One of the premier prep wrestling programs in the Southeast is facing a new challenge.
Baylor School must replace a coach who only added to the Red Raiders’ reputation for success on the mat after Rex Kendle announced Thursday that he was stepping down.
In 15 seasons on Baylor’s staff, including the past five as head coach, Kendle’s impact was profound even at a program where success preceded him.
During his time as an assistant and head coach, the former Michigan State University standout helped the Red Raiders earn 15 TSSAA team state championship trophies while coaching 65 individual state champs and 37 All-Americans at the National Prep Wrestling Championships, including Khamari Wimper, the Chattanooga area’s lone champion at that national tournament.
Kendle, who became the fourth head coach in Baylor wrestling history when he took over for Ben Nelson in March 2020, plans to return to his home state of Michigan, where he will work for Great Lakes Holdings LLC.
“The Baylor wrestling community is second to none,” Kendle said in a news release. “Being a part of the Baylor wrestling program has been the honor of my lifetime. Baylor wrestling will always be a part of who I am. I will miss the daily interactions with the kids the most. I have been lucky to teach and coach a lot of really special kids.”
The 39-year-old Kendle ended his tenure with a bang. The Red Raiders swept the Division II state duals and traditional tournament team championships last month, beating McCallie 41-24 for the most lopsided duals final win over their archrival.
Kendle also was the first Baylor wrestling coach to have a girl compete for the school’s boys’ team as Ryleigh Sturgill was part of a dual victory against McCallie during the regular season and was a starter throughout the postseason, during which she qualified for the individual-based traditional tournament. Sturgill had been the TSSAA’s 100-pound girls’ state champion as a freshman a year ago, but Kendle asked her to fill a spot in the boys’ team’s lineup late in the 2024-25 season.
In Kendle’s tenure as head coach, the Red Raiders won a total of seven team state championships, sweeping the duals and traditional titles his first two seasons and again in his last. Counting his time as an assistant, he helped Baylor win five straight traditional titles from 2019-23 as well as four consecutive dual titles from 2019-22. The Red Raiders were undefeated in duals competition in two seasons (2020-21, 2024-25) with Kendle in charge.
“I was fortunate enough to come in when Jim Morgan and Schaak Van Deusen were still coaching,” Kendle said. “Getting to work with legends like those and Ben Nelson was an honor. After arriving here in 2010, it didn’t take me long to figure out Baylor was a special place.”
Contact Patrick MacCoon at pmaccoon@timesfreepress.com.