Rummel wrestling coach Jonathan Orillion takes college job, replaced by Mark Bogart

After four years on the job, head wrestling coach Jonathan Orillion has departed Archbishop Rummel for an assistant college coaching position at Loras College in Iowa under TJ Miller while spearheading the Dubuque Wrestling Club as well. Miller was the head coach at Holy Cross most recently in 2015.

Former Jesuit wrestler Guy Patron finished third in the Division III national championships for Loras a year ago.

Orillion led Rummel to a Division II state runner-up finish in Bossier City earlier this year.

“I’ve always wanted to test myself at the college level,” Orillion said. “It is amazing opportunity and it is with a friend of mine. You are at the neck, the heart of wrestling in Iowa and it was simply too much to pass up. I am really looking forward to the opportunity. I thought I would retire at Rummel. It was an amazing experience and a great school and place to work. I know they are poised to have great success, perhaps winning it all in 2018. I certainly hope that is the case.”

Orillion took over for Rod Cusachs, who spent six years as the head coach of the Raiders, guiding them to the first and only state title in school history, winning the Division 1 championship in 2011 at Bossier City. Cusachs is now the head coach at De La Salle, where he has guided the Cavaliers to consecutive Division III state titles.

Mark Bogart has been hired to replace Orillion.

A Tulane law school graduate, Bogart comes to Rummel from Clinton, New Jersey. Previously, Bogart served as an assistant with the Jesuit wrestling program. As a high school wrestler at Blair Academy in Blairstown, NJ, Bogart was named as a 2003 Fargo All-American, was a two-time National Prep champion and placed second at the 2003 Beast of the East tournament. Bogart went on to wrestle in college at American University in Washington, D.C. Bogart eventually signed with Iowa but a neck injury prevented him from competing.

Bogart worked with Iowa wrestling upon graduating. While working in real estate, Bogart coached most recently at The Edge, a club in New Jersey that has produced approximately 20 NCAA champions.

“I spent time at Tulane in law school and worked a bit with the Jesuit program in 2007-08,” Bogart said. “I have spent some time at Rummel since, though I have lived in New Jersey the past three years. What attracted me to the job is the facility, the kids and what is an outstanding school. The rest of the country is good at wrestling and the south needs to grow. That is happening in Texas and Georgia and that is what I want to do here.”

Bogart took the job for one reason.

“Jim Ravannack is the reason I am here,” Bogart said. “His contributions to the sport are world known. We want to make wrestling at Rummel and in the New Orleans area here. I’m looking forward to bringing a different style which is more basic, in your face. I’m looking to build great men and wrestlers here. I really enjoy working with the high school kids, more than the college-age kids because there is more room for development. Wrestling teaches you adversity, how to win and lose correctly and it teaches that you are the only one out there. There are great life lessons in the sport and so many that have thrived in life that wrestled.”

Rummel athletic director Phil Greco is happy to have Bogart on board.

“He was recommended to us by Jim (Ravannack), who built the USA wrestling facility on our campus,” Greco said. “He has an unbelievable wrestling background. He was an all-state wrestler. He brings a lot of energy to the program and we feel he can take us to the next level. We feel strongly that this program can return to being an elite program and getting more kids out for the sport. While we have remained solid and competitive recently, we need to build our numbers to the way they were when we won the Division I title.”