Coaches

Head Coach

Jeremy Baker

Coach Baker has been apart of the Belton Wrestling Program since 2016.

Coach Baker has worked with the Missouri USA Wrestling Cadet and Jr National teams since 2005 in a variety of rolls including head coach of Junior Dual teams and planning and running the National Teams training camps.

Coach Baker spent 7 years as an assistant coach for Blue Springs High School on teams that finished in the top 5 in state every year and won 2 team state titles.

Coach Baker was a 3-year letter winner for the University of Nebraska wrestling program. In high school, Coach Baker was a state runner up on a team that won a state title.

Coach Baker is the Freshman Seminar teacher at BHS.

Assistant Coach

Brad Hughes

Coach Brad Hughes is entering his sixth season as a wrestling coach. This is his first season with Belton, acting as both the head middle school and assistant high school coach.

Hughes is a 2006 graduate of Knob Noster High School and wrestled under Missouri Wrestling Association Hall of Fame Coach, Ray Stockdale. Coach Hughes earned a 4th place finish at the Missouri State High School Wrestling Championships in the '04-05 season at the 189 weight class during his junior year.

After graduating from Knob Noster, Coach Hughes participated in both football and wrestling at the collegiate level for the Northwestern College Red Raiders of Orange City, IA. During his career as a Red Raider, Coach Hughes was a two time National Qualifier in the heavy weight division, team captain and a member of the 2008 NAIA Champion of Character wrestling team. He received GPAC Honorable Mention All-Conference Honors in the '08 football season as well.

Coach Hughes completed his undergraduate work in 2011 and began his coaching career as an assistant wrestling coach for the University of Central Missouri Mules while completing his Master's Degree.

Assistant Coach

Tyler Epstein

Coach Epstein has been on the Belton wrestling staff since 2014. Epsstein was a very accomplished wrestler in high school attending Farmington Senior High School in Farmington Missouri. Finishing 4th at the state tournament as a junior and was a state champion as a senior. He was also named KTJJ Dream Team wrestler of the year as a senior.

Coach Epstein went on to play college football at University of Northern Iowa and graduated from Lindenwood University as a standout middle linebacker.

Coach Epstein is also a varsity coach for the Belton football and track teams.

Assistant Coach

James Evans

Coach Evans started at BHS in 2021. Previously, he served as the head coach at Grandview High School. In addition to being and assistant coach at the high school level since 2008, Coach Evans has been a coach on the Missouri National Team staff at Fargo since 2013. He has coached the Missouri USA Wrestling Junior Dual Team since 2017. Evans coaches has coached at the club level for MoWest Championship Wrestling Club since 2011.

Assistant Coach

Greg Linhart

Coach Linhart started at BHS in 2021. Previously, he was the Athletic Director at Grandview High School. Coach Linhart served as the Head Coach at Grandview for many years and worked as an Assistant Coach at Lee's Summit West. Coach Linhart was chosen to coach Team Missouri at the Metro Classic (Missouri vs. Kansas All Star Dual) in both 2020 and 2021. Coach Linhart has also served as the MO Girls Junior Duals Team Leader and as a coach on the Missouri Girls National Team staff.

Linhart brings many years of coaching experience from the cross country world as well.

As a wrestler, Linhart was a 4 time state medalist in high school, placing 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and winning a state championship as a senior.