When the name Mike Mowad surfaces in sports circles around these parts, the first and most obvious thing that comes to mind for most is his longtime career as Breaux Bridge’s head football coach.

And with good reason.

Mowad served in that capacity from 1984 to 2009 and compiled an impressive 200-98 record, including a state championship in 2005.

On late Saturday afternoon just prior to the final round of the 36th Annual Ken Cole Wrestling Invitational at Comeaux High, however, Mowad is going to be recognized for something that has no relation to his football coaching career in Breaux Bridge.

Mowad will be the first recipient of the Ken Cole Distinguished Service Award for his work in the local wrestling tournament’s early days.

"I appreciate the fact that they chose to remember me," Mowad said. "But really, all the credit goes to Ken Cole himself."

As the story goes, Mowad was working as the Mighty Lions’ wrestling coach one day when a man named Ken Cole introduced himself. Cole was a local attorney who had wrestled collegiately at Virginia Tech and had also been involved with UL’s wrestling program.

Cole’s dream was to create a statewide wrestling tournament in Lafayette and he approached Mowad with the idea.

The two joined forces with volunteers and such involved parents as future mayor and school board member Dud Lastrapes and iconic businessman Red Lerille to make it happen.

The first tournament was held in 1977 with a modest six-team field.

"There were a lot of long hours," Mowad said. "It took countless hours. Ken was so selfless, and there was a lady named Mrs. Blackburn who was very, very involved as well. Ken used his own secretaries to help get things done. I would mainly collect all the information and get it to Ken and he did most of the work.

"It was fun. We put in a lot of hours and I got very close to Ken. It was a good experience."

Lafayette High itself finished fifth that first year, although Bryan Lastrapes was named Outstanding Wrestling in the 132-pound weight division.

"We had help from a lot of people," Mowad said. "People like Red (Lerille) were so generous to us. Wrestling was just getting started in this area in those days. Schools like Catholic High and Belaire in Baton Rouge and Brother Martin and Jesuit in New Orleans were the dominant programs back then."

Two years later, Mowad moved to Comeaux High, brought the tournament across town and altered the name to the Lafayette Invitational.

That first year at Comeaux in 1979, the field had expanded to 14 teams. The Spartans finished last and Lafayette High had grown to first place behind top individual winners Brett Boudreaux and John Andrus.

By 1982, the tournament had grown to 28 teams and eventually got all the way to an all-time high of 51 teams in the 2011 edition a year ago.

Cole tragically died in 1991 at the age of 46 and the tournament was quickly changed to the Ken Cole Invitational the very next year.

"It had to be that way," Mowad said. "There was no one else to name it after. No one put in all the hours he did. I helped as much as I could, but it was unbelievable all the work Ken put into it."

Mowad left the wrestling game in 1984 when he took over the football program at Breaux Bridge. Ironically, two of his longtime BBHS football assistant coaches are currently wrestling coaches in the parish — Dawson Durbin at Acadiana High and Ryan Frederick at Lafayette High.

Athletic Network Footnote: Click here for the Photo Gallery of the USL Wrestling Program (1964-78).