Stephens Named New GCCC Women's Wrestling Coach

Garden City Community College has named Donnie Stephens as the new head coach of the Broncbuster women's wrestling program, Director of Athletics Mike Pilosof announced. Stephens replaces Carlos Prieto, who resigned for personal reasons. 

Stephens brings more than two decades of coaching experience across the high school, collegiate, club, and international levels, along with a proven track record of developing national champions, All-Americans, and world-class competitors. 

"Donnie Stephens brings an exceptional level of experience, energy, and vision to Garden City," Pilosof said. "His success at multiple levels, his involvement with USA Wrestling, and his passion for developing student-athletes make him the right person to build our women's wrestling program. We are excited about the leadership he will provide and the foundation he will establish for sustained success."

Stephens most recently served as the inaugural head women's wrestling coach at Newberry College, where he launched the program and spent three seasons building its competitive and academic culture while emphasizing accountability and athlete development.

Prior to that, Stephens spent 10 years at the University of the Cumberlands, helping develop one of the nation's most successful women's wrestling programs. During his tenure, he coached three NAIA national champions, one WCWA national champion, 16 NAIA All-Americans, and 24 WCWA All-Americans. He also coached the three winningest wrestlers in program history, each surpassing the 100-win milestone. The program earned three NWCA Academic Team championships, the NAIA Champions of Character award, and multiple conference and institutional honors for academic performance and community involvement. 

"Donnie's experience building programs and mentoring student-athletes aligns perfectly with our mission at Garden City Community College," said Dr. Ryan Ruda, Garden City Community College President. "He understands the role athletics plays in shaping lives, and we are excited to welcome him and his family to Broncbuster Athletics."

Stephens has also made a significant impact internationally through his work with USA Wrestling, serving as a volunteer coach since 2007 and contributing to teams at every level, including the Senior World Championships. At the club level, he founded Wolverine Wrestling in California and currently coaches with the nationally recognized Titan Mercury Wrestling Club. 

His coaching career began at the prep level, where he spent nearly 20 years as head coach at West Covina High School in California. During that time, he played a key role in the early development of girls wrestling in the state, helping guide athletes to the first women's state championship in program history. 

Stephens' own wrestling journey began in southeastern Colorado, just west of Garden City, where he started competing at age 4. He wrestled at Pueblo East High School in Colorado before finishing his prep career in California at West Covina High School. He continued his collegiate career at California State University, Bakersfield. 

"I'm extremely excited for the opportunity to build women's wrestling at Garden City," Stephens said. "Being able to return to the part of the country where I grew up and started wrestling makes this even more meaningful. The part of coaching I enjoy most is development — helping athletes grow, build confidence, and reach their full potential both on and off the mat." 

Stephens earned a Bachelor of Science in Coaching from the University of the Cumberlands. 

He and his wife, Shirley, have been married for 25 years and have three children. Their daughter Jaine is a mental health counselor and wrestling coach, and their son Daniel teaches and coaches at the middle school level. Their son Boy is a senior aerospace engineering student in Chicago. The family is also preparing to welcome their first grandchild this summer.

Stephens will be joined on staff by assistant coach Anthony Calderon, a Garden City native and former state champion who brings strong local ties and coaching experience to the program. Calderon was a four-time state placer at Garden City High School, including winning a state championship, before continuing his career at Fort Hays State University, where he earned his bachelor's degree in criminal justice in 2017. He returned to southwest Kansas and worked with youth wrestling programs before joining the Garden City High School coaching staff, serving as head assistant coach for the Lady Buffs. During his tenure, Garden City earned national recognition with a Top 10 national finish and captured the team state championship in 2025. Calderon is passionate about developing student-athletes both on and off the mat and takes pride in helping build a strong culture within his hometown community.