Article: On Tom Brands' future, possible changes for Iowa wrestling | Leistikow

[maxpain]

Hate to start another thread but this is worthy of it’s own probably so here we go..
I’m not going to copy and paste the whole thing but lots of interesting stuff in this article. I will be honest though, there wasn’t much that inspired me to believe that things are going to change.

“But on the inside, Brands has the University of Iowa athletics department’s backing.

According to sources with direct knowledge of the situation, athletics director Beth Goetz recognizes the program is not meeting championship expectations but does not plan to make a leadership change following the season. Goetz is planning a comprehensive evaluation of all aspects of the program, the sources said, to identify opportunities for improvement.”

One nugget was the 6,000 some scanned ticket average at duals this year. Thats rough.
——


Brands expanded on the answer while delving briefly into a topic he historically doesn’t address publicly: injuries.

“When I say that we’ve got the right guys, we do have the right guys. This is the worst year of my career,” Brands said, doubling down on that message. “There are some reasons for that doom. And it’s not just performance, because they’re not performing. There’s a reason they’re not performing. We’ve had late-January surgical issues to try to get guys back on the mat. We had a major, major injury in the middle of January.”

Goetz attends most home Hawkeye wrestling duals and surely has taken the team's injury plight into consideration when evaluating Brands' job status. Ayala and heavyweight Ben Kueter have been wrestling hurt; 141-pound transfer Nasir Bailey broke his finger and didn't take the mat in February; 184-pounder Angelo Ferrari was ranked No. 1 when he got hurt during a 2-1 loss vs. Penn State’s Rocco Welsh and hasn’t competed since. (Ferrari, the consensus overall No. 1 recruit in the class of 2024, and Bailey are on Brands' lineup card for the Big Tens.)

"The excuses aren’t going to come out of my mouth," Brands said. "… These guys are focused on being the best they can be at the most important time of the year.”
———

 

[maxpain]

In the Register interview, Brands addressed two public-relations hits that his program has endured over the past eight months but stopped short of going deep into the reasons behind them.

First, there was the June decommitment of FloWrestling’s No. 1 pound-for-pound 2026 prospect Bo Bassett, a high-motor Pennsylvanian and an influential social-media personality. Bassett had the potential to give Iowa’s program image and firepower a jolt. Bassett and his adopted brother, Melvin Miller (the No. 1 pound-for-pound prospect in 2027), wound up committing to Virginia Tech.

What Brands told the Register on Bassett: “On the record, we are always going to do what’s best for the team and the individuals. And we’re going to do it within the framework of the rules.”

On Endene: “We’re not going to talk about it. We’re going to wish him the best when he moves on.”

According to Register sources, Goetz got involved in both matters and fully backed Brands' decisions.

 

[vhsalum]

My thoughts:

For an hour long interview, Tom did the same thing he always does. Non-answers and insulation.

"Pressed about Iowa’s style being too defensive or conservative, Brands emphasized that’s not his communicated approach to the team. To change the on-mat product, Brands said, requires better depth in his room."

This is infuriating. Depth has nothing to do with it. Dear god. It's clear he's not going to change the approach/coaching that instills pressure for pressure's sake. No one is just going to fall over for the Hawks. At least not the guys that we need to beat to win chips.

I guess he can't say today that he's going to change the staff, so hopefully that's just a case of not causing upheaval at the end of the season.

Fine, Tom is going to be the Head Coach of the team next year. He's obviously not going to fire his own brother. Morningstar and Telford need to be replaced with guys who can wrestle everyday AND can provide a different approach on how to get guys to attack more.

The 2 at the top of my mind:

Nolf
Gwiz

Both will be able to wrestle all day and represent the attacking style of today's wrestlers. If Nolf gets on staff, Tom is going to LOVE him. He's a lot closer to a Hawk in terms of mentality than Tom probably realizes. Same with Gwiz. A real hard ***.

