Entering his seventh season, Geneva’s Tom Chernich easily is the dean among Tri-Cities wrestling coaches.

St. Charles East (Chris Potter), St. Charles North (Pete McNamara) and Batavia (Scott Bayer) all are under new leadership this winter, but each still shares an important attribute with the veteran Chernich: All teach in the same building in which they coach.

“I’m there at North I want to say an average of six, seven hours a day not counting practice,” said McNamara, a District 303 substitute teacher who was the program’s freshman coach last season. “Making contact with the kids on a daily basis is crucial in any sport, but I think it’s especially crucial in wrestling because so many of the eggs are so fragile and you’re constantly needing that feedback sometimes.”