About Coach Valdez

Passion for Wrestling Sets Him Apart.

Head Coach, Dane Valdez, graduated from Calvary Chapel High School in 1994. While attending Calvary he and his twin brother, Shane, became two of the most celebrated wrestlers in Southern California history. Known for his aggressive style and superb technique, Coach Valdez became the first state champion ever for Calvary Chapel and was an integral part of creating the “Church Boyz” dynasty of the 90’s. In his final two years he amassed a record of 101 wins and only 1 loss and was the runner-up at the High School National Championships. Along with these accomplishments, Coach Valdez, was a multiple freestyle state champion and a 3X Junior freestyle national all-American.

Coach Valdez earned a wrestling scholarship and went on to compete for Division I powerhouse Oklahoma University. While at Oklahoma, he was a 4 year varsity letter winner and earned All-America honors at the NCAA Division I National Championships. He was also a 3X Academic All-American.

Coach Valdez went on to compete in the Open Freestyle Division and spent the final two years of his wrestling career living and training for the 2004 Olympics at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Co. There he was able to receive the best of the best in coaching, training, and competition. Since then, Coach Valdez, has coached wrestling at the high school, collegiate, and international levels.

His life long dedication to the sport and his passion to share his knowledge with others set him apart as one of the best our sport has to offer.