In California wrestling, few coaches have made a greater impact on athletes, championship programs, and young lives than La Costa Canyon High School head coach Dwayne Buth. Entering his 29th season leading the Mavericks, Buth has become synonymous with consistency, integrity, and excellence.

Yet behind the championships, state medalists, and decorated coaching career is a much deeper story—one built on perseverance, influential mentors, unwavering faith, and a lifelong commitment to helping others discover the lessons wrestling can teach.

A Wrestling Journey Begins

Dwayne Buth’s wrestling journey began at just five years old when his older brother introduced him to the sport. His brother’s high school coach, Dale Siscon, had started the Spring Valley Mighty Mites wrestling program, and Buth quickly found himself stepping onto the mat wearing oversized headgear and knee pads that, as he humorously recalls, “took up half my leg.”

Those early experiences became the foundation of a coaching philosophy that would eventually impact thousands of young athletes.

For the next eight years, Siscon was much more than a youth coach—he became Buth’s first mentor and one of the most influential figures in his life. Siscon had competed under legendary Mount Miguel coach Ned Blass, a two-time NCAA champion at Oklahoma State who helped establish San Diego as one of California’s early wrestling hotbeds.

Through that coaching lineage, Buth inherited not only technical knowledge but also a deep appreciation for wrestling’s traditions, values, and responsibility to the next generation.

“I learned most of my technique from Dale Siscon as a kid,” Buth says. “The wrestling lineage I came from runs deep.”

His parents also played critical roles in his development. His mother, Dona Buth, spent countless weekends driving him to tournaments and supporting his wrestling journey. His father rarely attended competitions—not because he lacked pride in his son, but because watching him compete was simply too stressful.

Their support helped shape the competitor and coach he would eventually become.

Overcoming Adversity at Mt. Miguel

Buth’s high school career at Mt. Miguel High School was defined by perseverance.

As a freshman, he opened the season with a 9-2 record before suffering a devastating knee injury that required surgery. Doctors advised him never to wrestle again, and his father initially agreed.

But Buth was determined to continue.

He convinced his father to allow him to wrestle if he competed wearing a metal knee brace—a decision that changed the trajectory of his career.

“I’m sure glad I didn’t listen,” Buth reflects.

He wore that brace throughout the remainder of his competitive career.

During his junior season, Mt. Miguel unexpectedly lost its head coach early in the year. Assistant coach Chris Sanders stepped into the role despite having limited wrestling experience. Recognizing Buth’s technical ability, Sanders focused instead on developing his mental toughness and competitive mindset.

That guidance proved invaluable as Buth battled through one of California’s deepest weight classes, finishing as the 1988 CIF State runner-up.

His senior season brought another influential mentor in Steve Bowdren; a recent Utah State graduate whose technical guidance helped Buth reach another level. The result was a remarkable 45-1 season and a CIF State Championship at 165 pounds in 1989.

During his high school career, Buth became a three-time state qualifier, a state runner-up, and ultimately a California state champion—all while competing with a surgically repaired knee.

Cal State Fullerton: Perseverance Through Adversity

Buth continued his wrestling career at Cal State Fullerton, competing in one of the nation’s toughest conferences—the Pac-10.

Success came quickly. He earned three Pac-10 medals, including two third-place finishes and one fifth-place finish, while qualifying twice for the NCAA Division I Championships.

However, his college career was defined as much by adversity as achievement.

During his junior year, the passing of his father left him questioning whether he should continue wrestling and remain in school. Encouragement from family, coaches, and teammates helped him stay the course.

Injuries continued to challenge him. After redshirting because of another knee injury, he returned for his senior season and was leading by six points in the Pac-10 semifinals when he suffered a torn hip flexor.

After two weeks of recovery, another obstacle emerged—impacted wisdom teeth requiring emergency surgery just days before the NCAA Championships.

Still determined, Buth boarded the plane with gauze packed in his mouth and prepared to compete. During his opening NCAA match, however, he injured his remaining healthy knee, an injury that ultimately required surgery and ended his competitive wrestling career.

Those setbacks never diminished his passion for wrestling. Instead, they prepared him for a coaching career built on empathy, resilience, and the belief that adversity can become a teacher.

Wrestling Without Borders

One of the most memorable experiences of Buth’s wrestling journey came in 1989, when coaches Lynn Dyche and Jim Root led a California team on a cultural and wrestling exchange trip to Japan.

The experience created lifelong friendships and memories, but no one could have imagined the connection would come full circle three decades later.

