Sgt. 1st Class Spenser Mango is coaching wrestling for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics. (Nate Garcia/U.S. Army)

Army Master Sgt. Dennis Bowsher may have officially hung up his saber and riding boots more than a decade ago. But he’s still representing the United States on the international sports stage.

The one-time Olympian in the modern pentathlon has shifted from competitor to coach. The 41-year-old is entering his third Summer Games as a member of the U.S. coaching staff, after appearances as an assistant in Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and in Tokyo in 2021.

Bowsher said even though he’s not on the field of play, he still feels the same on the sidelines.

“We are a little bit behind the scenes because all the focus is on the athlete, but there’s that sense of pride representing Team USA and the military when you’re going to these international competitions,” Bowsher said.

The Dallas native is one of two active-duty soldiers who will coach U.S. Olympians in Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games, which begin Friday and end Aug. 11. Sgt. 1st Class Spenser Mango is mentoring Greco-Roman wrestlers for the second Olympic Games after being on the U.S. staff in Tokyo.

Both Bowsher and Mango are members of the Army’s World Class Athlete Program.

Mango almost seemed to make the transition seamlessly. The St. Louis native has received USA Wrestling’s Greco-Roman Coach of the Year four times — 2018, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

In a phone interview, he talked of going to camps, international tournaments and training to help however he could, earning the trust of athletes and U.S. Olympic officials in the process.

“After all of these years now, they felt like I would be a good asset to the delegation,” Mango said.

Having Olympic experience lends both Mango and Bowsher credence as coaches.

Mango competed in Beijing in 2008, placing eighth at 55 kilograms, and in London in 2012, finishing ninth in the same weight class. The Northern Michigan graduate won seven U.S. Open titles, earned a bronze medal at the 2006 Junior World championships and took a 2007 University World crown.

Master Sgt. Dennis Bowsher is coaching the modern pentathlon team at the 2024 Paris Olympics. (Nate Garcia/U.S. Army)

Bowsher, meanwhile, took a successful high school swimming career — he was a three-time all-state swimmer — and added fencing, equestrian, shooting and running to his repertoire for the modern pentathlon. He scored Junior National titles in 2003 and 2004 and a U.S. championship in 2005 before joining the Army.

He reached the pinnacle of the sport in London, qualifying for the Olympics. He finished 32nd in those Games.

“I can share my experience for what it took for me to get there and also what those events are going to be like,” Bowsher said. “Sometimes a lot of first-timers can be overwhelmed, so I can kind of guide them through that process or the events because it can be a lot more distractions going on.”

Both Mango and Bowsher understand the pressure of the competition — and want to take as much as they can off the athletes.

“Mentally, I feel like it’s just as taxing, sometimes even more taxing as a coach just because you’re stressing over everything, trying to make sure you can take some of the stress away from the athlete competing,” Mango said. “It’s definitely a different kind of stress involved, but I’m happy to be able to do it.”

Bowsher has only one charge in Paris: Jess Savner. The 32-year-old from Connecticut is ranked 69th in the world, according to the Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne.

Mango, meanwhile, has four athletes, including Spc. Kamal Bey at 77 kilograms. Also on the U.S. Greco-Roman squad are Payton Jacobson (87 kilograms), Joe Rau (97) and Adam Coon (130).

The coach said the late addition of Bey, who received a bid at the end of June, gives him a boost heading into Paris.

“We’re super excited,” Mango said. “Now we’re trying to make the most of the situation we’re in.”