Brands Out Askrens in .... the most obvious move in wrestling.

[MSU158]

Ok thank you for the correction. So Ben has indeed coached in an college program.

Sorry, but I don’t really count hanging around as a volunteer assistant, while still competing, as DI level coaching. What were his actual responsibilities? What experience did he gain that was different from when he was just a wrestler on the team?

Look, I do think he would be a very valuable assistant, but I do not remotely think he has the experience to act like he would be some type of lock to be super successful as a head coach. Hell, I don’t believe he even remotely has the desire necessary to begin to be one.

Not only would he need to pack up and move his family to Iowa, but he would have to commit to working essentially nonstop, while dealing with the most rabid fanbase. I just don’t think this job is nearly as enticing as many of you think it is. This is especially true for someone that has essentially shown no desire whatsoever to coach at the DI level in the first place…

 

[PSU Mike]

What came first the chicken or the egg?

Pretty sure it was AJ …

 

[MSU158]

Ok thank you for the correction. So Ben has indeed coached in an college program.

Brands’ failure to develop isn’t a failure to “develop”. It’s a failure to recruit better.

This argument has been such a consistent misnomer. Since Kemerer, Brands has recruited better than ever. It’s just so many of you are seeing PSU recruiting at an unprecedented level and are acting like that is a realistic comparison.

The gambling thing kicked Iowa square in the privates. On top of that, Brands took risks to shake things up. No matter what your feelings are about the Ferraris, I give him credit for trying whatever he could think of to try to put high end talent on his team. Hopefully Angelo stays no matter what and Anthony continues to improve in the room. It looks like AJ may still have a slight chance, but he most likely would have to do so many things the exact right way now, that I think even the most ardent haters wouldn’t have much to complain about if he does in fact ever end up donning a black and gold singlet.

Make no mistake, Brands is doing about as much as you can realistically expect from anyone trying to compete with PSU right now. You may not like the results, but he has been as far from complacent as anyone can be. Replacing him with unproven names, just because they are great wrestlers is so much more of a pipe dream than you guys realize…

 

[Trapper85]

Pretty sure it was AJ …

Yes, but Sr. or Jr?

 

[Random4598375]

Brands’ failure to develop isn’t a failure to “develop”. It’s a failure to recruit better.

No, it's a failure to develop, too. Look at Iowa's top recruits recently:

Spencer: 1-1-1-6
Young 5-7-R12
Marinelli 6-7-R12-5
Kemmerer 3-4-2-4
Warner 7-4-2-5
Cass 3-7-4
PK R16-Lost starting spot

Not a single one of those guy improved their results over the years and only Spencer won a title, and he was a generational recruit who was/is a potential Olympic champ. Even he flamed out in his last year.

I don’t like johnstown (hey johnstown, GTFOH) . . . but there is a reason why so many freshmen are coming in college-ready. The lift for college coaches to develop recruits in years 1 and 2 is a lot lighter than it used to be, and that is because of the work club coaches have done. “Development” of a lot of these guys by college coaches is now more of an emphasis on the finer skills in years 1 and 2, and then a matter of preventing physical and mental burnout in years 3 and 4. Guess where we are failing in that process?

This is the key message here. When guys should be hitting their stride and peaking as veterans in their 3rd & 4th years, they are regressing because the Brands push their guys so hard that they are terrible at avoiding the physical and mental burnout part. This is the way the Brands approached wrestling themselves, and it worked for them because they are cut from a different cloth than other people and could push themselves harder and harder and harder and never hit the burnout point. Most people are not like them. Gable was like them, and they thrived under Gable's system.

Cael has turned the approach to leading a D1 program on its head compared to Gable and has put an emphasis on limited schedules, limited weight cuts, and other stuff that allows his guys to be at peak levels both physically and mentally for their entire college careers. Askren has bought into the same philosophy and you are seeing the results his kids are getting when they get to the NCAA. Sebolt is closer to the Brands philosophy (which again is really an extension of the Gable philosophy that dominated wrestling in a different era), and you had one of his top kids burn out and quit wrestling before he even got to college. I don't think Askren dislikes Iowa, I think he disagrees with the outdated way that the Brands run the program.