Nearly 30 years after that trip, a Japanese wrestling team traveled to the San Diego area for international competition. During the visit, Buth reunited with one of the Japanese coaches whose parents had hosted members of the California team back in 1989.

As they reminisced and looked through old photo albums from the exchange, both men made an unexpected discovery—they had actually worked together during that original trip. Even more remarkable, Buth realized that he had taught the young Japanese wrestler, now a coach himself, several wrestling techniques all those years earlier.

The reunion became a powerful reminder that wrestling’s impact extends far beyond championships and competition. It is a sport capable of creating lifelong friendships, connecting generations, and building relationships that transcend borders and time.

For Buth, the experience reinforced one of the greatest gifts wrestling has provided—a worldwide family united by a shared passion for the sport.

Building a Championship Culture at LCC

After serving as an assistant coach at Troy High School from 1993 to 1996, Buth accepted the head coaching position at newly established La Costa Canyon High School for the 1997-98 season.

The early years required patience and vision.

When Buth talked to his athletes about placing at the CIF State Championships—or even winning a state title—many struggled to believe it was possible.

“I started talking about goals,” he recalls. “They wanted to win league and qualify for state. I talked about placing at state and winning state. They looked at me like I was crazy.”

Everything changed in 2004.

That season, Ryan Williams captured a CIF State Championship while teammate Jeff May finished as state runner-up, leading La Costa Canyon to a ninth-place team finish at the state tournament.

The breakthrough validated Buth’s vision and permanently changed the expectations within the program.

Veteran Valhalla High School coach Glenn Takahashi became another important mentor during those formative years. Buth frequently sought his advice, always looking for ways to improve and build a stronger program.

Since then, La Costa Canyon has become one of Southern California’s premier wrestling programs—not through recruiting talent, but through developing it.

Of Buth’s 89 state qualifiers, 87 grew up within the La Costa Canyon attendance area, with approximately 95 percent beginning wrestling in seventh grade or later.

His program has become proof that elite wrestlers can be developed through outstanding coaching, consistent training, and belief in the process.

One of Buth’s greatest joys is seeing overlooked athletes transform.

“I love when coaches ask me, ‘Where did that kid come from?’ The answer is always the same—our program.”

A Legacy Measured by Lives Changed

Few coaching resumes in California wrestling can match Buth’s accomplishments.

During nearly three decades at La Costa Canyon, he has guided the Mavericks to:

• 23 Avocado League West Championships
• 5 CIF Team Championships
• 12 CIF Team Runner-up finishes
• 93 CIF State Qualifiers
• 13 CIF State medalists in boys wrestling
• 7 CIF State medalists in girls wrestling
• 28 San Diego Masters Champions
• 304 CIF Masters placers
• 55 CIF Champions
• 6 Top-25 state team finishes
• 25 additional wrestlers who reached the CIF State “blood round,” finishing among California’s top 12 competitors

His athletes have also earned national recognition through NHSCA All-American honors, Wrestling USA Magazine All-American selections, Amateur Wrestling News All-American recognition, and Fargo All-American performances.

Buth himself has been recognized among California wrestling’s most respected coaches. His coaching honors include induction into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame – California Chapter, California Coach of the Year, San Diego Coach of the Year, and induction into the Mount Miguel High School Hall of Fame.These honors reflect not only his competitive success, but also his decades of dedication to developing athletes, building championship programs, and positively impacting the lives of young people through wrestling.

Coaching Beyond Championships

For Buth, championships have never been the ultimate measure of success.

His true mission has always been helping young people discover what wrestling can teach about life.

The program’s motto—“Champions are made on and off the mat”—reflects that belief.

His favorite phrase captures his philosophy:

“Wrestling prepares you for life.”

That mindset extends into academics, where Buth challenges athletes to pursue excellence in the classroom with the same commitment they bring to practice.

He encourages them to establish goals, embrace challenges, and understand that growth comes through consistent effort.

He also takes tremendous pride in helping wrestlers continue their academic and athletic careers at the next level. His athletes have gone on to compete and study at institutions including Stanford, Princeton, Missouri, Columbia, Lehigh, UC Davis, Cal State Fullerton, CSU Bakersfield, San Francisco State, and Menlo College.

The People Behind the Success

Despite his many accomplishments, Buth is quick to credit the people who helped shape his journey.

He begins with Dale Siscon, the coach who introduced him to wrestling and provided the technical foundation that continues to influence his coaching today.

He credits his mother for the sacrifices she made supporting his youth career and remembers his father’s quiet encouragement during one of the most difficult moments of his life.

