Coaches
High School Coaching Staff
Head Coach Jeremy Baker
Coach Baker has coached for the Belton Wrestling Program since 2016.
Coach Baker coaches with the Missouri USA Wrestling Cadet and Jr National teams since 2005 in a variety of roles, including head coach of Junior Dual teams, as well as 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 Blue Springs team that won the state title.
Coach Baker is the Freshman Seminar teacher at BHS.
Head Coach Greg Linhart
Coach Linhart started at Belton in 2021 and became the Womens head in 2022. 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.
Linhart is a math teacher at BHS.
Tyler Epstein
Coach Epstein has been on the Belton wrestling staff since 2014. Epstein was a very accomplished wrestler in high school attending Farmington High School in Farmington, MO (finishing 4th at in state as a junior before becoming 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 the Head Coach of the Belton freshman football team.
Coach Epstein oversee the Alternative Education program in Belton.
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 coached on the Missouri National Team staff at Fargo since 2013. He has coached the Missouri USA Wrestling Junior Dual Team since 2017 each summer. Evans has also been an assistant at Grandview, Grain Valley, and Butler.
Evans is a ELA/Special Education teacher at BHS.
Brad Hughes
Coach Brad Hughes has coached for Belton since 2019. Previously, he coached at Oak Grove
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.
Hughes is a PTLW and Art teacher at BMS.
Brayden Bradley
Coach Bradley started coaching for Belton in 2023. Bradley is a Belton alumni, who won an individual state championship during his HS career.
Bradley went on to wrestle collegiately for Missouri Valley College. At MVC, Bradley was a multiple time NAIA National Qualifier.
Bradley works in the fitness industry.
Middle School Coaching Staff
Head Coach Jared Smith
Coach Jared Smith works as coach in our MS program. Coach Smith has several years of experience coaching wrestling at the varsity level, including at Grain Valley and as the Head Coach at Sherwood High School. He is also the Head Soccer coach at BHS.
Smith is a PE teacher at BHS.
Harrison Campbell
Coming soon...
Eric Scherfenberg
Coming soon...
Youth Coaching Staff
Cody Newman
Coach Newman has been a part of the Belton wrestling program in several capacities, including head coach, assistant coach, and youth coach.
Newman has helped oversee the development of several Belton Wrestling state champions and state medalists.
As a competitor, Newman was a state champion for Ray-Pec High School. He played baseball and footbal at the University of St. Mary, eventually being inducted into the school's athletic Hall of Fame.
Coach Newman is a rep for the company Fundraising U.