Welcome to Charger Wrestling! My name is Ethan Machado, and as a 2007 graduate of Edison High School, leading this program as Head Coach is a deeply personal honor.

My foundation in wrestling was built right here in this room. As a freshman, I got my first taste of success on the freshman team while watching varsity earn a historic CIF runner-up finish. That set the standard for my sophomore and junior years, when our team captured back-to-back CIF Championships. Individually, I competed at the varsity level at 135 and 140 pounds, placing in tournaments across the region and reaching a #2 ranking in Orange County my senior year. I was fortunate to be coached by Dan Rawlings and Luis Renteria, and to wrestle alongside Coach Dean Wall—a true teacher of the sport, a wealth of knowledge, and a great friend who remains vital to our program’s success.

After Edison, I earned my Associate Degree from Orange Coast College and a Bachelor’s Degree in Recreation and Leisure Studies from Long Beach State. During college, I competed in triathlons across California and went on to coach at CrossFit Balboa, founded by NFL veteran John Welbourn (creator of CrossFit Football/Power Athlete). Training alongside professional athletes, Olympians, and U.S. Special Forces exposed me to elite-level strength and conditioning concepts that I bring directly to our wrestling room.

Outside the wrestling room, I am a proud father to my son, Malachi Luke. I have also served as a firefighter for the past decade in roles ranging from local stations to wildland and aviation crews. Currently based in Camarillo, I mentor and train formerly incarcerated individuals, teaching them wildland firefighting skills to help them build new careers.  On occasionally calls for responding across the state for emergency responses, my commitment to this team is unwavering—ensuring our athletes receive the dedicated coaching, guidance, and opportunities they deserve.

My ultimate goal is to build successful wrestlers on the mat, but more importantly, to use this sport to prepare young men and women for life after high school. Wrestling teaches accountability, grit, and self-discipline, and I look forward to passing those lessons on to the next generation of Chargers.