Wrestling
Head Coach
Michael Keefe
High School (Ringgold):
2-Time GA State Champion 2001-2002. Member of State Dual and Traditional Championship Team 2002.
College (UTC):
NCAA All-American 2005, 2-Time Southern Conference Champion, Record for most wins in Southern Conference History. 2013 Hall of Fame Inductee.
Coaching:
2008 State Duals Champions (Ringgold High School)
2009 Region Champions (Dalton High School)
2009 State Duals Runner-Up (Dalton High School)
28 Individual State medalists
8 Individual State Champions
Assistant Coach
Chris Gibson
Chris Gibson resides in Dalton, Georgia, and was born and raised in Walker County, Georgia. He attended Ridgeland High School as a 9th and 10th grader, lettering in football, wrestling, and soccer, before transferring to Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe High School, where he graduated as a two-year letterman in football. Following high school Chris served four years in the Army Reserves in Chattanooga, Tennessee, before moving to Savannah, Georgia to become a firefighter/EMT.
In 2006, Chris left the fire service and served full-time in the Air Force, retiring in November 2021. During his years of service, he earned the Air Force’s Meritorious Service Medal, an Air Force Commendation Medal with a Combat device, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal, and an Air Force Achievement Medal. It was during this time that he also obtained a bachelor’s degree from Saint Leo University in 2008, graduating Magna Cum Laude, followed by a master’s degree from South University in 2012.
Following military retirement, Chris felt the calling to teach and received his teaching certification in History (grades 6-12), Health and PE, and Law and Public Safety.
Chris has two sons. Chase is 25, a graduate of Georgia Southern University, and lives in Savannah, Georgia as a marketing executive. Logan is a sophomore at The Dalton Academy and participates in basketball and track. His daughter Madison is 22, attends Grand Canyon University, and lives in Statesboro, Georgia. She is in school and hoping to become a teacher. In his personal life, he enjoys spending time with his best friend and fiancé Deanna. They are avid Braves fans, love to travel, and enjoy concerts and the beach.
This will be Chris’ second year as a coach at The Dalton Academy. Last year he served as an assistant coach on the Pumas’ track team. He will once again coach track and in addition, will serve as an assistant coach on the Pumas’ inaugural wrestling team. Last season as an assistant track coach, Chris had the honor of coaching Alicia Mendoza, who placed second in the shot put and discus in two different region meets, as well as Olivia Moore who placed and qualified for the region sectionals and narrowly missed qualifying for the state meet last April.
Chris is honored to be a part of the DPS family and can’t wait for wrestling season to start. He is looking forward to bringing the life lessons and self-discipline that he learned through his years of service in the military and public service to the mats and the track this year.
