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It seems only fitting that Bob Bonin would like to build something.

But it's not the automotive and industrial tech teaching angle he's known for at Fairmont High School.

This time he'll get a chance to fine tune the Fairmont Cardinal wrestling program.

Bonin found out last Friday he'd been given the keys to the red-and-white varsity wrestling lineup, taking over this winter from longtime coach Tom Kuisle.

"I was pretty surprised. I kind of thought of stepping down at the end of last season. ... I was pleasantly surprised," said Bonin.

Bonin has been a varsity assistant for the past six seasons for Kuisle and has been involved in Fairmont Youth Wrestling, formerly Chain of Lakes Wrestling, for the past six years. He has been the president of that organization for the past three or four years.

"It's my first stint as head coach, so it will be fun," said Bonin.

Bonin teaches career and technical eduation at Fairmont High School and has for the past two years prior to teaching at the sixth grade level.

He is a Fairmont High School graduate, attending Minnesota State University in Mankato and picked up his masters degree through St. Mary's in Winona.

He is currently working toward his second masters in technical education in Bemidji.

But come this winter, a lot of his efforts will be focused on making the Fairmont wrestling program the best it can be.

"It's really exciting, I've got a group of 10-12 graders that are kids I recruited in sixth grade," said Bonin.

Bonin said he will enter his first varsity season as head coach with two seniors, six juniors and six sophomores with five to six years each of wrestling experience.

"We've been a very young team for a few years," he said.

With his youth coaching and assistant coaching experience, Bonin will not be stepping into the program cold.

"Coaching with Tom over the last several years, he's kept me up to date. Tom's done a good job of mentoring ... I was getting more and more of sharing the workload with Tom," said Bonin, who started off his college experience in sports training with the goal of being a head coach at some point.

"My wife and I were talking about that," Bonin said on his original goal of going into coaching.

Bonin said the head coaching bug began to bite him about three or four years ago.

"I had aspirations if Tom retired," he said.

Bonin also has connections across the state through the MNUSA wrestling programs.

"I've networked really well with coaches in the state and they've been good with that," Bonin said on getting advice from mentors from other schools.

Bonin said wrestling head coaches want to see all wrestlers succeed, regardless of whether or not those athletes are their own.

Two of Bonin's biggest helps over the years have been from both the west and east sides of the Cardinals on Interstate 90 - Jackson County Central mentor Randy Baker and Blue Earth Area head coach Randy Wirtjes.

"I can pick up the phone and say, 'This is what I'm seeing now' and these guys can help," said Bonin.

Bonin also sees the Cardinals having a good foundation to build on for his first season as head coach.

"We've got three or four kids who have a chance of being on the floor at state this year," Bonin said in reference to Cody Vanasse, Scott Hines, Andy Sanden and Brock Bonin.

Bob Bonin will now be a head coach to his sons, Brock and Briar.

"Keeping that fine line with expectations and that they're just like other kids in the room. ... When he (Brock) wrestles, I've kind of been like a spectator," Bob Bonin said on the sometimes difficult parent-coach/child-athlete relationship.

Bonin said he will still continue to work to keep the elementary-aged Fairmont wrestlers working hard.

"I'm going to become very involved in the youth program and build on the principle of team wrestling," he said.

Bonin also has thought about some main differences between his first season as varsity head coach and what's it's like to be an assistant.

"Becoming the motivator, keeping the kids' gas tanks full, if they get down on themselves or each other - keeping the kids positive. ... And turning the (other) duties over to the right (assistant) coaches," said Bonin.