The Mid-Plains Community College Rodeo Team has announced the addition of Garrett Nokes to its coaching staff.

The MPCC Rodeo team officially became a team and part of the athletic department in April when the college’s Board of Governors voted to allow them that distinction and take away the ‘club’ title. MPCC Rodeo’s head coach Dustin Elliott said the move from club to team helped with the addition of Nokes.

“When the board approved our budget and the move to the athletic dept they were interested in involving McCook in a bigger capacity,” Elliott said. “Then it was brought up about an assistant coach and they wanted that person in McCook. I had already talked to Garrett well before the athletic department move was even a consideration and asked him if in a few years when the team got bigger if he’d be interested, and he was. Things moved a lot quicker than we all expected and after the board meeting in McCook I called him and asked again if he was ready and he was.”

Elliott also said that Nokes will be able to handle any problems that might arise at the MCC campus and it will help promote the team on a larger scale.

“I prefer him there,” Elliott said. “That way if there are any issues with athletes attending that campus we have a coach there. Also since we are an area wide sport it just spreads our impact on community awareness out to show everyone we are serious on building the best program in the country.”

Nokes has had a successful career in rodeo. His best year came in 2005 when he qualified for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in steer wrestling. He placed 11th at the finals and finished the 2005 season fourth in the world in that event. He has been successful at local rodeos as well. He won the all-around and was co-champion in the team roping of the 2012 Buffalo Bill Rodeo during NEBRASKAland Days in North Platte.

Elliott said that his experience and stature in the community will help with coaching and recruiting.

“He’s well qualified and is a timed event person, which only diversifies our coaching staff to accommodate all athlete events,” Elliott said. “He puts on several clinics annually to begin the teaching of potential MPCC athletes at an early age. These kids in the area know him well and respect him so I know a lot of them will be very comfortable knowing what his coaching style will be like when they attend MPCC to rodeo.”

The MPCC Rodeo team made great strides during the season that will be completed following the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo., which runs June 15-21. For the first time in team history MPCC is sending an athlete to the CNFR. Bull rider Tyler Viers from Comstock won the Great Plains Region and goes in to the finals ranked seventh in the country. Elliott said the addition of Nokes will only help the team make even more strides in becoming a power in college rodeo.

“About half the schools I can think of have a two coach system,” Elliott said. “A lot of them are a male/female combination of husband and wife. Partly because of finances of rodeo programs and the two ends of the arena, and rodeo is family oriented. But there are some programs like Iowa Central, which I refer to a lot because they are in our region, a community college, in the athletic department, and their program is 7 or 8 years old, where they have a rough stock coach, and a timed event coach just like what we put in place. It only makes it better for our athletes knowing that their coaches know what they are talking about.  I think we as a pair will make a great team to be able to push every athlete that attends MPCC and rodeo’s to their very best because the coach can teach them.”