It's common for two students to meet in college and then get married.
It's less likely for the students to finish their undergraduate degrees, begin coaching and then meet their future spouses while at college.
But that is the path that wrestling assistant coach Kyle Hansen and volunteer assistant soccer coach Carolyn (Valade) Hansen took to their marriage.
It was kind of weird how it worked out
Kyle said. When you're coaching it's kind of harder to find someone in a college town especially in Athens being as small as it is.
After finishing her soccer career and graduating with a degree in middle childhood education in 2004, Carolyn said she planned on staying in Athens for one more year to help head coach Stacy Strauss as a graduate assistant. After that she was going to try to find a job as a teacher.
In 2005, Kyle came to Ohio to be an assistant wrestling coach and to get his master's degree in coaching education. He graduated from Northern Iowa in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in construction management. He coached for a few years at Northern Iowa and then came to Athens.
The two were introduced to each other by Ed Willis, a former Ohio wrestler who was friends with Carolyn.
Of course I started seeing him in the office
and it didn't take very long
Carolyn said.
After dating for two and a half years, they got married last summer in Sheboygan, Mich., where Carolyn's family has a summer cottage. Sheboygan was perfect because it is halfway between Carolyn's hometown of Detroit and Kyle's of Wilton, Iowa.
What began as a temporary residence became a home.
Kyle said he wanted to commit to a full recruiting cycle at Ohio, or five years. Carolyn was planning on leaving after 2005. Marriage, though, changed their plans for the immediate future.
But, because of their commitments, they don't get to spend as much time together as they'd like.
Coaching takes up much of Kyle's time, and Carolyn is studying to earn a doctorate degree in curriculum instruction. In addition to taking classes and coaching, she's a teacher at West Elementary in Athens.
Tomorrow, Hansen will be in West Virginia, so they will have to celebrate Valentine's Day on a different day.
Being away kind of sucks
Kyle said. I'd like to spend it with her
but
we'll make do and figure something out.
Unfortunately, because Kyle won't be around tomorrow, Carolyn will have to settle for spending Valentine's Day with their dog, Snoop. The 8-year-old black Labrador usually has to sleep outside, but Carolyn said she might let him stay inside to keep her company.
However
on the date part of it ... the dog will end up sleeping outside.
Where Snoop will sleep and when they'll actually be able to celebrate Valentine's Day may be up in the air, but Carolyn is not at all worried about the gift she'll receive.
Kyle is very creative on his own
she said. I don't usually have to give him ideas because he comes up with a lot of good things on his own. He surprises me.
