Benjamin Wade (Survivor contestant)
Encyclopedia
Benjamin "Coach" "DragonSlayer" Wade (born 18 September 1971) is an American
reality television
personality best known for being a contestant on Survivor: Tocantins, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, and Survivor: South Pacific
. Born in Bolivar, Missouri
, he later moved to Susanville, California
, to conduct the Susanville Symphony and pursue "adventures" in Hollywood.
, where he attended and graduated from West High School
. He began his musical career as a child in Knoxville, making appearances on the Indianapolis Symphony, the Knoxville Symphony
, and the New York Metropolitan Opera
. He majored in Business at the University of Tennessee
and graduated in 1993. Wade performed with the University of Tennessee Orchestra, Band as well as the Knoxville Symphony and other professional orchestras.
in Redding, California
, to coach the women's soccer team. He then spent thirteen years coaching collegiate soccer teams and ended up at Southwest Baptist University
from 2005 to 2009. After his appearance on Survivor, Wade was fired as head women's soccer coach for the university. The university's athletic director Brent Good had fired Wade for not telling the school that he would be taking two months off in order to participate in Survivor. Good stated in an interview, "He [Wade] said he was going to be gone for a week...the week went beyond that, which went beyond that, which went beyond that." According to Good, Wade left the team with two weeks left in the season in October but did not return to the school until December.
. He has composed several classical music
pieces and is the co-founder and current artistic director and conductor of the Susanville Symphony. In 2011, his ballet The Four Elements premiered. A documentary featuring the accomplishments of this organization is chronicled in Small Town Big Sound, filmed by brother Peter Wade in 2006. Wade is a teacher of music history at Lassen College
, a community college located in Susanville.
has gone on record saying he doesn't feel like Wade did anything to earn this reputation. Being one of the most controversial characters to ever play the game, he made it to a 5th place finish. He gave nicknames to his fellow tribemates: J.T. Thomas, the "warrior", Stephen Fishbach, the "wizard", Tyson Apostol
, the "assistant coach" (to which Tyson later wished to upgrade himself to "co-coach"), and himself, the "Dragon Slayer". These players together formed the "Warrior Alliance". Coach was perhaps most famous for telling stories of adventure from his previous exploits as a professional kayak
er, many having a rather casual relationship with reality (fake).
, leading some to believe that the two had a possible romantic connection. Coach appeared to be in the majority alliance on his tribe at the time of his elimination, but outsiders Sandra Diaz-Twine and Courtney Yates managed to convince the alliance that Coach was not trustworthy, and he was sent home in place of Yates. At the reunion, Wade mentioned that after this season and watching Tocantins, he realized how people viewed him, and decided that he did not want to be viewed as "The Dragon Slayer" anymore.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
reality television
Reality television
Reality television is a genre of television programming that presents purportedly unscripted dramatic or humorous situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded...
personality best known for being a contestant on Survivor: Tocantins, Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains, and Survivor: South Pacific
Survivor: South Pacific
Survivor: South Pacific is the twenty-third season of the American CBS competitive reality television series Survivor, which premiered on Wednesday, September 14, 2011. The season was filmed in the vicinity of Upolu, Samoa, which is the same filming location as season 19 and season 20, and it will...
. Born in Bolivar, Missouri
Bolivar, Missouri
Bolivar is the county seat of Polk County, Missouri, United States. The population was 10,325 at the 2010 census. The city was named for Bolivar, Tennessee, home to many of the original settlers, and like that city its name is pronounced to rhyme with Oliver...
, he later moved to Susanville, California
Susanville, California
Susanville is the county seat of Lassen County, California, United States. Susanville is located on the Susan River in the south-central part of the county, at an elevation of 4186 feet . The population was 17,974 at the 2010 census, up from 13,541 at the 2000 census...
, to conduct the Susanville Symphony and pursue "adventures" in Hollywood.
Early life
Wade grew up in Knoxville, TennesseeKnoxville, Tennessee
Founded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
, where he attended and graduated from West High School
West High School (Knoxville, Tennessee)
West High School is a Professional Development school in the Knox County school district located at 3300 Sutherland Avenue in Knoxville, Tennessee 37919. The school's enrollment of about 1350 continues to grow every year with feeder schools such as Bearden Middle, Northwest Middle, and Holston...
