While coaching plays an integral role in a program that continually marches forward, those coaches can’t do it without a support system in place, such as administrative backing, maximum allowable recruiting numbers and financial support.
Iowa Wrestling Coach Tom Brands
Look at Tom Brands. A fiery wrestler and NCAA champ for Iowa, as well as an assistant coach there for 12 years, left for Virginia Tech in the 2004-05 season. The Hokies went 1-16 that year.
The next season they were 16-4 and won the ACC. But Brands had a chance to return as head coach at Iowa, the mecca of college wrestling, and did so after the conclusion of the 2005-06 season.
He also took three recruits back with him — Brent Metcalf, Dan LeClere and Jay Borschel. Ever heard of them? You should if you follow college wrestling.
Brands’ first year as head coach was a down year by Iowa standards, 14-5 and an NCAA finish of eighth as the aforementioned trio were forced to redshirt. That changed as the Hawkeyes went 21-1 in 2007-08 and 24-0 in 2008-09, winning the NCAA team title both seasons and currently on a winning streak of 38 straight dual meets.
Look to the east and you’ll see similar goings-on. Cornell has established itself as one of the top teams in the East with head coach Rob Koll, a 1984 PIAA champ from State College and 1988 NCAA champ from North Carolina.
He recruits Pennsylvania and New York and while he doesn’t always have the type of lineup to compete with the Iowas and Minnesotas, he has enough stars to ensure high finishes at the NCAA Championships.
Another program is emerging at Maryland. Led by Kerry McCoy, a two-time NCAA champ at Penn State, the Terps last week beat Cornell 18-17 by scoring nine points in the last two bouts for the win.
As a result, Maryland is ranked sixth and Cornell seventh this week by InterMat.
Insert Image of Cael
There’s another change taking place at Penn State. By no means are we comparing the Nittany Lions to any upstart program. State has been a solid program from the get-go, with periodically great teams in each decade.
All but the current decade in which the team hasn’t always lived up to the potential the recruits in the room automatically provided.
Iowa St Wrestling Cael Sanderson
When Olympic champion Cael Sanderson took over in April, he said his plan was to make Penn State into a perennial championship contender. What his followers have to realize is that a plan has to have a beginning, and the beginning of Sanderson’s plan is to redshirt a number of talented wrestlers this season.
Thus far — and it is early — that lineup has yielded four very good wrestlers, three wrestlers with nice potential but aren’t consistently going to win big matches, and three wrestlers who likely won’t be in next season’s lineup.
That said, it’s probably good enough to win 14 or 15 matches, perhaps crown one Big Ten champ and earn a good handful of All-America certificates.
Next season the bar will be raised, expectations will be higher, intensity surrounding the program should regain a feverish pitch, one that probably hasn’t been seen since the 1992-93 and 1997-98 seasons.
The program hasn’t been devoid of talent since then by any means, with six winning seasons, three national champs and some good showings in the Big Ten championships.
Sanderson’s plan can be reduced to simple terminology. Currently, when you think college wrestling, you think Iowa. His goal: when you think college wrestling, you’ll think Penn State.
The plan is in place; the first steps are under way. Plans take time. If this plan succeeds, fans in this wrestling-crazy state will have a good time.
COLLEGE NOTES: Rankings remain the barometer of any sport. It’s no surprise Iowa is ranked No. 1. The Hawkeyes are followed in the InterMat rankings by Iowa State, Ohio State, Minnesota and Oklahoma State. Lehigh is 12th, Penn State 13th, Edinboro 19th and Pitt 25th. In Division II, Pitt-Johnstown is 10th, Mercyhurst 11th, Gannon 17th and Kutztown 20th. In Division III, Wisconsin-LaCrosse is first while Delaware Valley is seventh, Wilkes 18th and Lycoming 22nd.
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