Messenger photo by Britt Kudla: Mark Rial (left) coaches alongside Bobby Thompson at the state wrestling tournament. Rial, a two-time Fort Dodge state champion, will replace Thompson as the program’s new head coach.

The tradition of Fort Dodge wrestling was built by champinos like Mark Rial.

Now, Rial will be in charge of a new era for the program as the Dodgers’ next head coach.

Rial, a 1996 FDSH graduate, officially accepted the job on Thursday, pending board approval. He takes over for head coach Bobby Thompson, who retired after 21 seasons of coaching the Dodgers and 30 years overall.

“The support of Fort Dodge Senior High and activities director Brandon Ruffridge has been amazing,” Rial said. “(FDCSD superintendent) Josh Porter has been crucial as well. I want to thank the district for having the confidence in me for this position.

“I want to thank God and the entire Fort Dodge community for this tremendous opportunity.”

The transition comes as no surprise from the time Rial became an assistant coach for FDSH in 2021 through today.

“I had my eye on Mark from the time I knew Bobby was going to retire,” Ruffridge said. “With the Fort Dodge tradition and expectations, Mark is the perfect fit in so many ways.”

Rial won a state championship during his senior and sophomore years with the Dodgers in 1994 and ’96, respectively. He is 13th on the school’s all-time win chart with a career prep record of 131-8. Rial ranks is sixth in win percentage at .942.

“It’s just awesome to have Mark take over,” Ruffridge said. “He wrestled at a high level on the high school scene, and has a proven track record as both an athlete and a coach at every level.

“Mark’s expertise in a multitude of areas is pretty uncommon in the high school ranks.”

During his college career, Rial was a national qualifier for the University of Northern Iowa. He was also a five-time National Greco Roman All-American and a three-time University Nationals All-American.

The former Buena Vista University leader has been coaching since 2010. Rial became an assistant under Thompson at FDSH five years ago.

“I didn’t really seek out a position here years ago, because I was at a different time in my life,” Rial said. “Now it fits for me, with Bobby retiring. I have big shoes to fill. It’s a great job that is well-respected across the state.”

Rial, who has been in his senior-to-be son Trace’s corner the last three seasons under Thompson, is excited to be the head coach for Trace’s final year.

“It means a lot to see what Trace (a three-time state qualifier) is going to do as a senior,” Rial said. “I’m definitely going to miss Bobby in a lot of aspects. I leaned pretty heavily on Bobby in a lot of ways, but also learned so much under him.”

Ruffridge pointed to the experience Rial gained under Thompson’s wing as another box checked along the way to this position.

“Mark has been a part of the staff and is very familiar with how things go,” Ruffridge said. “He had a great relationship with Bobby. The translation should be smooth.”

Rial added he has been both an active and casual observer during the final years of Thompson’s tenure.

“Working under Bobby has been crucial for me as a coach,” Rial said. “I’ve definitely learned a lot, and I’m continuing to learn. There will be some changes as the season comes, with a few people coming and going, but I’m definitely excited for the future.

“The tradition is already established, so we just have to continue that with the kids and let them know what the expectations are.”

Rial also noted the changes the program experienced in the 21 years of Thompson’s tenure.

“Bobby he has had to go through the social media era and the program reaching prominence even on the national scene,” Rial said. “It’s been a real lesson for me to be there in recent years. Bobby is definitely a guy I’ll still communicate with regularly. It’s kind of crazy that the guys of his era (of coaching) are retiring. But all of this is a blessing and I’m thankful to be a part of it (moving forward).”

Rial lives in Fort Dodge with his wife, Lindsey, and their two sons. Parker is in seventh grade.