Tom mentioned making sure guys live the right lifestyle. He grabbed 3 partying fools this past summer (Peterson, Bailey, JW) and he's surprised at the results. Tom needs to tighten up the culture of the program. Actually commit to a freestyle season. Like Dude, it's not the 90s anymore. You don't commit to freestyle AFTER your folk career. Every guy on the roster should be at the Open. ALL OF THEM, full stop.

What happened to the Tom that said he wanted to win everything? Wanted to win world medals? The guys in college can and should be doing that as well. Imagine how much easier it will be to build the RTC then? Commit guys to a year round lifestyle, so they're not just partying their brains out EVERY weekend. You don't have to be a Pat Pop, but the team has to have guys that party as outliers.

The guys are definitely not over-trained. I know Tom's done a shift in practices. But it's just a shift for shifts sake. PSU and Okiest guys are going 2 a days during season. You can have volume AND keep guys healthy. He needs an outside voice to help him see where the disconnect is.

Welp. Go Hawks!

 

[BrianLafevre]

 

[Corby2]

Everyone complaining on a message board didn't get Tom fired shocker

 

[maxpain]

The one thing that gave me hope: maybe he takes a big swing at some of the names we have discussed and talks them into a head coach in waiting situation….

Quote from interview:
———
How long does Tom Brands want to coach?

“We have a potential top junior class,” Brands said, referencing Iowa’s committed (but not signed) high school class of 2027 having four top-25 recruits and being ranked third nationally by FloWrestling. “We have a (freshman) class in our room right now that we recruited, that when we recruited them we told them that we would be here. That’s important to me.

“So, the next question is, how do you ever stop then? You’re going to have to be honest with the people you’re recruiting, and you’re going to have to have the future leadership in place.”

 

[maxpain]

Everyone complaining on a message board didn't get Tom fired shocker

Corby you have a lot of little comments but you don’t share your opinion all that much. I would love to hear it.

What do you think about the state of the program?

Do you expect a good postseason for the Hawks?

Do you think next year will be a better year?

 

[madmustang]

“Beth does not plan to make a leadership change” doesn’t necessarily mean the assistant coaches are safe. Am still hoping they’ll bring in a rock star assistant who can jump start recruiting.

 

[SEWAHawk]

It makes sense. I think the general consensus on the board is we/they want tom gone but understand Bobs money goes when he does.

Here’s to hoping for better assistants.

 

[IRON HAWK]

In the Register interview, Brands addressed two public-relations hits that his program has endured over the past eight months but stopped short of going deep into the reasons behind them.

First, there was the June decommitment of FloWrestling’s No. 1 pound-for-pound 2026 prospect Bo Bassett, a high-motor Pennsylvanian and an influential social-media personality. Bassett had the potential to give Iowa’s program image and firepower a jolt. Bassett and his adopted brother, Melvin Miller (the No. 1 pound-for-pound prospect in 2027), wound up committing to Virginia Tech.

What Brands told the Register on Bassett: “On the record, we are always going to do what’s best for the team and the individuals. And we’re going to do it within the framework of the rules.”

On Endene: “We’re not going to talk about it. We’re going to wish him the best when he moves on.”

According to Register sources, Goetz got involved in both matters and fully backed Brands' decisions.

The BASSETT thing is a B1G issue!!! You can NOT have this level of recruit + what comes WITH IT who is committed, leave!!!! Do NOT care what the ISSUE(s) were!!!! You FIGURE IT OUT and you FIX IT and you MOVE FORWARD!!!!!

That kid WAS the FUTURE of the program!!! He was bringing EVERYTHING you needed at the RIGHT TIME!!!!

 

[vhsalum]

The BASSETT thing is a B1G issue!!! You can NOT have this level of recruit + what comes WITH IT who is committed, leave!!!! Do NOT care what the ISSUE(s) were!!!! You FIGURE IT OUT and you FIX IT and you MOVE FORWARD!!!!!

That kid WAS the FUTURE of the program!!! He was bringing EVERYTHING you needed at the RIGHT TIME!!!!

100% correct.

