Free State High hired a new wrestling coach and doubled the responsibilities of its boys swim coach, athletic director Steve Grant announced Monday.

Paul Lappin, an assistant coach at Olathe South and a Garden City native, was hired to head the Firebirds’ wrestling program, and Annette McDonald will coach the girls swim team, Grant said.

“Garden City is great wrestling territory,” Grant said. “Western Kansas is unbelievable wrestling territory. He came very highly recommended by the head coach at Garden City, where he wrestled, and at Olathe South, where he was an assistant. He described himself in the interview as a wrestling nerd and I kind of liked that.”

McDonald coached Free State to the school’s first state title in 2004, when the boys swim team took the honors.

“She’s proven she can win with the boys team and she’s very organized and passionate about the sport,” Grant said.