CONCORDIA, Kan. – Cloud County Community College head wrestling coach Cody Cole has announced his resignation after four years at the helm of the T-Birds.

Cole was recently named the head wrestling coach at New Mexico Highlands University in Las Vegas, New Mexico, and will take over as head coach of the Cowboys in June becoming just the second coach since the program's rebirth for the 2005-2006 season.

"Cody Cole has done a fantastic job of developing a solid program as well as building a winning culture at Cloud County" said Cloud County Athletic Director Matt Bechard. "Cody and his family will be sorely missed and the Cloud family wishes them all the best at New Mexico Highlands."

In his four years at Cloud County, Cole would coach CCCC to 20 dual victories while seeing Cloud County ranked as high as number 12 in the NJCAA Wrestling Rankings on December 4th, 2018 and again on February 8th, 2019. Taking over as head coach during the middle of Cloud County's inaugural season in 2017-18, Cole has led CCCC to a third-place finish at the 2019 NJCAA West Central Wrestling Championships and coached 28 NJCAA National Championship qualifiers.

Building off the third-place finish at the 2019 West Central District Tournament, Cole would go on to coach the T-Birds to a 14th place finish at the 2019 NJCAA Wrestling Championships to go along with the program's first two NJCAA All-Americans in Austin Eldredge (145 pounds) and Noah Aziere (165 pounds).

CCCC would then manage to send 10 wrestlers to the 2021 NJCAA National Championships where James Davis (133 pounds) and Zach Ferris (197 pounds) would become the third and fourth All-Americans in program history with Ferris capping off a perfect 21-0 season with the first National Title in program history. Cloud County would also finish a program-best 11th and finish as the third-highest Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference School at the 2021 National Championship meet.

"I want to thank Matt Bechard, Ann Lowell, and countless other people at Cloud County Community College for their unwavering support during my time as head wrestling coach" said Cole. "Additionally, I want to thank the community of Concordia for their love and sense of family that they have shown to my Nikki, myself, Easton and Evan, as we have felt like we grew up in the community." "Coaching at the NCAA level has always been a dream of mine and the opportunity at New Mexico Highlands will be a great place to achieve that dream." "I believe that the wrestling program at Cloud County will continue to grow and be a successful program within the NJCAA and I hope that I have left a foundation that will lead the next coach who takes over with the resources necessary to continue that success." "The administration, faculty, and staff have given the tools for this program's success and I look forward to watching in the future as they assist student-athletes and help wrestlers continue their dreams!"

A national search for Cole's replacement will begin immediately for the third coach in Cloud County wrestling history.