Hometown: Beloit, KS
College: Graceland College and Fort Hays State U.
Undergraduate Degree: BS Physical Education 1982 Fort Hays State U.
Graduate Degree: MS Physical Education 1984 Fort Hays State U.
Years as NCCC Head Coach: 6th year Career: 20th year

Started coaching career as Head Coach at Fort Hays State U. where he still stands as the longest termed head coach in the history of that program. For 10 years, those teams produced two Top 5 national team finishes, two National Champions (standing record), 5 finalists (standing record), and 18 All Americans. From there Coach Petterson went to NCAA D.1 Northern Illinois U. for one year as Asst. Head Coach. The Huskies that year produced two national qualifiers. One of those qualifiers was Pettersons work out partner, senior T.C. Dantzler who just recently retired from competition and was a 2008 Olympic Team member. The next college coaching stint for Coach Pete before arriving at NCCC was as Head Coach at Colorado Northwestern CC. In his three years there the team produced two All Americans and nine national qualifiers. Also during this time Coach Petterson was voted Region XVIII Coach of the Year. Currently at NCCC his teams have produced two Top 8 national team finishes, one National Champion, two national finalists, nine All Americans, and numerous Academic All Americans.
Aside from coaching duties Petterson serves as a professional Physical Education instructor at NCCC. Coach Pete and his lovely wife Linda are the proud parents of four children: Chase (27), Jessica (26), Thain (21), and Jena (12).

As an athlete Coach Petterson accomplished:
3 x All American (3rd, 4th, 8th)
4 x national qualifier
Busch Gross Senior Male Athlete of the Year (FHSU 82)
2 x H.S. State Champion (75/76)
4th place Grand State (76)
AWN All American (76)
Freestyle State Champion (76)
2 x USWF National Tournament (75/76)