Obviously, I have no idea if Askren has any desire at all to coach at the D1 level (at Iowa or anywhere else), but if Iowa does replace the Brands, they should look to try to get one of the new school type guys like Askren or DT first to change the philosophy and direction of the program, not another Gable disciple.

 

[lookleft goright]

That is specifically why I qualified it with Iowa having the inside track to those recruits....

It might be a bit of a pipe dream that if Askren had a club in Iowa, he would change his attitude about sending kids to the Hawks. Maybe the kids would want to be Hawks when they entered, but I am thinking Askren would change their opinions before he was done with them. Club coaches have a lot of impact on the kids in their clubs.

 

[Lionfan44]

On the topic of Askrens, I think it would be a very wise decision to see if we could ever get Keegan O’ Toole to join the HWC once he’s done with college. with hopes of potentially joining the coaching staff when he’s done competing. Ben has routinely commented that Keegan is one of, if not the most intelligent kid he’s ever coached, and his wrestling IQ is second to none. Keegan seems like a very well spoken, well respected kid as well. Just my .02

Serious question— while I agree that he would be a tremendous asset to any program, why would he go to the HWC? Who there is going to help prepare him for the international stage? I will admit that I am not totally aware of everyone who is currently with the HWC, but I am not aware of anyone around his weight who could give him serious competition and help him develop.

 

[MSU158]

Serious question— while I agree that he would be a tremendous asset to any program, why would he go to the HWC? Who there is going to help prepare him for the international stage? I will admit that I am not totally aware of everyone who is currently with the HWC, but I am not aware of anyone around his weight who could give him serious competition and help him develop.

Marinelli has actually performed quite well in freestyle so far…

 

[OldestandGreatest]

Serious question— while I agree that he would be a tremendous asset to any program, why would he go to the HWC? Who there is going to help prepare him for the international stage? I will admit that I am not totally aware of everyone who is currently with the HWC, but I am not aware of anyone around his weight who could give him serious competition and help him develop.

More like serious troll. **** off to your own board now…

 

[Lionfan44]

More like serious troll. **** off to your own board now…

It was a serious question, and I appreciated the answer that I got to it. And I don’t take direction from you about what board I choose to visit.

 

[johnyt9]

It was a serious question, and I appreciated the answer that I got to it. And I don’t take direction from you about what board I choose to visit.

The original suggestion was also if Askren came on board. That would be the draw for Keegan to work with his old coach in regards to that preparation. He would have Marinelli and Caliendo as workout partners and anyone else Askren would draw in

Edit: not to mention, Kennedy, Brands, Arnold

 

[DeangeloVickers]

No, it's a failure to develop, too. Look at Iowa's top recruits recently:

Spencer: 1-1-1-6
Young 5-7-R12
Marinelli 6-7-R12-5
Kemmerer 3-4-2-4
Warner 7-4-2-5
Cass 3-7-4
PK R16-Lost starting spot

Not a single one of those guy improved their results over the years and only Spencer won a title, and he was a generational recruit who was/is a potential Olympic champ. Even he flamed out in his last year.

This is the key message here. When guys should be hitting their stride and peaking as veterans in their 3rd & 4th years, they are regressing because the Brands push their guys so hard that they are terrible at avoiding the physical and mental burnout part. This is the way the Brands approached wrestling themselves, and it worked for them because they are cut from a different cloth than other people and could push themselves harder and harder and harder and never hit the burnout point. Most people are not like them. Gable was like them, and they thrived under Gable's system.

Cael has turned the approach to leading a D1 program on its head compared to Gable and has put an emphasis on limited schedules, limited weight cuts, and other stuff that allows his guys to be at peak levels both physically and mentally for their entire college careers. Askren has bought into the same philosophy and you are seeing the results his kids are getting when they get to the NCAA. Sebolt is closer to the Brands philosophy (which again is really an extension of the Gable philosophy that dominated wrestling in a different era), and you had one of his top kids burn out and quit wrestling before he even got to college. I don't think Askren dislikes Iowa, I think he disagrees with the outdated way that the Brands run the program.

