JEFFERSON TWP — The timing could not have worked out better.

Steve Carney's teaching career moved from the elementary school to Knoch Middle School this year. The Knoch High School varsity wrestling head coaching position opened up at the same time.

“I've been wanting to help out with the program for a while now,” said Carney, a former Kiski Area High School and Clarion University wrestler. “But my wife and I have two young kids, I taught later in the day at the elementary school ... The time just wasn't there.”

Now it is.

And Carney plans to take advantage of it.

The 31-year-old Knoch Middle School social studies teacher was recently named the Knights' head wrestling coach. He succeeds Mark McLaughlin, who resigned in August after forming the program in 2006 and serving as its only head coach.

Carney was a 20-win wrestler his senior year at Kiski — coached by Slippery Rock University graduate and recent SRU Athletic Hall of Fame inductee Chuck Tursky — and enjoyed moderate success on the mat at Clarion.

“I was focusing on my career in college,” he admitted. “I majored in education, but minored in athletic coaching because I knew I'd want to get involved with wrestling again.”

Carney has never been a wrestling head coach or even an assistant before. He taught for a year in Tampa, Fla., before returning to the area and accepting an elementary school teaching position in the South Butler District.

He taught at the elementary level for five years before moving to the middle school.

“We posted the position outside, but we always look for in-house candidates first and Steve was a natural fit,” Knoch athletic director Mike King said. “The key to developing a good program is recruiting younger kids and Steve is around the kids at that level now.

“There will be a learning curve for him to some degree. There are headaches that come with being a head coach, being responsible for all aspects of the program, and he's willing to take that on.”

Knoch has 35 to 40 kids in its youth wrestling program and Carney said he has enough diversity on this years varsity roster to field a full lineup throughout the weight classes.

Knoch has won as many as 13 dual matches in a season before. The program produced seven 20-win wrestlers and sent three wrestlers to college — Grayson Hixon (Penn State-New Kensington), Blaine Elliott (Washington & Jefferson) and Brittney Faust (King) — under McLaughlin.

“He (Carney) put in a preseason conditioning program and the kids have responded,” King said. “That weight room is pretty full.”

Three returning Knoch wrestlers — Matt Steinmiller, Max Freyermuth and Brandon Yobst — were members of the Mat Factory in Lower Burrell during the summer.

“Those guys are ready to rock and roll right now,” Carney said. “I'm excited about taking the time to build something here. The community is enthused about the program and I'm confident I can provide the instruction for the kids to prosper in this sport.”