John was Red River’s head wrestling coach from 1969 until 1987 minus one year in 1986 when he was an assistant coach. Coach Koppy coached forty-one state placers, including eight state champions. His teams also had much success at the regional and state levels. The 1981 team had a 15-1 record and John was named North Dakota State Wrestling Coach of the Year. The Roughriders won multiple EDC championships under John and his teams placed as high as third in the state in both 1983 and 1984.