Obviously, I have no idea if Askren has any desire at all to coach at the D1 level (at Iowa or anywhere else), but if Iowa does replace the Brands, they should look to try to get one of the new school type guys like Askren or DT first to change the philosophy and direction of the program, not another Gable disciple.

Meh, this is mostly hate driven bullshit.
Kaleb Young was a mid tier recruit who maxed out his talent level.
The Bull got screwed by covid in what was his peak year, along with various injuries along the way. He's also is a guy who maxed out his athletic abilities.
Kemerer was an upper mid tier recruit who had fluke injuries, a bad luck finals match and covid year that cost him 2-3 titles. From what he was as a relatively weak 157 to what he became at Iowa is significant.
Warner maxed out his talent level and finishing 2nd was a testament to his development.
Cass maxed out his talent level, he was never going to beat Gable, Paris or a fully healthy and maxed out Kerk.
These weren't development failures whatsoever. They they were a combination of some bad luck, maxed out athletic potential, and a reflection of what typcally happens with mid and upper mid tier recruiting.

 

[jneffer]

Meh, this is mostly hate driven bullshit.
Kaleb Young was a mid tier recruit who maxed out his talent level.
The Bull got screwed by covid in what was his peak year, along with various injuries along the way. He's also is a guy who maxed out his athletic abilities.
Kemerer was an upper mid tier recruit who had fluke injuries, a bad luck finals match and covid year that cost him 2-3 titles. From what he was as a relatively weak 157 to what he became at Iowa is significant.
Warner maxed out his talent level and finishing 2nd was a testament to his development.
Cass maxed out his talent level, he was never going to beat Gable, Paris or a fully healthy and maxed out Kerk.
These weren't development failures whatsoever. They they were a combination of some bad luck, maxed out athletic potential, and a reflection of what typcally happens with mid and upper mid tier recruiting.

were those guys mid or upper mid recruits?

spencer (obviously), bull, kem, warner were blue chip top 10 pfp guys, weren't they?

 

[Random4598375]

were those guys mid or upper mid recruits?

spencer (obviously), bull, kem, warner were blue chip top 10 pfp guys, weren't they?

Yeah, to imply Marinelli "maxed out his talent level" relative to where he was as a recruit while never finishing higher than 5th is a cope-driven joke. It also doesn't explain why none of those guys were better in their later years than they were in their earlier years, but hey, if guys are happy with those results relative to PSU, then so be it.

 

[MSU158]

Yeah, to imply Marinelli "maxed out his talent level" relative to where he was as a recruit while never finishing higher than 5th is a cope-driven joke. It also doesn't explain why none of those guys were better in their later years than they were in their earlier years, but hey, if guys are happy with those results relative to PSU, then so be it.

Dude, stop with your last part. Marinelli placed his best his senior year. Warner and Kemerer both made the Finals their junior years. Cass would finish his best this year, but gambling got him.

Sadly, significant injuries got to all of those guys but Cass. Still, your narrative sucks because none of them were ever the clear #1s coming into the weight, but they all stayed in contention.

Marinelli-had Imar right off the bat with Joseph and Marstellar being truly elite recruits as well. Hell, let’s not act like 165 hasn’t consistently been the toughest weight of all by far for quite a few years now.

Kemerer had Nolf, Hall and Starocci to contend with. If not for injuries, I don’t think he would have had a loss to anyone but them in his entire career, except for maybe Palacio his freshman year.

Young wasn’t even an elite recruit and he has to emaciate himself to make 157 and still AA’d multiple times.

Warner was a fricking 4x AA and a Finalist. Those don’t grow on trees. Anyone acting like that is some type of coaching failure is a complete moron. Mind you he did it with top notch guys like Nickal, Ferrari, Amine and Dean above him.

I get that everyone wants to knock Iowa for not having enough individual champs. This is more true now than ever because PSU seems to be churning them out. However, using one end of the year tournament result as a first or bust measurement is so short sighted.

