autonomy in decisions.

“It was always very apparent that he had immense pride and passion for Dodger wrestling.”

Tanner Utley (assistant coach since 2015)

“Bobby takes a ton of pride in building the culture as the foundation of the program,” Utley said. “An environment that is welcoming for all skill levels to be in a culture that feels like family. And as long as I’ve been in the trenches with him, that’s always been his barometer of success.

“Quite honestly, I’m not even sure he really knows that statistics of his career measured by wins and losses as it never was about that to him — it was always did we create an environment for kids to have fun, thrive in multiple facets of being a student athlete and with life after wrestling and high school. Don’t get me wrong…he is a competitor and wants our kids to end there with their hands up, but it wasn’t how he analyzed his coaching philosophy.”

“He will tell you wrestling has been his primary and only hobby most of his life. It’s a huge part of his fabric and he probably wouldn’t want it any other way. I tell people all the time over all the years I’ve been around him and in the corner with him.”