Crossley excited to lead Louisburg wrestling as head coach

By Andy Brown
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Updated: April 25, 2025

Shawn Crossley was hired as Louisburg’s new head wrestling coach during the board of education meeting earlier this month. He takes over from Bobby Bovaird, who spent the last 14 seasons as head coach.

Wrestling has always been a big part of Shawn Crossley’s life.

Whether it was as a high school wrestler, or later becoming a coach, the passion for the sport has never left Crossley.

Now, he gets to use that passion to lead the program at his alma mater.

During the Louisburg USD 416 Board of Education meeting earlier this month, Crossley was hired as the new head coach for the Wildcat wrestling program. Crossley takes over from former coach Bobby Bovaird, who resigned his post last month after 14 years in the position.

“I couldn’t be prouder and more excited to take over the Louisburg wrestling program,” Crossley said. “I am honored and extremely grateful that the administration and the school board entrusted me with this opportunity.”

Crossley has served as an assistant coach for the Wildcat program for the last several seasons, so he is already a familiar face in the wrestling room.

It is a transition that he believes will be a smooth one as he tries to continue to build up the program — not just at the high school level.

“The fact that I have been an assistant coach at the middle school and high school levels for quite a few years will be incredibly beneficial for myself, our coaches, our parents, and our wrestlers during the transition,” Crossley said. “I’ve also coached a large number of our wrestlers since they started in the sport through our youth club.

“One of the best decisions Coach Bovaird made, and he and I worked to achieve together, was aligning the wrestling program from top to bottom. Having the opportunity to coach them at the beginning of their wrestling journey, and also being lucky enough to coach them up until their high school wrestling career ends is a blessing. I think it was imperative to keep this alignment and cohesiveness.”

Crossley has also been very involved in the Wildcat Wrestling Club and helped start the kids program back in 2016. He still helps coach the club, along with the East Kansas Eagles Club.

It is that experience at all levels is something he believes is important and it has been something that has driven him, especially over the last decade.

“I just love the sport of wrestling and am extremely passionate about this sport,” Crossley said. “I’m thankful for what the sport provided me. I’m passionate about providing kids in our community, our state, and our region the opportunity to wrestle at the local and national level. I’m passionate about Louisburg wrestling and giving back to the school and community that has always supported me, my daughter, and my family. Being a wrestling coach is not a seasonal thing for me. I coach this sport year round.”

Getting an opportunity to coach his alma mater was something Crossley couldn’t pass up. Crossley, who is a 1998 graduate of Louisburg, was a 3-time state qualifier and a member of two Frontier League championship teams.

“As an LHS wrestling alumni, this program is very important to me, and obviously very near and dear to my heart,” Crossley said. “It is unbelievably special to come full circle like it has. With that being said, I don’t think I ever could have envisioned becoming a head coach while wrestling in high school. I turned down opportunities to wrestle in college after graduation, and at that time felt like I was walking away from a lifelong commitment with a little bit of relief. That’s a decision I have regretted for a long time. This sport has a funny way of sucking you back if you give it a chance.”

Crossley believes there will be a lot of similarities between his coaching style and with that of Bovaird’s. The expectations that have always been within the program will stay the same.

“Coach Bovaird has done an incredible job with this program,” Crossley said. “He and I share a lot of the same philosophical ideals when it comes to coaching. We both believe in coaching the student athlete as a whole. He has been a great mentor, leader, and friend to me throughout the years. I plan to continue the path we’ve been on, which aligns our program K-12, and has proven to be the successful model to increasing our numbers year in and year out.

“It will be of the utmost importance to continue our academic success in the classroom. What people should expect from our team in years to come is accountability, discipline, mental/physical toughness, aggressiveness, and that we will be the hardest working team in the state.”