Photo courtesy of JRHS
James River has finally announced a new wrestling coach and didn’t have to look far to find one. Mike Hall, who has been the coach at Central Academy Middle School for the past three years, has been named to replace Bobby Stewart as head coach of the Knights.
Hall led the CAMS team to an undefeated season in 2025 as well as the championship of the valley-wide Norseman Invitational. He’s excited to continue working with many of the wrestlers he has already coached and developed strong relationships with.
“I didn’t accept this position because I wanted the title of head coach, and I certainly didn’t accept it because I believe I’m the most qualified person for the job,” said Hall. “I accepted it because I love coaching kids. Over the last several years I’ve had the privilege of coaching an incredible group of young men and women at Central Academy Middle School, and the relationships we’ve built have grown far beyond the wrestling mat. I’ve also seen what this sport has done in the lives of my two boys, Tucker and Sam. Wrestling builds confidence, resilience, discipline, and lifelong relationships, and that’s what drew me to this opportunity.”
Hall believes wrestling prepares young people for life by teaching them to face adversity, believe in themselves, and be accountable to something bigger than themselves. He welcomes both new and returning wrestlers, and looks forward to continuing to build on the strong foundation of wrestling in the Botetourt County community.
“Our goal is to build more than a winning wrestling team,” he said. “We want to build a culture where every athlete knows they matter, knows they belong, and knows someone believes in them.”
Hall is ready to hit the ground running. He knows a championship team won’t be built overnight.
“My grandfather worked at the Norfolk Southern car shop and was also a master craftsman woodworker,” he said. “Watching him taught me that nothing great starts finished. A piece of steel could become a train wheel capable of carrying an entire train. A piece of wood could become furniture that would last for generations. It all depended on the craftsmanship and the willingness to invest the time.
“That’s the inspiration behind our wrestling room, which we’ll call The Foundry. Every athlete who walks through those doors arrives with potential. Our job is to pour three things into them every day: purpose, toughness, and character. The hard practices, the pressure, and the adversity aren’t there to break them. They’re there to shape them.
“As the home of the Knights, every knight needs an armory. The Foundry is ours. It’s where we’ll forge hammers, not because hammers tear things down, but because they build, create, and leave things stronger than they were before. That’s the kind of young men and women we want to send into the world.”
Mike is still finalizing the coaching staff. He’s looking for community support as well.
“I know no great program is built alone,” he said. “It’s built by great assistant coaches, committed parents, volunteers and a community that believes in its kids. While we’re still finalizing our coaching staff, I’m excited about the people who are coming alongside me and what I believe we’ll accomplish together.”
The Knights have traditionally been strong on the mats. Stewart coached a variety of state champions but last year he had trouble getting kids out for the team. Hall is hoping to reverse that trend and put strong team scores on the board again.
“Make no mistake, we’re going to compete to win,” he said. “We expect to wrestle hard, pursue championships, and build a program our community is proud to support. Winning matters because it reflects the commitment and discipline our athletes invest every day, but in the end, my goal isn’t simply to produce better wrestlers. It’s that every young man and young woman who graduates from James River after being part of The Foundry leaves with purpose, toughness, and character. I believe if we stay focused on developing those three qualities every single day, the championships and the wins will take care of themselves.”
