Jeff Wichern has coached wrestling in Minnesota for 20 years, and he's never really sought out the limelight. But it was a surprise from his wrestlers at his day job, as a bus driver, that left him in tears of joy, and put the spotlight on his dedication.

Wichern, 42, of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, pulled into his stop at the Mall of America on Monday to see a group of 20 of his young wrestling students who used their day off of school for President’s Day to surprise their coach.

“I went around the bend and saw all these little kids standing at the bus stop and I was hoping they weren’t loading on my bus,” Wichern told ABC News, with a laugh. “As I got closer, I saw they had our JJ Trained t-shirts on.”

The students from Wichern’s JJ Trained Wrestling School were carrying handmade signs expressing their appreciation for “Coach Jeff.” The elementary school-age students spent about 30 minutes riding on Wichern’s bus route, dancing and celebrating.