When most people start a new job or career position, they begin with a clean slate. In Mark Paradine’s case, when he was hired earlier this year as inaugural head coach of WVU Potomac State College’s first wrestling team, he gets to start with everything new – equipment, uniforms, students, and a program inside an already impressive athletic department that he gets to build from the mats up.
“There are multiple feelings to this position,” Paradine said. “There’s a lot of pride in taking this position, especially given the fact that I graduated from college myself in May and I’m 22 years old. But there is a good staff and a great support system here at Potomac State College. But there is also an expectation for excellence at this school. I appreciate the trust the athletic staff has put into me at such a young age. There is a great support staff at Potomac State from the admissions office to the athletic office. You can see why this school is successful in athletics.”
Paradine – who in August also began his first year as a special education teacher at Keyser High School - not only brings a youthful vitality to the new program, but also experience and a knowledge in and appreciation for the sport of wrestling.
“I started participating in organized wrestling at the age of five, so wrestling has always been a big part of my life,” he said. “I was lucky to grow up in an area where we practiced a good amount, and a lot of my coaches in this sport were Pennsylvania State Placement winners. And some of them were state champs. I was coached by some of the best, and I feel like I have taken the best of what they coached me with me, and I can bring that to being a coach at Potomac State.”
Paradine himself had a decorated high school wrestling career at Cedar Cliff High School. He was a two-time PIAA District III Regional Qualifier, a Commonwealth Division All-Star, and a Pennsylvania Freestyle State Qualifier, while also serving as a team captain. Collegiately, Paradine attended NCAA Division II Seton Hill University, serving as a Student-Athlete Advisory Committee representative and earning recognition as a two-time PSAC Academic Team member.
One of his life and career goals was to be hired “someday” as a coach at the college level. He did not think it would happen as early in his career as it has, but he said he is grateful for the opportunity and the challenge.
“My Dad coaches football at a middle school. My grandpa coached sports. All of my uncles have been coaches. I have been around coaches and learned from coaches my whole life,” said Paradine. “I had a great coach named Vince DeAugustine. I would call him up, and he was always there with advice. I told him I was thinking about applying for this coaching job for a new wrestling program at a college in West Virginia, and he was very supportive. He has always had my back about my dream of coaching at a college level.”
Paradine brings a strong combination of competitive experience, academic achievement, and leadership to the role. A resolute student-athlete, he has competed as a member of Seton Hill’s wrestling team while pursuing a degree in Elementary and Special Education, maintaining a 3.5 GPA.
“We are excited to welcome Mark Paradine as the founding leader of our wrestling program,” said Mandi Larkin, Director of Athletics. “His passion for the sport, commitment to student development, and experience as both an athlete and mentor make him an ideal choice to build our program from the ground up.”
As head coach, Paradine will be responsible for recruiting student-athletes, developing the team’s competitive schedule, and laying the foundation for long-term success both on and off the mat as the Catamounts prepare for their inaugural season. The launch of the wrestling program reflects WVU Potomac State College's commitment to expanding its athletic offerings and enhancing the overall student experience, said Larkin.
Paradine said he understands he will be in the spotlight and under a microscope as he builds the program. The good news is there is no record, no history, no past and no comparisons. The bar that will be set for this program will be his own.
“For our first year, we will be wrestling a lot in Division Two and Division Three. It’s going to be a tough schedule, but I want us to have a tougher competition schedule. I want our wrestling team to be prepared for the NJCAA district tournaments,” he said.
Paradine said he realizes he is “not that much older” than the athletes he will be coaching. He said he sees that as a relatable asset.
“I am looking forward to being a coach to our first seven wrestlers we have in the program now, but I am also looking forward to helping them out in their education and in life,” he said. “My first day here, I just walked in and started recruiting. Everyone on campus has been very supportive and has been a huge help. Everyone at PSC has been great.”
He said he believes there are three qualities that define not only a “star” athlete but a successful student inside and outside of the gym and the classroom.
“I look for effort, consistency, and persistence,” Paradine said. “I look for someone who can control what he can control. I think your effort is your attitude. If the effort is put in, then 100-percent you are going to get things done. I want athletes who won’t back down and will get to work. When I say persistence, I mean acting like a champ on the mat, in the classroom and in your community. We might not end this first season the best wrestling team in the country, but I promise we are going to produce some quality athletes.”
Paradine said he has already met with the athletes who will make up the inaugural wrestling team. Practices begin in a few weeks, and the season itself starts with the first match on November 1.
“I see in all seven of these wrestlers we have this season the makings of a great team. What makes a good athlete, in my opinion, is showing up. Show up to class. Show up to practice. Show up every day. When you show up, you are given the benefit of the doubt. If you keep showing up, your teachers and coaches get to know you, and it shows that you care.”
While there isn’t a recipe to follow for making a new athletic program, there is another recipe Paradine follows. Under the category of “things you would be surprised to learn about the new wrestling coach,” Paradine likes making pickles.
“That would be something unique people might be surprised to know,” he said. “I just started canning my own spicy garlic pickles. My dad and I got into an argument over the summer about how long it takes to make pickles. He said it took at least three months, and I said it was a lot less, so I wanted to find out. So, for everyone on the wrestling team, they are probably going to get a jar of pickles at some point. Maybe for Christmas.”
Paradine said he can sum up his life and coaching philosophy in one word.
“Opportunity. I think you can put yourself in opportunities, but there is always a chance,” he said. “And you can’t control chance. But as long as you follow those opportunities, you will always end up in a pretty good place. And Potomac State College for me in this time in my career is that place.”