GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Two retired first responders are now serving in a different capacity— answering the call to coach at a local university.
From helping put out flames to helping wrestlers at Davenport University maneuver on the mat. Coach Scott Lucas is a retired fire chief from the Westland, Michigan and Bangor, Maine fire departments, but he’s no stranger to the sport.
“Wrestling has been a big part of my life since I was a kid, and I've either coached or competed my whole fire department career, so it was a pretty smooth transition to go from full-time fire to full-time coaching,” said Coach Lucas.
He’s been coaching the Davenport Panthers since last fall, and says it's actually a lot like the fire service.
“You never know what you're gonna get and there's multiple things to do between coaching and recruiting, and the monitoring of academic progress, which is very important to us,” explained Coach Lucas.
His partner on the floor is Assistant Coach Steve Romero, also a retired first responder.
“I served for three years as a police chief in the state of Oregon. Prior to that, I served 30 years in Los Angeles as a police officer in various roles, from patrol officer all the way up to command,” said Coach Romero.
Now, he’s serving in a different capacity, bringing his experiences with wrestling and law enforcement to the team.
“They're both equally rewarding, although they have their own dynamics, but it's nice knowing that you're serving somebody else and helping them achieve, whether it be safety or their academic and athletic goals,” said Coach Romero.
Team captain Crue Cooper says their previous professions shine through their coaching. It’s something he’s grateful for and knows will take their growing team far.
“You can kind of tell by the way they run things you they've been here before, they know what they're doing so stuff’s really structured and I like that,” said Cooper.
He also says, so far, it’s been a really good experience watching them grow as coaches.
“Coach Romero, Coach Lucas, can't thank them enough for what they've done just this year alone,” said Cooper.
The team hopes to win both individual and national championships this year. Their wrestling season starts on October 23.
For more information on Davenport University's men's wrestling, click here. For more information on women's wrestling, click here.
