Dave Hejtmanek
Wrestling Coach (1987-1995)
Waubonsee’s Wrestling Coach 1987 to 1995
Region IV Coach of the Year in 1993
Coached eight Waubonsee wrestlers to NJCAA All-American status
Led Waubonsee to a pair of top-15 finishes at Nationals
It is often said in athletic circles that teams resemble their coaches. Their style of play, their approach and their overall temperament reflect the head coach’s personality. With that said, Dave Hejtmanek’s grapplers were always well prepared, in top physical condition and intensely focused. As a result, Hejtmanek helped put Waubonsee wrestling on the NJCAA map. Former Waubonsee wrestler John Dolan states, “Coach Hejtmanek was and continues to be so much more than just a coach to all of us who had the honor of wrestling under his direction. As much as we learned about wrestling, we were able to gain much more from him on how to become better people. He was a moral compass, a sounding board, a friend, a man of sound advice and experience, and led by example. He always had time to spare for any of us with a question or a problem, not to mention countless extra hours of drilling, practice, and strategy on the mat in order to make you a better wrestler, and, ultimately, a better person.”
Hejtmanek guided Waubonsee’s wrestling program for eight years, beginning in 1987. Under his tutelage, 22 grapplers qualified for Nationals with eight Chiefs earning All-American status, including Dolan, who was a National Runner-up in 1991. With Hejtmanek’s guidance, Waubonsee captured the Skyway Conference crown in 1990 and placed 19th at the NJCAA Finals when there was only one division. The following year he led the Chiefs to an 11th-place finish overall, and in 1993 Hejtmanek’s squad placed 13th nationally as he was tabbed the NJCAA Region IV Coach of the Year.
Hejtmanek graduated from Riverside-Brookfield High School in 1968 and then wrestled at the College of DuPage. He transferred to Illinois State University on a wrestling scholarship, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1973. Hejtmanek taught physical education and driver’s education at West Aurora School for 25 years until retiring in 2006. He served as the Blackhawks’ Assistant Varsity Wrestling Coach that entire time and was recognized by the Illinois High School Association as the 2003 Assistant Coach of the Year for Class AA. He rejoined the Blackhawks’ coaching staff three years ago in his old role as an Assistant Coach. Hejtmanek and his wife, Becky, live in Yorkville, and have two daughters, Kristin and Lindsay, who was a standout softball player at Waubonsee in 2002 and 2003.