Does Iowa need more individual champs? Absolutely, but the examples used to bash them is a weak, narrative driven argument. …

 

[WWDMHawkeye]

Dude, stop with your last part. Marinelli placed his best his senior year. Warner and Kemerer both made the Finals their junior years. Cass would finish his best this year, but gambling got him.

Sadly, significant injuries got to all of those guys but Cass. Still, your narrative sucks because none of them were ever the clear #1s coming into the weight, but they all stayed in contention.

Marinelli-had Imar right off the bat with Joseph and Marstellar being truly elite recruits as well. Hell, let’s not act like 165 hasn’t consistently been the toughest weight of all by far for quite a few years now.

Kemerer had Nolf, Hall and Starocci to contend with. If not for injuries, I don’t think he would have had a loss to anyone but them in his entire career, except for maybe Palacio his freshman year.

Young wasn’t even an elite recruit and he has to emaciate himself to make 157 and still AA’d multiple times.

Warner was a fricking 4x AA and a Finalist. Those don’t grow on trees. Anyone acting like that is some type of coaching failure is a complete moron. Mind you he did it with top notch guys like Nickal, Ferrari, Amine and Dean above him.

I get that everyone wants to knock Iowa for not having enough individual champs. This is more true now than ever because PSU seems to be churning them out. However, using one end of the year tournament result as a first or bust measurement is so short sighted.

Does Iowa need more individual champs? Absolutely, but the examples used to bash them is a weak, narrative driven argument. …

Your well-reasoned and fact-based approach is ruining a perfectly good whiny bitch session.

 

[hawk224]

This argument has been such a consistent misnomer. Since Kemerer, Brands has recruited better than ever. It’s just so many of you are seeing PSU recruiting at an unprecedented level and are acting like that is a realistic comparison.

The gambling thing kicked Iowa square in the privates. On top of that, Brands took risks to shake things up. No matter what your feelings are about the Ferraris, I give him credit for trying whatever he could think of to try to put high end talent on his team. Hopefully Angelo stays no matter what and Anthony continues to improve in the room. It looks like AJ may still have a slight chance, but he most likely would have to do so many things the exact right way now, that I think even the most ardent haters wouldn’t have much to complain about if he does in fact ever end up donning a black and gold singlet.

Make no mistake, Brands is doing about as much as you can realistically expect from anyone trying to compete with PSU right now. You may not like the results, but he has been as far from complacent as anyone can be. Replacing him with unproven names, just because they are great wrestlers is so much more of a pipe dream than you guys realize…

That’s exactly my point though. I’m not saying his recruiting is bad. It’s not, it’s just that PSU’s is on another level. People are expecting Iowa to pump out champs like PSU is. Until and unless we can recruit like that, it’s not going to happen. I fully believe TnT are doing everything they can to close the gap

 

[masterhawk74]

It was a serious question, and I appreciated the answer that I got to it. And I don’t take direction from you about what board I choose to visit.

Serious question, why do you choose to visit here?

 

[redghost1974]

No, it's a failure to develop, too. Look at Iowa's top recruits recently:

Spencer: 1-1-1-6
Young 5-7-R12
Marinelli 6-7-R12-5
Kemmerer 3-4-2-4
Warner 7-4-2-5
Cass 3-7-4
PK R16-Lost starting spot

Not a single one of those guy improved their results over the years and only Spencer won a title, and he was a generational recruit who was/is a potential Olympic champ. Even he flamed out in his last year.

This is the key message here. When guys should be hitting their stride and peaking as veterans in their 3rd & 4th years, they are regressing because the Brands push their guys so hard that they are terrible at avoiding the physical and mental burnout part. This is the way the Brands approached wrestling themselves, and it worked for them because they are cut from a different cloth than other people and could push themselves harder and harder and harder and never hit the burnout point. Most people are not like them. Gable was like them, and they thrived under Gable's system.

