AJ Ferrari gives the new facility two 'thumbs' up, so at least that is a move in a positive direction. ;-)
New Wrestling facility
- Thread starter Chips28
- Start date
I remember one of the original designs of it had large round windows on the ceiling where one could walk around them and there was grass up there.
I think Gable did pretty good coaching with having no windows in the practice room. I think they named a coaching trophy after him. I'm getting old, so I could be wrong.
I think Gable did pretty good coaching with having no windows in the practice room. I think they named a coaching trophy after him. I'm getting old, so I could be wrong.
It's hard to call something underwhelming just from a couple pictures when no one commenting has actually been in it. The trash compactor picture was a curious one to release publicly, though. It's not really flattering for something that you are trying to show off, but it's probably not a great representation of the facility, either. The CGI picks with the dancing white swans are meaningless until we get some actual pics of the completed facility. I just make fun of it right now because it's funny (both the pics they released and the reaction of the fans).
I don't think a lack of windows is a drawback (I don't remember ever having a wrestling room with outside windows), and I'm sure the facility is/will be world class. As for how much of a recruiting tool it will be, it certainly can't hurt, but given the success that Penn State has had at every level recently, they could train on an ice covered open field and kids would still want to go there. That's a bigger gap that needs to be closed.
Personally, as a wrestling coach, I would not want windows in my wrestling room.
Just good quality lighting.
Yes there’s windows in the building. No there’s no windows in the wrestling area unless you count coaches office windows.
"Underwhelmed" from 2 pictures of one area of a partially finished facility? That's mouth breathing moron level logic. I know it's hard, but be better.
Pretty sure you were a big "facilities don't matter" guy so I guess this is just par for the course. Thinking Iowa should be able to compete while falling behind on facilities is an awful take.
I also said final judgment should be reserved for a more extensive tour. But I think keeping track of public perception of the facility is useful considering that's the whole point of the damn thing according to many on here. So far the main response I've seen from fans online is "why did Iowa build a $30 million basement?" Hopefully, that doesn't end up being the case when we see the final product!
Nobody is saying they don't need good facilities. Whether they did a good job of building one remains to be seen. They botched the Carver reno by their own admission (though I think that was largely out of Tom's hands).
I'm excited to see the final product. Hopefully, the amenities are awesome even if the room itself isn't flooded with natural light.
C’mon now…you are just looking for reasons to complain. You could be dying of thirst in the desert and Tom could air drop you a pallet full of water bottles; you’d bitch because it wasnt Gatorade.
I really wouldn't. Let's say Tom actually starts recruiting well (not looking good for 2024 and 2025) and actually addressed scrambling?
i'd be all for it. and would be in Tom's corner.
But. My aunt don't have a digk... And I'm not the only person who feels this way. Outside of the true Tom-lovers? most everyone, Hawk fans and not, think it's a bad look to not have windows that allow natural lighting into the wrestling room. I just happen to be the first person to say it on this board.
Do they have to put in radon mitigation in that basement?
Also, no interior windows makes for its excellent secondary campus purpose as tornado shelter.
You sound like a realtor who plays soccer mom on the weekends. Talk about priorities. “Well Tom, we were really leaning Iowa but while the facility has a huge weight room, room for six mats, hot/cold pool and all the amenities one could think of, the natural lighting in here just doesn’t cut it for us. Little Billy needs his Vit D.”
And this is actually my point. The people who want the new facility to be the recruiting fix are delusional. It's nothing compared to the development environment. The facility won't move the needle either direction imo.
Nice to not have pillars in the middle of the room for sure, but I think that money would be much better spent on paying elite senior level athletes to build out the HWC. Or NIL. But I also realize donors might not have coughed up money for those things either.
Who are these people? No need to answer that because there aren't any. Total straw man. It's a nice bullet in the holster but doesn't take the place of things like relationships or NIL.
Take a look at the Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling facility set to break ground in 2022
Renderings show an early look at the future practice facility for the Iowa Hawkeyes men's and women's wrestling teams.
www.hawkcentral.com
The people who bitched and nitpicked about the new wrestling building are going to look pretty stupid, when it is finished.If the facility comes out looking like the renderings it is nothing short of amazing.Take a look at the Iowa Hawkeyes wrestling facility set to break ground in 2022
Renderings show an early look at the future practice facility for the Iowa Hawkeyes men's and women's wrestling teams.www.hawkcentral.com
Tom said: "This facility is going to fix our recruiting problems?" Have a link to this?
