MSU-Northern wrestling has become a family affair. Head coach Tyson Thivierge, now in year 17 at his alma mater, has guided All-Americans aplenty. One accomplishment he hasn’t achieved for his time in Havre has been to coach his son, Orion.
Now, the Thivierge men are on the same team for the first time ever, with Orion healthy and on a journey that has taken him from a Havre High Blue Pony to being a Naval Academy Midshipman to back home again as a Lights wrestler.
Orion gained a profile after his sophomore season, where he wrestled to a State ‘A’ title. He would defend his crown twice and, in the process, attract top collegiate wrestling offers. He was the captain of the wrestling team his last three years of high school and captain of the football team his last two seasons while also competing in track and field. After a lengthy recruiting process, Orion would accept a nomination from U.S. senator Jon Tester to the Naval Academy to compete for the Midshipmen in Maryland.
The 2022-23 season would be a struggle for the younger Thivierge. He lost in all four appearances on the mat and sustained injuries during training that kept him out the rest of the campaign. He made the tough decision to transfer out of the academy and back home, where he enrolled at Northern for 2023-24. Orion missed the entire season while continuing to recover. He finally made his Lights debut on the mat during the first dual of this season against North Idaho College and has steadily improved in his redshirt-sophomore year, winning his first individual title at the Grand View Open on Nov. 16.
Orion summed up how good it feels to be back in his element and that he wouldn’t trade any of his experiences to this point for anything.
“I would just say it feels good just to be at this point and finally be back on the mat,” Orion said. “The stuff I went through the last couple of years was tough, but I think it made me a better person and made me more grateful for times like now when I get to be on the mat with my team.”
Both said how Orion winning his first collegiate wrestling crown at the Grand View Open earlier this season has given him swagger.
“He wasn’t too happy about being put in the freshmen-sophomore division. He wanted to challenge himself more,” Tyson said. “I made the decision to put him at the freshmen-sophomore division where he belonged to get him some confidence and get him on a roll.”
“He got on a roll,” Tyson continued. “As a coach, super proud. As a dad, (I’m) prouder.”
“Just getting my confidence back,” Orion said. “Being off the mat for almost three years (with) no competition since my senior year of high school, you lose that confidence you have.”
” The start of (2024-25), I still really didn’t have it, honestly,” Orion continued. “Getting that tournament under my belt (allowed me to) score early and that’s what I did.”
“Just doing that, it really worked out well for me,” Orion said.
Tyson said the relationship with his son will have no extra attention and that he is just one of the guys whom he coaches up.
“We’re good at separating the coach and the dad role,” Tyson said. “Right now, he’s one of the guys on roster. Off this campus, he’s my son.”
“(I’m) obviously very proud of his competitive spirit as a dad,” Tyson continued. “As a coach, I think he’s going to be a leader.”
“He’s got a little bit to go, but he’s falling in line,” Tyson said. “He’s falling in line and he buys into the program and buys into what we’re trying to pitch.”
Orion shared that his father is happy in both roles in his life.
“Even when I was in high school, he just did a really good job of being dad,” Orion said. “He wasn’t trying to coach me. He left that for (Havre High School wrestling coach) Beau (LaSalle).”
“When I (got to Northern), yeah, in the room, he’s (my) coach and at home, he’s dad,” Orion continued. “It means a lot.”
“I think it just goes to show how much experience he has and how good of a coach he is that he’s able to separate those,” Orion said. “He does a really good job of getting my mind at ease.”
The full conversation with Orion Thivierge is available in the sports podcast tab.