Cael has turned the approach to leading a D1 program on its head compared to Gable and has put an emphasis on limited schedules, limited weight cuts, and other stuff that allows his guys to be at peak levels both physically and mentally for their entire college careers. Askren has bought into the same philosophy and you are seeing the results his kids are getting when they get to the NCAA. Sebolt is closer to the Brands philosophy (which again is really an extension of the Gable philosophy that dominated wrestling in a different era), and you had one of his top kids burn out and quit wrestling before he even got to college. I don't think Askren dislikes Iowa, I think he disagrees with the outdated way that the Brands run the program.

Obviously, I have no idea if Askren has any desire at all to coach at the D1 level (at Iowa or anywhere else), but if Iowa does replace the Brands, they should look to try to get one of the new school type guys like Askren or DT first to change the philosophy and direction of the program, not another Gable disciple.

I want to tell your to go f*ck off, but you ain't wrong. Brands teams historically have limped accross the finish line to the NCAAs. To many guys not healthy at the end of the season to improve their placements.

 

[wrestlecrazy]

This has to be one of the biggest troll threads of all time IMO!

 

[lookleft goright]

Meh, this is mostly hate driven bullshit.
Kaleb Young was a mid tier recruit who maxed out his talent level.
The Bull got screwed by covid in what was his peak year, along with various injuries along the way. He's also is a guy who maxed out his athletic abilities.
Kemerer was an upper mid tier recruit who had fluke injuries, a bad luck finals match and covid year that cost him 2-3 titles. From what he was as a relatively weak 157 to what he became at Iowa is significant.
Warner maxed out his talent level and finishing 2nd was a testament to his development.
Cass maxed out his talent level, he was never going to beat Gable, Paris or a fully healthy and maxed out Kerk.
These weren't development failures whatsoever. They they were a combination of some bad luck, maxed out athletic potential, and a reflection of what typcally happens with mid and upper mid tier recruiting.

I have to agree. People who say "oh the guy only placed 4 times but never won it, so he was not developed" have no idea how tough D1 wrestling really is and how small the margins of error are.

 

[DeangeloVickers]

were those guys mid or upper mid recruits?

spencer (obviously), bull, kem, warner were blue chip top 10 pfp guys, weren't they?

Bull yes, Warner was close, don't believe kem was top 10 pfp.
Regardless as we've seen, not all top 10 pfp are created equal either. Some are holy shit can't miss gonna compete for titles immediately and every year talented, some are really really good but are going to need to develop to compete for titles. Outside of Lee, we haven't had one of the immediate legit contender types since Metcalf and even that came with some hurdles. PSU lands a couple of those guys every year.

 

[DeangeloVickers]

Yeah, to imply Marinelli "maxed out his talent level" relative to where he was as a recruit while never finishing higher than 5th is a cope-driven joke. It also doesn't explain why none of those guys were better in their later years than they were in their earlier years, but hey, if guys are happy with those results relative to PSU, then so be it.

It's not coping, it's reality. He wasn't a high level uber athletic type like many top guys and had to battle to the extreme ends of his ability... and he was able to do so at an incredibly high level. 4 time big 10 champ is nothing to sneeze at. The problem was that style of wrestling didn't lend itself to great national tournament performances bc it was so taxing on him.
But to say he didn't develop is ridiculous.
Hell look at him and Joseph and the battles they had. Joseph won titles but head to head in their careers Alex had the edge.

 

[Grip220]

stop entertaining these idiots!

 

[el dub]

stop entertaining these idiots!

 

[Grip220]

that's a tuna!

 

[pablow]

No, it's a failure to develop, too. Look at Iowa's top recruits recently:

Spencer: 1-1-1-6
Young 5-7-R12
Marinelli 6-7-R12-5
Kemmerer 3-4-2-4
Warner 7-4-2-5
Cass 3-7-4
PK R16-Lost starting spot

Not a single one of those guy improved their results over the years and only Spencer won a title, and he was a generational recruit who was/is a potential Olympic champ. Even he flamed out in his last year.

Yeah, to imply Marinelli "maxed out his talent level" relative to where he was as a recruit while never finishing higher than 5th is a cope-driven joke. It also doesn't explain why none of those guys were better in their later years than they were in their earlier years, but hey, if guys are happy with those results relative to PSU, then so be it.

