FYI. Penn st wasn't a wrestling school before Cael
Coaching Staff Next Year
- Thread starter WEH8ST8HAWK
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Agree, the young guys coming out of high school are naturally going to be attracted to big name coaches with more recent success. But I’m sure recruiting material sent to everyone they are interested in details TnT’s credentials as wrestlers and coaches. If the kids have access to Flo, there have been good documentaries about Terry, TnT together, the Iowa team, Mocco, and Spencer&Austin which would give recruits a good insight into the Brands as coaches and their past.
Another good example of the money following a big name coach before he really accomplished much.FYI. Penn st wasn't a wrestling school before Cael
Ira recruited Cael. They arrived at a Des Moines hotel disguised. Ira laid out his plan and support and Cael bailed.
DT to OSU is similar
In wrestling the team with the best club typically wins but for that to happen you need the $. Iowa won when Gable had the best club Oklahoma st won when they had Gator WC and now Penn st with NLWC. Oklahoma st has built the club with the $ they've and they're in the picture immediately
If it was all about the money, it would have been impossible to loose Bo and Melvin. His deal was supposedly the most lucrative multi year deal in wrestling. When he decommited, the new NIL rules then applied, and he ended up going to a school that could never make him that kind of offer and still have money to build a good roster.
That is one thing Nolf said on his interview with Flo. If he was a head coach, building the senior club team would be a big priority. Money is a problem. If we can’t afford top contenders for world/Olympic medals, how does anyone else other than NLWC and Okyst RTC??
I'm confused. Are you agreeing that recruits chase credentialed coaches?FYI. Penn st wasn't a wrestling school before Cael
I don’t know that it’s true that Iowa can’t afford HWC guys who are top contenders. As of the 2025 filing the HWC has $3.2 million in publicly traded securities and $389k in cash. My guess is they want the right guys and the ones they have tried to get haven’t worked out.
Thank you. Not sure what’s wrong with Spooner and V-baby today.
I can tell you that DeSanto does move the needle. They are obviously excited to roll with Spencer, but they are also excited to try and scrap with Austin as well.
They are also excited about Buchanan, albeit a smaller sample size of people around his weight I have talked compared with Lee and DeSanto.
Buchanan winning the Open!!!!!
There was a stretch early on where the credentials of TnT absolutely moved the needle. Prior to Cael, they were arguably the biggest active names in coaching that had competed in recent memory. We used to hear quite a bit about kids wanting to wrestle for TnT bc its the style they learned and looked up to.
We're to the point now where not only did the kids bring recruited never really know much about TnTs accolades, but their parents (Dads) were kids when Tom won Gold.
I think Iowa’s storied history and fan base support move the needle more. I also think that detail has been overlooked recently.
Now, yes. Early on guys like Metcalf, Jaybo etc... wanted to wrestle for Tom. Hell they followed him to VT then back to Iowa and sat a year just to do so. Spencer was more recent example... but every year it gets tougher.
When other programs can tout NCAA champs, World medalists, Age level and World champs... it's really hard to say that with a straight face.
OK St can tell a recruit about all the freshman NCAA champs and have a 21st Century World and Olympic champ coaching. Penn State can tell a recruit that they've won every NCAA weight more recently than Iowa and point to more World and Olympic medals in the room than they can count and a recent World medalist while still in school in Haines.
But sure recruits are flocking to Iowa to roll with Desanto who hasn't won a meaningful tournament since beating Lee at PIAAs.
We get it Penn St is good you didn't have to say so much
Desanto is very popular among younger wrestlers. Also are Buchanan and Lee not NCAA champs?
After Spencer wins Gold, the contract should be waiting for him to sign it. That should be the goal from all of us. 2028 can't come soon enough.
I’m not sure about that. Does he want the job? Who gets made hc of a top? level college wrestling program with no experience what-so-ever?
Btw, do Jaybo or Metcalf still maintain relationships with TnT?
He could be a 3x world champ by then
I’m just curious. Not looking to own anything. But do you know the answer to that question?
Feigned ignorance? No need for it. You have more than enough of the regular kind.....
So, I think I have an answer… And no wonder the nut huggers want to avoid this topic. At least two of the guys who were instrumental in the early success of Tom as Iowa coach no longer have a positive relationship with him. And that speaks volumes to the issues at hand, imo. Those guys shed blood, sweat and tears for Tom and know his program inside and out. I’d venture to say that without their contributions to HIS program, we wouldn’t be having this discussion today.Feigned ignorance? No need for it. You have more than enough of the regular kind.....
Your comments cut both ways
Funny how people always forget that part
Unfortunately no bc our staff has clung to the tired, "if you're not with us you're against us" mentality, even off the mat.
But that really doesn't have anything to do with the larger point that there was a time when the staff's credentials did matter a lot.
Yes. I only saw the interview with Metcalf a couple of months ago and had no idea Jaybo had the same issues until a few days back. I read a comment yesterday mentioning Jay and Metcalf in a different context and started putting two and two together.
OK. But there is a common denominator.. And there are a ton of burned bridges in the sport with the same denominator.