High school wrestling: Eric Lakia leaving Lake Catholic for NDCL

The Eric Lakia era with the Lake Catholic wrestling program has come to an end.

However, the Eric Lakia era with the Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin program is about to start.

Lakia and Lake Catholic athletic director Sam Colacarro confirmed to The News-Herald on June 12 that Lakia has stepped aside as the Cougars’ wrestling coach, ending a highly successful four-year run. Colacarro said Lakia’s teaching position at the school had been eliminated, thus leaving Lakia looking for a teaching position.

Lakia found it at North Coast League rival NDCL, where he will teach physical education (grades K-8) and will take over as the Lions’ wrestling coach.

“We broke records at Lake Catholic,” Lakia said. “But Lake had always been an established program. It will be nice to grow something and start something at NDCL.”

In announcing Lakia’s hiring, NDCL athletic director Jim Clark said, “We were presented with an opportunity to have an accomplished and proven coach in Eric Lakia. We are excited to have someone with such a strong work ethic, experience and passion for wrestling join NDCL athletics.”

Lakia’s tenure at Lake Catholic was glowing. The Cougars finished second in this year’s Division II state dual meet tournament and finished 10th in the individual state tournament.

A two-time NCL and News-Herald Coach of the Year, Lakia coached 23 state qualifiers during his time with the Cougars, including three-time state champion Kevon Freeman.

“I hate losing Eric, I really do,” Colacarro said. “But I understand. He had to find a job. You can’t support a family on a wrestling coach’s salary. His position at the school (as a directed study moderator) was eliminated, so he had to find a job.”

Lakia called the opportunity at NDCL a blessing.

“I don’t know if I had God on my side or what,” he said. “I have my degree in physical education, so this is a great opportunity career-wise.”

Prior to Lake Catholic, Lakia spend four years as an assistant coach at Lake Erie College. As a wrestler at Ashland University, Lakia was team MVP in 2007, when he finished fourth in the nation at 165 pounds.

Lakia is a graduate of Riverside, who besides his degree in physical education from Ashland has a Master’s degree in Education from Lake Erie.

“The Lake Catholic program is in good hands,” Lakia said. “They’re going to be great next year. I know NDCL is not comparable right now, but for me, it’s, ‘Hey, let’s grow it.’ It’s a challenge and I like that. It’s an opportunity for me to make the program better.”

Neither Lakia nor Colacarro offered a suggestion as to who might be in line to take over the Lake Catholic program. Colacarro said the position will be posted. One candidate might be longtime assistant Scott Hivnor, though the staff does include some young talent who recently wrestled at Lake Catholic in David Coates and Sean Fee.

Said Colacarro, “It’s going to be a tremendous loss. But we have a great nucleus coming back. We’ll open it up and see who applies for it.”

Lakia said his time at Lake is cherished.

“It was an awesome time,” Lakia said. “Coming in, I never imagined we would accomplish so much in four years.”