. He began his musical career as a child in Knoxville, making appearances on the Indianapolis Symphony, the Knoxville Symphony
Knoxville Symphony Orchestra
The Knoxville Symphony Orchestra is a professional orchestra in Knoxville, Tennessee.The orchestra was established in 1935 and is the oldest continuing orchestra in the southeastern United States. The founding conductor was Bertha Walburn Clark, who led the group until 1946...
, and the New York Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
. He majored in Business at the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
and graduated in 1993. Wade performed with the University of Tennessee Orchestra, Band as well as the Knoxville Symphony and other professional orchestras.
Soccer
In 1997, Wade was hired at Simpson UniversitySimpson University
Simpson University is a private, liberal arts college located on a campus in Redding, California.-History:The college was founded as the Simpson Bible Institute in Seattle in 1921 and named for Dr. Albert B. Simpson, a 19th century Christian evangelist and founder of the Christian and Missionary...
in Redding, California
Redding, California
Redding is a city in far-Northern California. It is the county seat of Shasta County, California, USA. With a population of 89,861, according to the 2010 Census...
, to coach the women's soccer team. He then spent thirteen years coaching collegiate soccer teams and ended up at Southwest Baptist University
Southwest Baptist University
Southwest Baptist University is a private institute of higher education affiliated with the Missouri Baptist Convention which is part of the Southern Baptist Convention. In 2003 there were approximately 3,600 students attending at one of SBU's four Missouri, United States campuses in Bolivar,...
from 2005 to 2009. After his appearance on Survivor, Wade was fired as head women's soccer coach for the university. The university's athletic director Brent Good had fired Wade for not telling the school that he would be taking two months off in order to participate in Survivor. Good stated in an interview, "He [Wade] said he was going to be gone for a week...the week went beyond that, which went beyond that, which went beyond that." According to Good, Wade left the team with two weeks left in the season in October but did not return to the school until December.
Music
Wade was hired on with the Susanville Symphony in 2003. His main instrument was the trumpetTrumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
. He has composed several classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
pieces and is the co-founder and current artistic director and conductor of the Susanville Symphony. In 2011, his ballet The Four Elements premiered. A documentary featuring the accomplishments of this organization is chronicled in Small Town Big Sound, filmed by brother Peter Wade in 2006. Wade is a teacher of music history at Lassen College
Lassen College
Lassen Community College is a community college in Susanville, California and it is a part of the California Community Colleges system.The college is located in Susanville in the high mountain lake country of northeastern California. The campus looks out over the city to Diamond Mountain and the...
, a community college located in Susanville.
Survivor: Tocantins
Wade was selected to participate on Survivor: Tocantins in 2009. He recognizes himself as the main antagonist of this season; however, Jeff ProbstJeff Probst
Jeffrey Lee "Jeff" Probst is an American game show host, executive producer and a reporter. He is best known as the host of the U.S. version of the reality show Survivor.-Biography:...
has gone on record saying he doesn't feel like Wade did anything to earn this reputation. Being one of the most controversial characters to ever play the game, he made it to a 5th place finish. He gave nicknames to his fellow tribemates: J.T. Thomas, the "warrior", Stephen Fishbach, the "wizard", Tyson Apostol
Tyson Apostol
Tyson Apostol is a contestant of the reality show Survivor. He participated in Survivor: Tocantins and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains.-Early life:...
, the "assistant coach" (to which Tyson later wished to upgrade himself to "co-coach"), and himself, the "Dragon Slayer". These players together formed the "Warrior Alliance". Coach was perhaps most famous for telling stories of adventure from his previous exploits as a professional kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
er, many having a rather casual relationship with reality (fake).
Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains
For the 10th anniversary of the series, CBS brought back "heroes" and "villains" from previous seasons. Wade was selected to participate for the Villains and was the 9th person voted off and the 1st member of the jury. During his time in the game, he was a part of the Villains majority alliance and had a close alliance and relationship with fellow Villain Jerri MantheyJerri Manthey
Jerri Lynn Manthey is an American actress who is best known for her appearances on reality television.- Early life :Jerri Manthey was born in Stuttgart, Germany and attended both high school and college in Germany. Manthey's father, Cyril, was a career member of the United States Army and served...
, leading some to believe that the two had a possible romantic connection. Coach appeared to be in the majority alliance on his tribe at the time of his elimination, but outsiders Sandra Diaz-Twine and Courtney Yates managed to convince the alliance that Coach was not trustworthy, and he was sent home in place of Yates. At the reunion, Wade mentioned that after this season and watching Tocantins, he realized how people viewed him, and decided that he did not want to be viewed as "The Dragon Slayer" anymore.