 

[madmustang]

The BASSETT thing is a B1G issue!!! You can NOT have this level of recruit + what comes WITH IT who is committed, leave!!!! Do NOT care what the ISSUE(s) were!!!! You FIGURE IT OUT and you FIX IT and you MOVE FORWARD!!!!!

That kid WAS the FUTURE of the program!!! He was bringing EVERYTHING you needed at the RIGHT TIME!!!!

I think this is an important topic to discuss. Seems to me that recruiting rules have changed and other coaches are willing to “do whatever’s necessary” to get a recruit in house. Even if you break or bend a rule who’s going to enforce it. Tom needs to loosen up and do whats necessary.

 

[AndreTheHawk]

In the Register interview, Brands addressed two public-relations hits that his program has endured over the past eight months but stopped short of going deep into the reasons behind them.

First, there was the June decommitment of FloWrestling’s No. 1 pound-for-pound 2026 prospect Bo Bassett, a high-motor Pennsylvanian and an influential social-media personality. Bassett had the potential to give Iowa’s program image and firepower a jolt. Bassett and his adopted brother, Melvin Miller (the No. 1 pound-for-pound prospect in 2027), wound up committing to Virginia Tech.

What Brands told the Register on Bassett: “On the record, we are always going to do what’s best for the team and the individuals. And we’re going to do it within the framework of the rules.”

On Endene: “We’re not going to talk about it. We’re going to wish him the best when he moves on.”

According to Register sources, Goetz got involved in both matters and fully backed Brands' decisions.

The thing that resonates with me is the portal transfer rate is not as good as it could be (or the abysmal takedown rates collectively of course). These guys are supposedly proven DI wrestlers who can or should be lineup upgrades with the resources Iowa has. Been too many misses, and yes some great acquisitions, have to acknowledge both, but the overall % is not where it should be IMO.

Brands clearly feels the same way: Brands acknowledged that he and his staff haven't done a good enough job of vetting some recent transfers. That is a major priority this cycle. "When we're talking about the portal, we've got to do a better job of who these guys are, not just who's in it". Amen Tom! (you now have multiple portal guys I would have rather forfeited the weight than watch them "attempt" to wrestle in an Iowa singlet again....ugghhh).

Also acknowledged he tells current recruits (because of his age) he's going to be there, but knows he'll have to have a clear succession plan in place when the time comes to retire and it's important to him that they know that when being recruited. (sounds like we need a clear upgrade in the Assistant room in the near future then .......).

And lastly, of course Bob Nicolls is mentioned for his financial support. We're damn lucky to have him aboard IMO.

 

[LIV4GOD]

What a discouraging article. Ferentz turned it around in 2015 so Tom might. Talk about apples and oranges. He's already 20 years down the road and the article hints he only has a handful left until retirement. That won't help recruiting. He's 10 years past Gable's retirement age and is passing Smith's. And a reason to keep him around is he's the last coach to beat the Lions in a dual six years ago. No answers on why we are incessantly more injured nor any clue on how the program will improve.

It is what it is. Prepare thy buttocks.

 

[AndreTheHawk]

Everyone complaining on a message board didn't get Tom fired shocker

Thousands NOT on message boards no longer traveling to watch Iowa Wrestling in Carver and elsewhere will most assuredly get Tom fired. His clock is ticking rapidly.

You know how I know that? Because Fran McCaffrey coaches at Penn.

 

[sdvike]

The BASSETT thing is a B1G issue!!! You can NOT have this level of recruit + what comes WITH IT who is committed, leave!!!! Do NOT care what the ISSUE(s) were!!!! You FIGURE IT OUT and you FIX IT and you MOVE FORWARD!!!!!

That kid WAS the FUTURE of the program!!! He was bringing EVERYTHING you needed at the RIGHT TIME!!!!

Not to mention having the Raneys snatched up last minute by OSU when it seemed wrapped up by Iowa.

 

[maxpain]

What a discouraging article. Ferentz turned it around in 2015 so Tom might. Talk about apples and oranges. He's already 20 years down the road and the article hints he only has a handful left until retirement. That won't help recruiting. He's 10 years past Gable's retirement age and is passing Smith's. And a reason to keep him around is he's the last coach to beat the Lions in a dual six years ago. No answers on why we are incessantly more injured nor any clue on how the program will improve.

