The top-two winningest active Division I college wrestling coaches will face each other when the Drexel Dragons travel to Lawrenceville, NJ, to face the Rider University Broncs at Rider’s Alumni Gymnasium on Wednesday, February 9 at 7 p.m. With a combined 67 years of coaching experience exclusively at the Division I level both coaches stand atop the podium.
 
Drexel’s Jack Childs, with 420 career wins, the most among active Division I head coaches, will face Rider’s Gary Taylor, with 367 career wins, the second most wins, in a Colonial Athletic Association dual meet.
 
“Being that this will be my last trip to Rider for our dual, it certainly brings a bit of nostalgia into play,” said Childs. “Gary and I are not only adversaries on the mat, we are best friends off it. I respect Gary for his longevity and competiveness. We are #1 and #2 in wins, not because we are that good, it is just that we have persevered and outlasted those coaches behind us.
 
“It is not the number of wins, it is the total number of matches we have coached, the number of young men we have educated, coached, and helped to develop into professional and family men,” added Childs. “This has been my reward, and as I tell my team - 'smile because it happened, don't cry because it's over’.
 
“It will be hard saying ‘goodbye’ to coaching, and my last trip to Rider will be a part of my memories,” said Childs.
 
“Jack and I have competed against each other over the past 32 years so we are very use to doing so. That part will seem very natural, as it should. What will be different is that it will be the last time it happens,” said Taylor. “I do in fact smile with Jack that it happened, and I smile that he has earned a right to rejoice in the wonderful job he has done. He has been a very positive influence on the young men he has coached. In addition to teaching them how to wrestle and compete he has done a great job of preparing them as young men for life, both professional and family life.
 
“He has not just been a coach to the student athletes of Drexel, but he has also served as a mentor,” added Taylor. “I have tremendous respect for Jack Childs as a coach, a friend and a man. It is rare in this sport to have a true friend that you compete against regularly and in that sense we are a bit of an oddity. We are both very competitive and on the night of the match that always comes out. When it is over however, the nice thing is, that we are still friends. I wish Jack, Annie and the Child's family a happy and blessed life, and I wish him a wonderful retirement.”
 
Rider and Drexel have met 34 times since the series began in 1970-71 with Rider winning 26, including a 27-9 decision last year in Philadelphia. The last time Drexel defeated Rider was during the 2006-07 season.
 
This event will also serve as a prelude to the upcoming NCAA Wrestling Championships at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday, March 17 through Saturday, March 19.
 
Rider has three wrestlers ranked among the top 33 in their weight classes by the NCAA Division I Wrestling Coaches Panel and Drexel has two. Both teams have six wins this season and are 1-2 in CAA competition. Drexel has nine of its 10 starting wrestlers ranked among the top six in the CAA in their respective weight classes and Rider has eight.
 
The key match between Rider and Drexel should be at 165 pounds where Drexel’ Joe Booth is currently ranked third in the CAA at 165 pounds but recently defeated the CAA’s top 165 from Hofstra who was ranked 10th in the nation. With that win Booth improved to 17-7 overall, 4-0 in the CAA. Rider’s Jim Resnick is currently ranked second in the CAA at 165 and is 14-3 overall, 3-0 in the CAA.
 
Booth and Resnick were both NCAA qualifiers last year, but at different weight classes, Booth at 157 pounds and Resnick at 174 pounds.