As Scott Cook enters his 27th season leading the Cookeville Cavaliers wrestling program, his philosophy remains rooted in a balance he has spent nearly three decades refining: Demand toughness on the mat while making sure the sport stays meaningful and enjoyable for the athletes who commit to it.
Cook, who founded the Cookeville wrestling program in 1998, said that balance starts with relationships.
“That falls into relationship building,” Cook said. “You got to try to work to get to know the kids the best you can, to understand where they’re at and their mindset and how far along they are, how much more they can take. It’s tough because if you make it really fun and enjoyable and it’s always a party, then they’re not ready when they step in the circle.”
That mindset has guided Cook from the program’s earliest, most uncertain days to its current status as one of the area’s most established wrestling programs.
When Cook first launched wrestling at Cookeville, resources were scarce and stability was nonexistent.
“Back then, it was really challenging,” Cook said. “We didn’t have hardly any resources and then we really didn’t have a place to practice. We were constantly moving. We would find any empty room we could here or there and whenever we found a spot to roll out what mats we had, we would practice.”
Despite those early obstacles, Cook and his wrestlers laid the groundwork for a program that would steadily grow, not just at Cookeville, but across the region. When he began coaching, only two wrestling programs existed locally. Today, that number has grown to 10, with participation at an all-time high.
Cook said he credits that growth to the nature of the sport itself and the mindset it demands.
“Wrestling is a sport that directly correlates to the amount of effort you put into it to what you’re going to get out of it,” Cook said. “It helps if you’re a great athlete coming in, but you don’t necessarily have to be a tough athlete. If you’re tough minded and you’re willing to put in the work and you’re willing to grind, you can find success in the sport of wrestling.”
Cook said that willingness to work is the common thread among the athletes who have thrived under his guidance. Over his 27-year career, Cook has coached multiple state champions and numerous state placers, accomplishments that reflect both individual talent and the culture he has built.
Cook said he measures success by more than podium finishes. For him, preparing athletes for the intensity of competition, and for challenges beyond wrestling, is just as important.