It is what it is. Prepare thy buttocks.

The part that sticks with me a little about that comparison is that it’s a completely different sport and most outside of wrestling don’t really understand how hard it is to close the gap in a short amount of time. It’s very different from football in that respect.

Beth letting him come back means she thinks he can turn it around right? So basically (as of now) we have a significantly less talented team going in to next year but Tom is going to somehow turn it around. I am very skeptical is going to happen through hard work and maybe minor staff changes.

So it must be the portal additions that will make us a better team right? Well look how that has turned out. Oh but we are going to vet potential transfers better.. WHAT? You were half a$sing the vetting process on 6 figure per year wrestlers in a sport where that dollar amount was unheard of until very recently. And let’s say we do vet better. That is probably going to further reduce the portal options because most guys who hit the portal aren’t perfect which is why they are hitting the portal in the first place.

It just feels like we are delaying the inevitable because this feels so unrealistic…

 

[Random4598375]

There's no way that anyone in or around the program is going to say "yeah, we're going to fire the head coach" two days before the postseason starts. This article is pretty meaningless. If Iowa flops at nationals, they could easily make a change despite what they are saying now.

 

[dtripp26]

Corby you have a lot of little comments but you don’t share your opinion all that much. I would love to hear it.

What do you think about the state of the program?

Do you expect a good postseason for the Hawks?

Do you think next year will be a better year?

He likes our guy

 

[Kinnick 4 Prez]

Thousands NOT on message boards no longer traveling to watch Iowa Wrestling in Carver and elsewhere will most assuredly get Tom fired. His clock is ticking rapidly.

You know how I know that? Because Fran McCaffrey coaches at Penn.

I'm not a veteran (2 year season tix and a handful of other visits the last 10 years) when it comes to Carver/wrestling/excitement but this year there was zero buzz in that building. What was the best moment?
PSU and Mn were dead.
Maybe Ayala dominating vs Michigan and completing the comeback vs an average team?

 

[dtripp26]

Thousands NOT on message boards no longer traveling to watch Iowa Wrestling in Carver and elsewhere will most assuredly get Tom fired. His clock is ticking rapidly.

You know how I know that? Because Fran McCaffrey coaches at Penn.

The 600LB gorilla in the room is 6000 avg scanned attendance. That is PATHETIC!!! That alone should be enough to put Tom on the hot seat!

Between the opening dual on a GD Thursday, a fairly poor schedule and some really lackluster performance thousands of fans who paid for season tickets decided to piss away their money rather than watch this team in CHA.

 

[Old_wrestling_fan2]

The BASSETT thing is a B1G issue!!! You can NOT have this level of recruit + what comes WITH IT who is committed, leave!!!! Do NOT care what the ISSUE(s) were!!!! You FIGURE IT OUT and you FIX IT and you MOVE FORWARD!!!!!

That kid WAS the FUTURE of the program!!! He was bringing EVERYTHING you needed at the RIGHT TIME!!!!

FWIW, I am not convinced that Bassett and Co were the answer here. If they were all that then someone else in the top 8-10 teams would have snapped them up IMO. They didn't. They "fell" all the way to Va Tech..."missing" at least 8 or 10 other top teams that certainly would have liked them in their lineup...as wrestlers.

It is also true that they have yet to wrestle a single match for V Tech and they may, OR may not, be a positive, stable force for their lineup. Time will have to tell on that, NONE of us can know the future on that at this point. But I would be willing to bet that they don't all complete their careers as Hokies. There is already too much smoke and drama going on with them to think that they will all stay put for 4-5 years...anywhere.

Generally speaking, yes, Iowa needs to land a share of the super top end guys...but I am not at all convinced that the Bassett's were the ultimate answer here. There is apparently much more behind the scenes than just their wrestling prowess,

 

[Old_wrestling_fan2]

I think this is an important topic to discuss. Seems to me that recruiting rules have changed and other coaches are willing to “do whatever’s necessary” to get a recruit in house. Even if you break or bend a rule who’s going to enforce it. Tom needs to loosen up and do whats necessary.