How about these Brands coached wrestlers that did improve - Dennis, Borshel, Marion, Perry, Clark, DeSanto, St. John, Ramos. Of those you cited, I'd say only Warner is a legit example.

 

[el dub]

that's a tuna!

Looks like he hooked a big one, eh?

 

[johnyt9]

How about these Brands coached wrestlers that did improve - Dennis, Borshel, Marion, Perry, Clark, DeSanto, St. John, Ramos. Of those you cited, I'd say only Warner is a legit example.

How about siebrect, Nelson Brands, Murin, Glazier - all have improved during their hawkeye tenures

 

[Lionfan44]

Serious question, why do you choose to visit here?

I’ve wrestled since 1957 including college, and I’ve coached. I have the utmost respect for the sport and the athletes who participate in it. I love going to nationals and talking about wrestling with fans from all over the country. I have visited every wrestling forum in the Big Ten. I just enjoy learning about the different teams and the athletes who wrestle on them. I find the Iowa board to be one of the most interesting ones and enjoy the occasional opportunity to have conversations with your board members.
What I don’t enjoy is having someone who knows nothing about me or my background assuming that I’m some kind of idiot or troll just because I root for PSU.
I have been around this board for years, but post very seldom. But if you check my posts, I would challenge you to find any that are disrespectful to wrestling or to Iowa.

 

[blubberhawk]

Moran

I see that word misspelled more than any other on this board. (moron)

 

[lookleft goright]

I see that word misspelled more than any other on this board. (moron)

I hate it when people come on this board and try to be the spell police. This guy must be a rookey!!

 

[grapplefann]

I see that word misspelled more than any other on this board. (moron)

Hey pal, your only 83% right on this. Even Carl knows that. Get with the program!

 

[T8KUDWN]

It was a serious question, and I appreciated the answer that I got to it. And I don’t take direction from you about what board I choose to visit.

Good for you tough guy

 

[OldestandGreatest]

I’ve wrestled since 1957 including college, and I’ve coached. I have the utmost respect for the sport and the athletes who participate in it. I love going to nationals and talking about wrestling with fans from all over the country. I have visited every wrestling forum in the Big Ten. I just enjoy learning about the different teams and the athletes who wrestle on them. I find the Iowa board to be one of the most interesting ones and enjoy the occasional opportunity to have conversations with your board members.
What I don’t enjoy is having someone who knows nothing about me or my background assuming that I’m some kind of idiot or troll just because I root for PSU.
I have been around this board for years, but post very seldom. But if you check my posts, I would challenge you to find any that are disrespectful to wrestling or to Iowa.

Oh please. You knew exactly what you were insinuating when you made your original post. The posts you react to around here show your colors. PSU posters have earned their troll moniker based on their behavior around here.

 

[Random4598375]

It's not coping, it's reality. He wasn't a high level uber athletic type like many top guys and had to battle to the extreme ends of his ability... and he was able to do so at an incredibly high level. 4 time big 10 champ is nothing to sneeze at. The problem was that style of wrestling didn't lend itself to great national tournament performances bc it was so taxing on him.
But to say he didn't develop is ridiculous.
Hell look at him and Joseph and the battles they had. Joseph won titles but head to head in their careers Alex had the edge.

He was the #3 overall pfp recruit in his class by both Flo and InterMat. The two guys ahead of him were Mark Hall and Suriano, who both won at least one title. You're saying someone that high on the big board was never expected to win a title? It's not like I'm saying he was terrible. He wasn't at all. 4 B1G titles and 3-time AA is quite a career, and he gathered a good number of high level scalps along the way as well. But coming in as the #3 overall recruit then not winning any titles or even any finish higher than 5th overall is underachieving compared to his recruiting profile. He is exactly the type of elite recruit who wins titles at Penn State.

 

[12tdsaw]

sure glad we have these kitties to tell us what's what, but i do wonder who is keeping carls nuts warm while they are here.

