Andy Hiatt

DeKalb

Wrestler

Andy Hiatt has enjoyed success both as both a wrestler and as a coach and he’s been able to do all of that while

competing for or coaching at schools that are all located in DeKalb County.

A 2002 DeKalb High School graduate, Andy joined his brother Sam as one of the Barbs’ three four-time medalists

and they coached the other one, Fabian Lopez. He was the school’s second two-time champion, equalling the

accomplishment from 1971 and 1972 set by 1993 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee Dan Cliffe, who later was a

head coach at the school.

He went 170-10 for the Barbs from 1998-2002 while competing for coaches Rich Harvey and Terry McCoy, with

the latter a 2007 IWCOA Hall of Fame inductee. He finished fourth as a freshman at 119 in Class AA in 1999,

took first at 125 in 2000 as a sophomore, also was an AA champion at 130 as a junior in 2001 and finished his

career by taking third at 135 in 2002. He won 40 or matches in each of his final three seasons.

He remained in DeKalb for college, attending Northern Illinois University, where he competed for coach Dave

Grant. He finished with a 45-22 record for the Huskies and a couple of his top moments there were taking second

place in the Mid-American Conference in 2004 and seventh at the Midlands. He graduated from NIU in 2008

with a degree in Physical Education.

Andy’s coaching career began at Sandwich High School, where he assisted Josh McCarty from 2011-2016, with

the highlight being the 2011-2012 team that finished in fourth place in Class 1A, which is the last team from that

school to win a state trophy.

He has served as assistant coach for his brother Sam at DeKalb High School from 2017 to the present. Some of

the Barbs’ highlights have been losing to Mount Carmel 32-27 to finish second in Class 3A in 2022, placing

fourth in 3A in 2019, qualifying for the 2020 Dual Team Finals and tying for second with Glenbard North 5.5

points behind Mount Carmel in the IWCOA 3A Open Championships in 2021. He works at DeKalb High School

as a Driver’s Education teacher.