VOLCANO VISTAHAWKS WRESTLING
The people behind the preparation

MEET THE
COACHES.

One staff, one standard: help every Hawk grow as a wrestler, student, and teammate.

Coach Ahren Griego celebrating at a wrestling competition
Head Coach · Boys and Girls

AHREN
GRIEGO.

Coach Ahren

USA Wrestling Silver Level CoachNFHS Level ThreeCertified and Accredited Interscholastic Coaching Award
About Coach Ahren

Ahren Griego is an educator, a proud husband and father, and the head coach of Volcano Vista High School’s boys and girls wrestling program. He has coached at Volcano Vista since 2012 and served as head coach since 2014. His work brings together championship preparation, academic growth, and a commitment to helping young people become leaders.

Building a championship program

Under Coach Ahren’s leadership, the Hawks won three consecutive boys team state championships in 2023, 2024, and 2025. In 2023, Volcano Vista also captured the girls team state championship. He is the only coach in New Mexico history to lead both a boys and a girls wrestling team to state titles in the same year, through the 2026 season.

The program’s success extends to individual state champions and medalists across both teams. In 2026, the boys finished as state runners-up with five individual champions, while the girls placed fourth and crowned an individual champion. Coach Ahren’s emphasis remains consistent: prepare with purpose, compete with grit, and take responsibility for the way each athlete represents the Hawks.

Education and coaching credentials

  • Bachelor’s degree in Health and Health Education — University of New Mexico (UNM)
  • Master’s degree in Special Education Pedagogy — Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU)
  • Master’s degree in Sports Administration — Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU)
  • USA Wrestling Silver Level Coach
  • NFHS Level Three
  • Certified and Accredited Interscholastic Coaching Award

Coach Ahren has dedicated his life to supporting students and athletes in every capacity. For the majority of his teaching career, he has served as an IGS and SCS special education teacher, working with a student population that is especially dear to his heart. He balances a deep passion for academics and meeting students’ individual needs with his commitment to supporting wrestling at the highest levels.

That commitment carries into his coaching: build a strong foundation, set clear expectations, help students advocate for themselves, and connect daily habits to long-term goals. Every student and athlete deserves support, opportunity, and someone who believes in their potential.

Recognition and leadership

Coach Ahren is a multiple-time Coach of the Year honoree, with recognition from the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) and the New Mexico High School Coaches Association (NMHSCA), including a sectional Coach of the Year award. These honors reflect the work of a program committed to developing both its boys and girls teams.

Family, service, and the next chapter

A proud husband and father, Coach Ahren brings a family-centered perspective to the wrestling room. He wants athletes to leave Volcano Vista ready for college, careers, and the responsibilities ahead—with the discipline to work through challenges and the character to support the people around them.

Team championship history: NMAA boys records · NMAA girls records

Contact Coach Ahren
Volcano Vista High School Wrestling

Our coaching staff.

Leadership for boys and girls, strength and conditioning, and volunteer support.

Assistant Coach · Girls Leadership

Erik Crum

A Volcano Vista alumnus and 2011 heavyweight state champion, Erik continued his wrestling career at Adams State University. He has served as the main assistant alongside Head Coach Ahren Griego since 2014. With girls leadership responsibilities, Erik brings his high school and college wrestling experience and longstanding commitment to the Hawks to the coaching staff.

State championship record
Associate Girls Head Coach

Joshua Griego

Joshua is a Volcano Vista alumnus and two-time state placer: third at 152 pounds in 2014 and state runner-up at 195 pounds in 2015. Joshua has been with the program since 2016. As associate girls head coach, he brings his experience as a Hawk back to the wrestling room and helps lead the girls program.

High school state results
Girls Assistant Coach

Robert Glass

Robert was a walk-on wrestler at the University of New Mexico in the 1990s and brings more than 20 years of coaching experience with Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) and Farmington Public Schools. He has been with Volcano Vista since 2019. As a girls assistant coach, he supports the team’s preparation and athlete development alongside Head Coach Ahren Griego and Associate Girls Head Coach Joshua Griego.

Associate Boys Coach

Lawrence Otero

A Volcano Vista alumnus and program legend, Lawrence is a three-time state champion (2010, 2012, and 2013), four-time state finalist, and member of the Hawks’ 2010 state championship team. His high school accolades also include three NHSCA All-American honors, a 12th-grade NHSCA national finals appearance, and Super 32 All-American recognition with a seventh-place finish in 2012. He earned a scholarship opportunity at Arizona State and chose to wrestle at Clackamas Community College, where he reached a top-three national ranking. Lawrence enters his fifth year on the Volcano Vista staff in 2026–27, bringing his championship and college experience to the boys program.

Three-time state championHigh school recruiting profile
Volunteer Assistant

Joseph Otero

Entering his third year on the Volcano Vista staff in 2026–27, Joseph brings state championship experience to his role as a volunteer assistant. He won the 2016 Class 6A title at 106 pounds for Cleveland High School and later competed on Wayland Baptist University’s wrestling roster at 141 pounds. He now contributes to the Hawks’ coaching staff and athlete development.

2016 state resultsCollege wrestling profile
Boys and Girls Strength and Conditioning Coach

Adrian Baca

An Albuquerque native and Rio Grande High School alumnus, Adrian earned his bachelor’s degree in Human Performance and Physical Education at Adams State. A co-owner and head coach at Transcend, he is a Certified Functional Strength Coach and holds credentials in speed training and nutrition coaching. Entering his third year on the Volcano Vista staff in 2026–27, Adrian brings Transcend’s programming to both Hawks teams, with an emphasis on strength, speed, agility, and conditioning.

Transcend sports performanceAdrian’s Transcend profile
Volunteer Assistant

Manuel Robles

A Volcano Vista alumnus and four-time state placer, Manuel won the 2019 Class 5A state championship at 145 pounds and finished as state runner-up at 152 pounds in 2020. His earlier state finishes were sixth in 2017 and third in 2018. In his second year on the Volcano Vista staff in 2026–27, Manuel serves as a volunteer assistant with experience progressing through the program to a state title.

High school state results
Volunteer Assistant

Madison Baca

Madison is a Volcano Vista alumna who finished as the girls state runner-up at 145 pounds in 2021, competing under the name Maddi Baca. Entering her fourth year on the Volcano Vista staff in 2026–27, Madison serves as a volunteer assistant and brings her experience as a Hawks wrestler back to the program and its next generation of athletes.

2021 state runner-up
Coaching Staff

Lenny Lovato Jr.

Lenny is a two-time New Mexico state champion, winning titles for West Mesa High School in 2001 and 2002. He continued wrestling at Cerritos College in California before pursuing a professional mixed martial arts career. In his second year on the Volcano Vista staff in 2026–27, Lenny brings high school, college, and combat-sport experience to the coaching staff.

Wrestling and competition background
The Hawks standard

HEART OVER HYPE.

See the season schedule