 

[4net3sandbagger]

This argument has been such a consistent misnomer. Since Kemerer, Brands has recruited better than ever. It’s just so many of you are seeing PSU recruiting at an unprecedented level and are acting like that is a realistic comparison.

The gambling thing kicked Iowa square in the privates. On top of that, Brands took risks to shake things up. No matter what your feelings are about the Ferraris, I give him credit for trying whatever he could think of to try to put high end talent on his team. Hopefully Angelo stays no matter what and Anthony continues to improve in the room. It looks like AJ may still have a slight chance, but he most likely would have to do so many things the exact right way now, that I think even the most ardent haters wouldn’t have much to complain about if he does in fact ever end up donning a black and gold singlet.

Make no mistake, Brands is doing about as much as you can realistically expect from anyone trying to compete with PSU right now. You may not like the results, but he has been as far from complacent as anyone can be. Replacing him with unproven names, just because they are great wrestlers is so much more of a pipe dream than you guys realize…

I don't think Brands is a bad coach, but I think it's kinda crazy to say he has recruited well. On the flip side, I don't think Cael is a super recruiter either. Brands had a pipeline from young guns that gave him a leg up for sure. Cael has that same pipeline from former wrestlers who run clinics and clubs now.

So many former wrestlers still heap praise on the PSU program after they are gone. I know a lot of people on here think that Penn State fans think wrestling was invented 10 or so years ago. Clearly not true, but some of these elite kids have parents who know nothing more than that.

Ten years ago, I would sit at young guns practices and most parents were still talking about Iowa and how they wanted their kids there. You very rarely hear that at clubs now. I personally want Iowa at the top again. I would love to see some of these local kids shining in Carver. I think it would only take the addition of one or two of the right assistants to tap into that.

 

[grapplefann]

I don't think Brands is a bad coach, but I think it's kinda crazy to say he has recruited well. On the flip side, I don't think Cael is a super recruiter either. Brands had a pipeline from young guns that gave him a leg up for sure. Cael has that same pipeline from former wrestlers who run clinics and clubs now.

So many former wrestlers still heap praise on the PSU program after they are gone. I know a lot of people on here think that Penn State fans think wrestling was invented 10 or so years ago. Clearly not true, but some of these elite kids have parents who know nothing more than that.

Ten years ago, I would sit at young guns practices and most parents were still talking about Iowa and how they wanted their kids there. You very rarely hear that at clubs now. I personally want Iowa at the top again. I would love to see some of these local kids shining in Carver. I think it would only take the addition of one or two of the right assistants to tap into that.

I wish that I could disagree. Sigh.

 

[ao_coachphil]

😯

Here's an idea: save all the money for recruits and throw it at the Askrens who will develop the young men.

Somebody back up the truck and bring the Prodigal Son home.

I remember another guy from Iowa who didn't wrestle in the black and gold but came to coach here and it turned out allllllll right.

Ben (AT IOWA) vs Cael is the best way to restore competitive balance to the sport!

The greatest brand in wrestling (dear PSU...Carver blast doubles your middle shool arena and always will) should be in better hands.

And it's not that Hawk fans are entitled or arrogant it's that a standard was set a long time ago and when you stop fighting to maintain that you lose your damn manhood.

HOOORA

😯

Here's an idea: save all the money for recruits and throw it at the Askrens who will develop the young men.

Somebody back up the truck and bring the Prodigal Son home.

I remember another guy from Iowa who didn't wrestle in the black and gold but came to coach here and it turned out allllllll right.

Ben (AT IOWA) vs Cael is the best way to restore competitive balance to the sport!

The greatest brand in wrestling (dear PSU...Carver blast doubles your middle shool arena and always will) should be in better hands.

And it's not that Hawk fans are entitled or arrogant it's that a standard was set a long time ago and when you stop fighting to maintain that you lose your damn manhood.

HOOORAH.

This is funny...... Why do ass-clowns like this even come around posting this crap? And the worst part? There are three pages of discussion around it. I'm going back to my toilet. I've printed the three pages from this thread for use to wipe with. . . . That is all. GO HAWKS. . . .