Including violating rules?? I am all for being "creative" within the rules, I do not support straight up violation of the rules, FWIW,

 

[Kohawks99]

FWIW, I am not convinced that Bassett and Co were the answer here. If they were all that then someone else in the top 8-10 teams would have snapped them up IMO. They didn't. They "fell" all the way to Va Tech..."missing" at least 8 or 10 other top teams that certainly would have liked them in their lineup...as wrestlers.

It is also true that they have yet to wrestle a single match for V Tech and they may, OR may not, be a positive, stable force for their lineup. Time will have to tell on that, NONE of us can know the future on that at this point. But I would be willing to bet that they don't all complete their careers as Hokies. There is already too much smoke and drama going on with them to think that they will all stay put for 4-5 years...anywhere.

Generally speaking, yes, Iowa needs to land a share of the super top end guys...but I am not at all convinced that the Bassett's were the ultimate answer here. There is apparently much more behind the scenes than just their wrestling prowess,

Agree with this and I like that Brands aren't willing to bend their knee/character to incoming recruits wants and demands. They have some things they can change up, but sticking to their morals isn't one of them.

 

[BrianLafevre]

This is the lamest puff piece “interview” about a deep dive into the program ever.
Most of it is ridiculous comparisons to the football program.

Was the AD not contacted by this journalist to offer up her thoughts on the program and her public support of the coach?

 

[BrianLafevre]

Including violating rules?? I am all for being "creative" within the rules, I do not support straight up violation of the rules, FWIW,

You mean the rules that changed a month later that officially allowed what was already occurring?

 

[Old_wrestling_fan2]

You mean the rules that changed a month later that officially allowed what was already occurring?

No, I don't necessarily mean that. I was asking the poster for clarification on what HE meant by loosening up and doing what is necessary.

 

[Stick Kitty]

There's no way that anyone in or around the program is going to say "yeah, we're going to fire the head coach" two days before the postseason starts. This article is pretty meaningless. If Iowa flops at nationals, they could easily make a change despite what they are saying now.

Exactly. Beth will have her coaches back until she doesn't. There is never an AD that will say a coach is on the hot seat. On a crappy level it does make sense for her to punt another year.

Message boards never get any coach fired but they are a good indication of the pulse of the fan base. Like Andre the Hawk above said. The empty seats and drop in attendance in Carver next season combined with zero momentum of a stale product will get him fired.

Corby- lets talk on April 1st 2027.

 

[Stick Kitty]

Including violating rules?? I am all for being "creative" within the rules, I do not support straight up violation of the rules, FWIW,

I don't think any of us support illegal stuff and we would all support Brands in that regard. My issue is he will bring a chainsaw to a meeting when cooler heads could prevail. I will never believe that the Bassett relationship couldn't have been salvaged on some level. Nor could Tom not get any inside information on the upcoming rule changes given his longtime standing in the sport.

 

[feros]

"The only Hawkeye with multiple takedowns in an NCAA final since 2011 is three-time champion Spencer Lee" jesus christ

 

[AndEEss]

"The only Hawkeye with multiple takedowns in an NCAA final since 2011 is three-time champion Spencer Lee" jesus christ

In Tom's defense, that's a very small sample size.

 

[Cobra Kaiowa]

The part that sticks with me a little about that comparison is that it’s a completely different sport and most outside of wrestling don’t really understand how hard it is to close the gap in a short amount of time. It’s very different from football in that respect.

Beth letting him come back means she thinks he can turn it around right? So basically (as of now) we have a significantly less talented team going in to next year but Tom is going to somehow turn it around. I am very skeptical is going to happen through hard work and maybe minor staff changes.

So it must be the portal additions that will make us a better team right? Well look how that has turned out. Oh but we are going to vet potential transfers better.. WHAT? You were half a$sing the vetting process on 6 figure per year wrestlers in a sport where that dollar amount was unheard of until very recently. And let’s say we do vet better. That is probably going to further reduce the portal options because most guys who hit the portal aren’t perfect which is why they are hitting the portal in the first place.

