Donegal has found a familiar face to fill the head coaching vacancy of its wrestling team.

John Ambs, a 2001 Donegal graduate and assistant coach for three years, will take over for the departed Dan Bechtold as the Indians' boss.

"This is always where I've wanted to coach," Ambs said. "I couldn't imagine coaching anywhere else."

"He's a Donegal guy," Donegal athletic director Ron Kennedy said. "He went through the system and has been an assistant the past couple of years, so he knows the kids well, and he wrestled in college. You take all of those things together and that made him the best fit for the job."

Ambs, a 135-pound District Three Class AA champion in 2001, is one of only nine wrestlers in Donegal history to win district gold. He was also a member of a Section Three championship team and earned First-Team All-Section Three selection his senior season, before going on to wrestle at Lycoming College.

"He knows the tradition and that's important. We have a great wrestling tradition around here," Kennedy said.

Ambs takes over a team that has won the past four Section Three titles while going 24-0 in the section. That tradition will add some pressure to Ambs as he tries to continue where Bechtold left off.

"The pressure doesn't have anything to do with what Dan (Bechtold) or (John) Felix has done. It's what the program has done," Ambs said of the Indians' 12 section titles. "It's the strong wrestling history here at Donegal, but I'm up for it."

At 25 years old, Ambs will be the youngest wrestling coach in the league, but that was not a concern for Kennedy.

"I think people make too much about age. If he's right for the job, he's right for it," Kennedy said.

Ambs will be the fifth coach in Donegal history following Bechtold (59-22), Felix (11 years, 88-54) and L-L League and District Three Hall of Famers Gene Funk (18 years, 188 wins) and Walt Price (14 years, 97-29-4).

E-mail: mblymier@lnpnews.com