Jim Hafke is currently the head wresting coach at Arvada West High School. He wrestled his prep career at West High School in Waterloo, Iowa under the guidance of Robert “Bob Siddens” who coached the Olympic Gold Medalist Dan Gable. He placed in the Iowa State Championships twice and finished 3rd his senior year. He then wrestled at Cornell College for 4 years as a team captain and in 1978 he won the Midwest Conference Championship at 150 lbs.
Coach Hafke graduated from Cornell College earning a degree in Biological Sciences and Physical Education.
Upon graduation Coach Hafke was the head wrestling coach at Van Meter High School in Iowa until 1981 when he moved to Colorado.
After being hired by Jefferson County Public Schools he earned an additional degree in Mathematics to solidify his coaching position.
He was the assistant coach at Brighton High School from 1981-1982. He was the assistant coach at Alameda High School from 1982-83 becoming the head coach from 1983-1989. He was the head coach at Arvada High School from 1989-1993.
In 1993 he was selected to represent a U.S. Wrestling delegation that traveled to compete in Tbilisi, Georgia and Moscow, Russia representing the United States.
He was the head wrestling coach at Arvada West High School from 1995 to 2006. In 2001 his A-West team won the regional championship and finished 2nd in the Colorado State Class 5A Wrestling Tournament, and Coach Hafke was selected Wrestling Coach of the Year for Jefferson County. During this time, A-West had numerous state placers and state champions. One of those was Kyle Sand who was the only undefeated 4-time State Champion in the history of Colorado wrestling.
