Defending Class 2A champion Wheatland will have a new coach leading its title defense this fall.

Tom Waring, who has previously coached in Rawlins and Hanna, will take over as head coach of the Bulldogs this fall. He takes over for Dusty Hudson, who made a big impression in two years in Platte County.

Waring and Wheatland AD Josh Sandlian verified the hiring via emails to wyoming-football.com.

In 2015, Hudson led Wheatland to a program-record 10 victories and a Class 2A championship, the program’s second state championship and first since 1984. In his two years as head coach, Wheatland went 17-4. He left Wheatland to take a teaching position in Casper, Sandlian said.

Waring was the head coach at Hanna from 2009-12 and at Rawlins in 2013. He compiled a 16-22 record at Hanna and was 1-7 in his only year at Rawlins. More recently, he has been the principal at the K-12 school in Chugwater. Waring said he plans on remaining at Chugwater while he coaches at Wheatland.

Wheatland is the second defending state champion that will take the field in 2016 with a new coach. Class 3A champ Star Valley hired McKay Young as its new head coach in March.

–patrick