May 17, 2021 at 10:49 a.m.
Arneson named next RHS wrestling coach
Arneson named next RHS wrestling coach
The School District of Rhinelander officially announced Scottie Arneson as the next head coach of the Rhinelander High School wrestling program during a press conference Friday. He takes over for Paul Ellenbecker, who stepped down in February after nearly a decade at the helm of the program.
Arneson is the son of RHS alum, and 1984 WIAA Division 1, 105-pound state champion Scott Arneson - who went on to have a long and successful coaching career in Merrill.
The younger Arneson is now eager to write his own legacy within the Hodag wrestling program.
"Every opportunity that presents itself, you've got to make it yours," he said. "Yeah, I have a history of strong relationships in wrestling, my dad being from Rhinelander and doing what he did here and then going on and doing what he did for coaching ... But I think, just getting my own opportunity to make a program my own and see what I can do, I believe I was the right candidate for this job. I know I'm going to have a lot of people around me to support what I need to grow a successful program."
Arneson, a physical education teacher at Rhinelander's Central Elementary School, was an assistant coach for the Hodags this past season. He worked primarily with Rhinelander's lightweights.
Prior to that, Arneson wrestled for his dad at Merrill High School. He qualified twice for the WIAA state tournament, placing fourth in the Division 1, 132-pound weight class as a senior in 2015.
From there, Arneson wrestled at UW-Platteville, where he was an NCAA Division II tournament qualifier, an academic All-American and a team captain.
"Scottie has a tremendous upside," RHS activities director Brian Paulson said. "You look at what he was able to do at the high school wrestling level, and then continuing in college and then coaching some club teams, we're extremely excited to have him in the district and now to have him as our head wrestling coach. It's just awesome, a young guy, lots of energy."
Ellenbecker strongly endorsed Arneson to be his successor, calling him, "one of the best young coaches I've been around."
Arneson admitted, after being hired to teach in Rhinelander at the start of the school year he figured he may get a head coaching opportunity at some point, he just did not realize it would come so soon.
"I was hoping it would be more like three years, but I'm ready to roll with it. You've got to take the opportunity when it presents itself," he said.
Arneson takes over a program that had a good run of success during the 2010s. Ellenbecker accumulated a 101-47-3 dual meet record as RHS head coach, including a 32-13 record in Great Northern Conference duals. The Hodags won four team GNC championships during his tenure and Rhinelander had 30 conference champions, 16 regional champions and 16 state qualifiers during Ellenbecker's tenure.
"Learning from Paul this last year, he told me right away, 'I'm not a good technician, but I know how to manage a program,'" Arneson said. "That's the stuff I learned from him this last year, more the management style. He let me do most of the technique with the guys."
Arneson said he will take bits of what he's learned from many coaches he's worked with or under to mold his own coaching style, but that the biggest tenet will come back to something his father taught him - the Golden Rule.
"Treating people how you want to be treated is how you'll have a successful program," Arneson said. "If they trust me to get them where they need to be or want to be, then I can trust them to work hard, get in shape and show up on time."
The team's success on the mat has waned a bit from its high point in 2017-18, when the Hodags won the GNC title and had five WIAA state tournament qualifiers - including three place winners. Rhinelander had finished below .500 in the GNC each of the last three seasons. A lack of numbers due to injuries and COVID hurt the team's chances this past season.
Arneson said his goal is to help foster athletes who are successful both on and off the mat.
"Time is relative and success is relative, but I don't like being mediocre," he said. "I think my principal at Central Elementary (Paul Johnson) would say the same thing. I want to try to get my students to be the best versions of themselves that they can be. That's all I can do for myself as well.
"Winning will take care of itself when we get the right guys in the program."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
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