It just feels like we are delaying the inevitable because this feels so unrealistic…

"Beth letting him come back means she thinks he can turn it around right"

Or, she's just financially hamstrung with the buyout right now and she's protecting the shield by outwardly supporting the coach. Bringing in outside consultants is more about informing what the next hire needs than it is something TnT will likely improve/benefit from IMHO.

 

[js8793]

At least Tom knows he's on notice. Might actually see some changes now. Only thing saving him is his disastrous contract extension.

 

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

Is there a hard (or soft) requirement that we can only hire former Hawkeyes as assistant coaches?

 

[maxpain]

"Beth letting him come back means she thinks he can turn it around right"

Or, she's just financially hamstrung with the buyout right now and she's protecting the shield by outwardly supporting the coach. Bringing in outside consultants is more about informing what the next hire needs than it is something TnT will likely improve/benefit from IMHO.

Good point. That certainly could be. His buyout drops by $250k if they wait but still that is not a lot in terms of the Iowa budget. My guess is that $250k could be offset by the surge in excitement that they would see if they hired a big name…

 

[Corby2]

Corby you have a lot of little comments but you don’t share your opinion all that much. I would love to hear it.

What do you think about the state of the program?

Do you expect a good postseason for the Hawks?

Do you think next year will be a better year?

Iowa is still a top 5 all around program no one can argue that. And to be that for as long as they've isn't easy. Every program will have ups and downs and when down is still having a top 5 program in my opinion that's pretty damn good.

I think they wrestle well this weekend and get 9 guys to NCAAs 157 will be tough . And have a few guys wrestle above seed at NCAAs .

Next year will depend on how they plug a few holes via the portal. Need a 133/41 and a 165 . Depends on what Bailey does 141 or back to 133

 

[Corby2]

I don't think any of us support illegal stuff and we would all support Brands in that regard. My issue is he will bring a chainsaw to a meeting when cooler heads could prevail. I will never believe that the Bassett relationship couldn't have been salvaged on some level. Nor could Tom not get any inside information on the upcoming rule changes given his longtime standing in the sport.

Knowing the rule is gonna change and getting compliance to say go ahead and do it are two different things.

 

[A Fistful of Hawkeyes]

You mean the rules that changed a month later that officially allowed what was already occurring?

So you're saying that if you know the rules are going to eventually change, then why not break them now?

Hmm. Okay.

 

[AndreTheHawk]

And let’s say we do vet better. That is probably going to further reduce the portal options because most guys who hit the portal aren’t perfect which is why they are hitting the portal in the first place.

What? LOL! There's a lot of reasons for guys hitting the portal, has very little to do with not being "perfect" or they were forced out from their previous spot. That list is very short.

The list of Iowa transfers into the program are by a wide margin a list of guys who wanted to wrestle and hopefully upgrade on multiple fronts at Iowa, a place with one hell of a wrestling legacy, and leads the nation in attendance for the large majority if not the entire time since they were born.

These days it can be purely money, and we've seen what appears to be some who's sole motivation is money.

Iowa isn't looking to add a full squad of malcontents at their previous school(s) I assure you.

Believe it or not, a LOT of guys around the country would love to have been recruited and still be recruited by Iowa (even before they got "paid"). The program is wounded, but last rites haven't been administered just yet.

 

[HawkeyeInOlathe]

Thousands NOT on message boards no longer traveling to watch Iowa Wrestling in Carver and elsewhere will most assuredly get Tom fired. His clock is ticking rapidly.

You know how I know that? Because Fran McCaffrey coaches at Penn.

I’ve been going to Stillwater for about 15 years. Outside of parents I literally saw no more than 30 Iowa fans in that arena. Has anyone noticed that NCAA tickets are still for sale except for the semi’s and finals? When’s the last time the NCAA didn’t sell out all the tickets prior to? Hawk fans are making a difference on nationals too.