I guess Iowa just shouldn't bother recruiting any strict adherents to Feng Shui.
We lost Dake before we could get him.
I helped build Coe’s new wrestling room a few years back; it includes a bigger weight room than what Iowa will have, enough mats for the whole team to comfortably practice on, hot/cold pool, sauna, and all the amenities they want/need and that’s a D3 school. I’m not saying Iowas new building isn’t impressive cause it is; just not something that’s going to light the world on fire and stick out because a lot of these colleges now days can offer all this stuff.
but does it have windows with natural lighting?
What do you find impressive with Iowa's facility since you say Coe's DIII facility already has that stuff?
Tom spent 30 mil?
There's lots of things to criticize Brands about- a lack of windows in the wrestling room seems way down the list.
For one it’s a stand alone facility where Coes is attached to the gym. I like how they designed the coaches offices over looking the mats as well. I mean the size of it alone for just a wrestling facility is pretty impressive. But as far as amenities and stuff like that which should really make it stand out to a recruit it’s about the same as what a lot of other places can offer.
Are you against the tunnel that runs from the new wrestling facility to Carver?
It makes total sense to me to have the 2 connect but wasn't sure what you are thinking.
Is there anything more you think they should have included? If you were given the opportunity to do this at Iowa after Coe, what would you have changed / included? You have a unique perspective for this board, having done this.
But even as Iowa added banners to Carver-Hawkeye Arena, it became increasingly clear to Brands that his program was losing in one crucial area: the facilities race.
While decades of legendary Hawkeyes have shed blood, sweat, and pounds in the Dan Gable Wrestling Complex, Carver’s hallowed wrestling room was showing its age. The subterranean training facility—considered the nation’s best when Carver opened 40 years ago this winter—was becoming more crowded and dated by the year. That facilities gap only grew in recent seasons as rival programs like Ohio State, Minnesota, and Penn State opened gleaming new wrestling centers or renovated existing facilities.
“We were getting the pants beat off of us,” says Brands of Iowa’s facilities. “We had to do something.”
Brands said the facility will be designed mainly with practicality in mind, set up to facilitate the development and growth of the wrestlers who train there.
He also hopes to create an environment that will appeal to today's generation of competitors and believes the facility can become a recruiting tool for a program which finished the 2019-20 season ranked first in the nation.
and i'll have to listen to some of the audio interviews when i get a chance.
This is actually from 2 different articles. The bold is the first.
Not sure why you pegged me, of all people? I haven't really been all that vocal about the wrestling room, either way. All I ever really said was if it was truly that "state of the art", it could be a solid recruiting tool. So, do I think it could help? Sure. How much? I am really not sure. I would actually have to go walk through it all like a recruit would and actually see it all in person and get a "feel" for it... some recruits, depending on how and where they have trained, may find it outstanding. Others may be indifferent and the rest could flat out not like it. That is the American way. Find me a group that absolutely loves something and I am pretty sure you could find a group that absolutely hates it.
Basing judgement, EITHER WAY, based on tweeted photos is laughable at best and most that have been pretty negative are the ones that are ALREADY negative about Iowa wrestling as a whole, right now. Once you are that set in 1 direction, I am not sure what you would see that would make you think it was great...
Oh, and facilities absolutely make a big difference when comparing to 70 or so other programs with considerably less to downright inferior facilities. I still don't understand how ANY coach can recruit top recruits to MSU if they take all their recruiting visits and walk through at top programs. Talk about lack of "natural light" lmfao....
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seriously anyone complaining about the new facility needs a lobotomy.
No, no, it's obviously a good idea.
That was just sarcasm (in reply to another sarcastic post) that Coe would build a tunnel from Coe College to Carver for a certain Coe College administrator.
No where in these quotes does Brands claim this will fix recruiting. He literally references it as a tool.
I hate you for putting me in position to defend Tom Brands on recruiting, FWIW.
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