It was a result that mirrored much of Pennix’s career — competitive, hard-earned and built on consistency rather than flash.
“Pretty exciting,” Pennix said. “The match itself was back and forth. Both teams won seven matches, so it was pretty even. But we ended up on top.”
The win marked a major milestone for a coach whose path into wrestling began almost by accident. When Pennix first entered coaching in 1994, the mat wasn’t even part of the plan.
“I thought I was going to be a football coach,” Pennix said. “Then at the football awards banquet at Reading, the head coach, Dick Engel, talked to me and my wife into helping out for one year. And 26 years later, here we are.”
That conversation launched a career that has spanned three decades, multiple programs and hundreds of student-athletes.
A graduate of Lakota High School, Pennix wrestled under Ohio Coaches Hall of Fame members Bob Dalton and Bob Stoll and was part of a Greater Miami Conference championship team with the Thunderbirds.
He later attended Bowling Green State University, where he wrestled for the Falcons and helped the program win four Mid-American Conference championships.
It was also at BGSU where he met his wife, Amanda. The couple celebrated 32 years of marriage on Dec. 17 and have two grown children.
Pennix began his coaching career as an assistant at Reading High School, working alongside Hall of Fame coach Dick Engel. During his seven years there, the Blue Devils captured multiple league and sectional titles, a district championship, and produced numerous state qualifiers and two state champions.
He took over as head coach at Blanchester in 2001, where he spent 13 seasons building one of the region’s most consistent programs before later serving as the Wildcats’ athletic director.
His coaching tenure includes:
• 3× SWOWCA Coach of the Year
• 3× SWOWCA Division III Team of the Year
• GMC Coach of the Year
• GMC Team Champions (first in Lakota East program history)
• 5× SBARC Coach of the Year
• 4× SBAAC Conference Champions
• 2× Division III Southwest Ohio Sectional Champions
• 2013 Dual Meet Regional Champions (State Elite Eight)
• 20 State Qualifiers
• 8 State Placers
• One Two-Time State Champion
After a brief step away from coaching, Pennix returned to the mat in 2022 at Lakota East, where he now teaches anatomy and forensics while leading the Thunderhawks.
Four seasons in, he has focused on building a program centered on development rather than immediate results.
“This year’s team is really young — mostly sophomores and freshmen,” Pennix said. “Last year we were pretty senior-heavy, so this year has been about learning what it takes. You can see it starting to click. Friday was their fourth win in a row. They’re starting to get it.”
For Pennix, success has always been defined by more than wins.
“The best part is when kids buy into what we’re trying to accomplish,” Pennix said. “Hard work paying off, not just in wrestling, but in life. You see it when they’re in school, and you really see it when former wrestlers reach back out years later and tell you how much it meant.”
That long view shapes his coaching philosophy. He believes wrestling teaches lessons few other sports can replicate — perseverance, accountability and the ability to push through adversity.
“The underlying thing is being able to show up when things aren’t perfect,” Pennix said. “That grit and grind — that’s life. Wrestling teaches that better than just about anything.”
He also remains a strong advocate for multi-sport athletes, encouraging his wrestlers to participate in football, track or other activities.
“I’m 100 percent for that,” Pennix said. “You get eight semesters of high school. You might as well experience as much as you can. It teaches you how to handle different expectations and different coaches. That’s real life.”
Away from the mat, Pennix credits his family for making the long seasons possible.
“She’s been incredibly supportive,” he said of his wife. “Coaches’ wives are wrestling widows from December through March. You don’t do this without that kind of support.”
As for the 200-win milestone, Pennix views it less as a personal achievement and more as a reflection of time, consistency and the people he’s coached along the way.
“I think I’ve ended up in the right spot,” Pennix said. “The last four years at East have been great. The support has been incredible. I’m just going to keep going as long as I can.”
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