They will be competitive for sure, but I don't think Taylor is going to be the same level. Gable was at the top tier and now Sanderson is. It's hard to unseat those guys for the long term, for Gable it was retirement. Sanderson isn't going to win another 15 in a row, but I'm guessing his teams will be in the mix until he retires.I still think DT gets there in three years. Cael taught him the ropes and he's going to make it competitive.
Excellent breakdown of Iowa wrestling/Brands by Ben Askren
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PSU has a whole machine in place with the NLWC being the unparalleled piece. Taylor made a big splash with their RTC, if he can sustain it is the test.
Smith made low singles a signature OSU technique, will Taylor bring back the ankle pick?
All true Dub, and nicely stated. After years of making excuses for them, I'm of the same opinion as you these days. Askren was factual and not petty. As he said, he's a different (and maybe bigger) guy from the one before his health struggles.
The problem is finding the next guy who will move the team forward. There's lots of guys who think that they can do that job, but very few who actually could. As Ben says, it's difficult to separate the benefits of the resources and the fan base from the coaching and recruiting ability of potential coaches. When you coach a lower-tier wrestling school, you'll have a lower ceiling no matter how good you are as a coach.
As I said before, there probably won't be another Dan Gable or Cael Sanderson out there, but there might be another Gary Kurdelmeier, the guy who brought Gable (and JRob) to Iowa.
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good for you
All good questions. I look at the template Gable set. A historic run over 22 years then his successors carried on at the top from what I can recall( most titles after Gable, prior to Cael. That's why I think Sanderson's machine as you say will keep them very relevant for some time. I actually thought Taylor might replace him but I guess he would've been waiting some time. Right now if I had to speculate Mesenbrink might be the next guy, but who knows? It might be a kid who's not even on the team yet.
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I wonder how many other Iowa wrestlers share the same sentiment as Austin Desanto, for both how they feel about the Brands (see at the beginning of the clip), but also his perspective of wrestling (at the 3minute 15 second mark). If other wrestlers feel that way about wrestling and competing, that's the biggest difference between Iowa and PSU (having fun and being relaxed). I wonder what other kids would say about Ohio State and OK St vs Iowa and PSU.
I'm looking forward to seeing how it all works out. Cael's in a great state/area for recruiting and DT has already shown he can make people NCAA champions and that he can pull recruits from the same areas as Cael. The next 10 years should be fun...and with any luck Iowa will be part of that fun!!
So, the current group of 'elite' wrestling coaches also have 'elite' interpersonal skills. Hmmm, may need some time to analyze that deep insight. Deep pockets often makes unique indivduals more charming.
It’s a great question. I think everyone can agree Austin is a unique individual and his perspective is probably pretty unique too. Now, I’m not saying most Iowa guys are like PSU and carry that sort of care free attitude that they claim to have, but I don’t think most would be as extreme as Austin with their feelings towards having fun wrestling.
With the populations of Ohio and Pennsylvania being north of 25 million, and the latter bordering NY (another 20 million) , I'd think is a pretty good "built in" advantage when it comes to recruiting...
I would think few kids from those heavy-hitting rasslin' states would be too enamored with eastern Iowa...
I would think few kids from those heavy-hitting rasslin' states would be too enamored with eastern Iowa...
They’re currently making their way to Okla-F’ing-Homa, so why not Easten Iowa. Iowa City is a great town!
I dont downplay the recruiting aspect at all, but why is he so successful? You hear everything from money, to him being right in the hotbed of wrestling. I think you are clearly a knowledgeable wrestling fan, and I'm not throwing any shade. Recruiting is all about selling your product. In the case of PSU, its an easy product to sell. Its the same play book Gable used. Create something so good it sells itself. Both were clearly great at getting kids in the door. What they did with them while they were there just opened the door wider for the next group. Its way more than just a sales pitch.
I don't think either of you are wrong here. To me, recruiting is the number one reason, with development following closely behind. Both are closely tied to the development and success of the NLWC. So Cael took the RTC concept further than anyone ever thought of doing, and in doing so, built a dynasty. DT is doing the EXACT same thing in Oklahoma. A donor funds the RTC, allowing for better recruitment and development. Again, I don't know why Iowa's admin has been so reluctant to go this route. After 15 years, it is clearly not illegal.
Dynasties in wrestling have all had one thing in common they had the best club at the time. Gable had the best club , When Oklahoma st was really good they had the Gator WC and now Penn st is the best and they've the NLWC. And it's exactly why when Taylor was hired he immediately started building his RTC.
And the last 2 have had coaches who wrestled for ISU then left to build a dynasty elsewhere.
Ok so everyone agrees the RTC is key. So get the big donors to pump up HWC and suddenly Iowa is back in it.
And it would help if it had more than 2 competing athletes. Until recently the entire HWC was Spencer Lee. Now we at least have Buchanan who is relevant.
NLWC has 8-10 guys active on the world scene.
And it would help if it had more than 2 competing athletes. Until recently the entire HWC was Spencer Lee. Now we at least have Buchanan who is relevant.
NLWC has 8-10 guys active on the world scene.
You should know better Corby, MSU NEVER moves on from ANYTHING!!You two could go on and on. 98 will argue about anything devils advocate is his middle name. Unless you've a few days I would just move along
Lol, you know the Brands Brothers have f***ed things up so badly that they've got Iowa fans in here defending the honor of Ben Askren............
Thank you for admitting that you were cheating before it was legal.
I would add that Cael may be the only coach in ncaa that can choose a recruit as opposed to having to have somebody. Cael is big on who fits into the program not the other way around. Maybe a small difference but makes a huge impact on culture. This kind of aligns with MSU's point on need and recruiting.