“The success at LCC would not have happened without all the assistant coaches and parents who believed and have bought into our system and program.” – Dwayne Buth

He expresses deep appreciation for his wife, Lisa, whose unwavering support has allowed him to dedicate nearly three decades to coaching.

Most importantly, Buth credits his faith.

“Without my relationship with God,” he says, “I don’t know where I would be. He has guided me along and given me strength my entire life.”

Looking Ahead

As Buth enters what he expects will be the final five or six years of his coaching career, his enthusiasm remains unchanged. He is especially excited about a new group of freshmen—many of whom have never wrestled before.

“They have no idea that it’s going to change their lives,” he says.

Away from the wrestling room, Buth enjoys spending quality time with his family and friends, appreciating the balance those relationships bring to his life. An avid outdoorsman, he especially enjoys fishing, working out, paddle boarding at the beach, and unwinding with an occasional game of poker. Those interests reflect the same values that have defined his coaching career—a love of community, personal growth, and making the most of every moment.

For nearly three decades, Dwayne Buth has transformed inexperienced teenagers into champions, state medalists, college athletes, community leaders, and successful adults.

His legacy is not measured only by championship banners or trophies. It is measured by the lives changed, the character built, and the generations of wrestlers who continue to carry forward the lessons learned inside the La Costa Canyon wrestling room.

For Coach Dwayne Buth, wrestling has always been about far more than winning matches.

It has been about preparing young people for life.

PREP/COLLEGIATE ACCOLADES

Mt. Miguel High School [165s]

• 1989 CIF State Champion (165s)
• 1988 CIF State runner-up (154)
• 3x CIF State Qualifier
• Senior Year: 45-1 record 

Cal State Fullerton [NCAA Division I]

• 2x NCAA DIVISION I QUALIFIER
• 3x PAC-10 MEDALIST [5th, 3rd, 3rd]

COACHING HONORS

• National Wrestling Hall of Fame [California Chapter]
• California Coach of the Year 
• San Diego Coach of the year 
• Mount Miguel Hall of Fame 

CIF STATE MEDALISTS (Boys Division)

• 1997 – Leo Perez – 8^th Place (125)
• 2002 – Ryan Williams – 4^th Place (135) 
• 2003 – Ryan Williams – 3^rd Place (145)
• 2004 – Ryan Williams – State Champion (152)
• 2004 – Jeff May – 2^nd Place (189)
• 2007 – Elliot Dennis – 2^nd Place (135)
• 2008 – Bryan Grubbs – 3^rd Place (103)
• 2010 – Bryan Grubbs – State Champion (119)
• 2010 – Kyle Switzler – 4^th Place (135)
• 2014 – Ian Baker – State Champion (195)
• 2016 – Alec Baker – 6^th Place (138)
• 2019 – Joe Curtis – 6^th Place (182)
• 2020 – Joe Curtis – 2^nd Place (182)

NHSCA SENIOR ALL-AMERICANS 

• 138 – Alec Baker – 8^th Place, 2016
• 195 – Ian Baker – 3^rd Place, 2014 
• 152 – Ryan Williams – 6^th Place, 2004

NHSCA JUNIOR ALL-AMERICANS

• 182 – Joe Curtis – 6^th Place, 2019 
• 182 – Ian Baker – NATIONAL CHAMPION, 2013 

NHSCA SOPHOMORE ALL-AMERICANS

• 113 – Kai Kramer – 8^th Place, 2014 
• 112 – Bryan Grubbs – 8^th Place, 2008

CIF STATE MEDALIST (Girls Division)

• 2018 – Maddie Konopka – 7^th Place (143)
• 2019 – Cora Johnson-Woessner – 6^th Place (121)
• 2019 – Maddie Konopka – 2^nd Place (150)
• 2020 – Maddie Konopka – 7^th Place (150)
• 2022 – Alexandria Perez – 8^th Place (189)
• 2023 – Alexandria Perez – 3^rd Place (189)
• 2024 – Alexandria Perez – 2^nd Place (170)

WRESTLING USA MAGAZINE SENIOR HS ALL-AMERICANS

• Bryan Grubbs, 2010 
• Ryan Williams, 2004 

AMATEUR WRESTLING NEWS SENIOR HS ALL-AMERICANS

• Bryan Grubbs, 2010 
• Ryan Williams, 2004  

U.S. FARGO NATIONALS – ALL-AMERICANS

• Nick Nelson – 6th Place, 2010 (Junior FS)
• Maddie Konopka – 3^rd Place (16U Girls), 2018
• Alexandria Perez – 3rd (16U Girls), 2024

Photos courtesy of Dwayne Buth and John Sachs [Tech-Fall].

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