Bormet leaves Overtime Wrestling

Updated: June 21, 2011 1:34PM

Sean Bormet and his Overtime School of Wrestling have made a large impact on the Chicago area wrestling scene, but even a few club members were surprised by Bormet’s departure Friday.

Bormet, who founded Naperville-based Overtime 10 years ago, left the club to join his alma mater, the University of Michigan, as an assistant coach. Bormet joins former Wisconsin star and assistant coach Donny Pritzlaff on the staff with Wolverines coach Joe McFarland.

Overtime is the home club to defending Class 3A 112-pound state champion Sebastian Pique of Hinsdale South, along with state runner-up Sam Brooks of Oak Park-River Forest and Hinsdale Central junior Ernest Battaglia.

Overtime coach Kerry Boumans said 15 IHSA state champions crowned last season were Overtime club members.

“For Overtime, it will run as business as usual (without Bormet),” Boumans said. “We will move forward with it. The system is in position. The system works.”

The club added a second location in Crystal Lake in 2008. Former Providence and University of Illinois wrestler Donny Reynolds runs that program. Glenbard South graduate and former Oklahoma All-American John Kading coached at Overtime, but recently accepted the coaching position at Mount Carmel.

Battaglia is the second member of his family to belong to the Overtime club. His older brother Franklin became a member when the club first opened.

“It will be really tough,” Battaglia said. “Sean is the the head coach. He started it all. He’s a big part of everything going on there even though there is a bunch of coaches. He oversees (the club).”

Battaglia was a part of Team Illinois, which recently won the Cadet Junior Nationals Dual Team title in Daytona Beach, Fla. Battaglia went 6-2 during the tournament.

Brooks, a senior, is currently training at Overtime for the Junior National Team Duals in Oklahoma City.

“Obviously, (Bormet) is one of the best coaches in the country; all of them there,” Brooks said. “They are world class. All of them would be good (to replace him).”

Bormet, a Frankfort native and Providence graduate, was a two-time NCAA All-American at Michigan from 1993-94. He won two Big Ten titles.

“It is an honor and I am excited to be heading back to the Univeristy of Michigan,” Bormet said in a statement. “Over the last decade, I have gained tremendous insight and experience at every level of amateur wrestling as a coach both nationally and internationally, I look forward to bringing these contributions to the Michigan program.”

Bormet was a three-time winner of the USA Wrestling Freestyle Coach of the Year award and coached on the 2008 Olympic team and 2010 World Cup team.

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