<p>Franklin’s wrestling program lost a legend when longtime coach Bob Hasseman retired earlier this summer.</p><p>The only thing that made sense was for the Grizzly Cubs to try replacing him with another one.</p><p>Mission accomplished.</p><p>Jim Tonte, who has coached four state championship teams this decade, was named the school’s new head wrestling coach on Thursday.</p><p>“That’s absolutely what we were looking for,” Franklin athletic director Bill Doty said. “Coach Hasseman is definitely a legend … and to do things right, to honor him, you almost need another legendary coach to come in and continue the tradition.”</p><p>Tonte guided Perry Meridian to three consecutive state team titles from 2011 to 2013 — the first two of those in the old dual-match tournament format and the third in the current point-based setup.</p><p>He points out, though, that when he first took over the Falcons as a young coach 20 years ago, that Hasseman’s Franklin teams were the ones setting the bar south of Indianapolis.</p><p>“I’m coming to a school that has a very rich tradition from a wrestling standpoint,” Tonte said.</p><p>He has spent the last four seasons at Warren Central, winning another team crown there in 2016 and becoming the first coach in Indiana history to win titles at two different schools.</p><p>Tonte also steered Perry Meridian to runner-up finishes in 2002, 2004 and 2009. In addition, he has coached 12 individual state champions, 11 of those with the Falcons, and 10 state runners-up (seven at Perry Meridian, three at Warren Central).</p><p>As enthused as he is about his new job, Tonte is just as excited about just moving back to the area; his wife Tina grew up in Bargersville, and they’re planning to build their dream home there on the same property where she was raised.</p><p>“We knew someday when we got married there that we’d be back there,” Tonte said.</p><p>Their two youngest sons, Corinthian and Micah, will be entering fifth and third grade and already started football practice in Franklin’s youth program this week.</p><p>While some coaches might be a bit apprehensive about stepping into a void as large as the one left by Hasseman, Tonte says he doesn’t feel any real pressure from that and says he actually prefers coming into such a situation.</p><p>“Stepping into what Bob has done is a positive thing,” he said. “Following a Hall of Fame guy makes it that much easier, because I know that guy’s laid the groundwork.”</p><p>Now Tonte can get to work building upon it.</p>
