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Casey Cunningham ever going to lead a program?

Mattski

Mattski

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Jan 21, 2007
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Carl is the CEO/face but Casey is the architect imo. I also think he's the bigger reason for the success at the upper weights and if you pay attention he's the one doing most of the coaching during matches.
I'm sure he's extremely well compensated at psu like EVERYONE else, but wonder if he has the desire to ever run his own program? I think he'd do extremely well. And I think psu would feel the effects if he left.
 
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Don’t know the answer to your question, but Casey is certainly a very important cog in the PSU wheel. He’s not the architect but he is the lead coach for 165 - heavy and it shows. I believe it would be a tremendous loss if he went elsewhere. Maybe he’s waiting for the kids to reach a certain age or something but if does leave, some school is getting a damn fine coach. Hopefully the slush fund can continue to make him happy.
 
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Mattski said:
Carl is the CEO/face but Casey is the architect imo. I also think he's the bigger reason for the success at the upper weights and if you pay attention he's the one doing most of the coaching during matches.
I'm sure he's extremely well compensated at psu like EVERYONE else, but wonder if he has the desire to ever run his own program? I think he'd do extremely well. And I think psu would feel the effects if he left.
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If I were a top five program looking for a coach, he'd be the 1st person I'd contact. Double win IMO - disrupt the PSU momentum & likely get a good coach. His experience, insight & contacts for assistants would be of great value to any program.
 
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Pennstate1985 said:
Don’t know the answer to your question, but Casey is certainly a very important cog in the PSU wheel. He’s not the architect but he is the lead coach for 165 - heavy and it shows. I believe it would be a tremendous loss if he went elsewhere. Maybe he’s waiting for the kids to reach a certain age or something but if does leave, some school is getting a damn fine coach. Hopefully the slush fund can continue to make him happy.
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i hear cael and casey are going to bring their sons back to rejuvenate iowa state wrestling
 
Pennstate1985 said:
Don’t know the answer to your question, but Casey is certainly a very important cog in the PSU wheel. He’s not the architect but he is the lead coach for 165 - heavy and it shows. I believe it would be a tremendous loss if he went elsewhere. Maybe he’s waiting for the kids to reach a certain age or something but if does leave, some school is getting a damn fine coach. Hopefully the slush fund can continue to make him happy.
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Well if he waits for his kids to graduate high school it will be a while. Here at least one of them is a damn good wrestler
 
District four said:
Well if he waits for his kids to graduate high school it will be a while. Here at least one of them is a damn good wrestler
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2 of his boys placed in their respective age group JH and youth state championships this month. The oldest losing in the JH finals in a tight match.
 
I've also heard from someone whom used to be close with Casey that he isn't necessarily looking to be a head coach, but might consider it if he felt led to it. I mean, if you were him, would you really want to have all the headache of being "the man" when you already get paid well and all you need to do is teach wrestling?

As for his kids, I'd expect that they have the natural ability to be good athletes as dad is, well, you know, and mom is an Olympic Gold medalist in weight lifting.
 
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Why does this theory exist over here? I’m legitimately curious. Cael Sanderson spends as much, and probably more, time on the mat coaching and competing with his athletes than anyone in wrestling.

It’s literally why most of these kids pick PSU. David Taylor, Bo Nickal, Anthony Cassar, Mark Hall, etc etc all went to PSU to be coached by Cael. Mark Hall after the semi-finals, “If I can hold Sanderson down for 30 secs, I can hold anybody down.”

There is not even a debate about this. Everyone who pushes this theory is 100% wrong and always has been. In fact, Iowa (a team with 2 lightweight coaches and a middleweight coach) would actually have EVEN MORE sucess than they do now (which is a lot) if they studied the Penn State program, rather than bury their heads in the sand saying, “Cael can’t/doesn’t coach.”

Not discrediting Casey’s contributions AT ALL, but real life does not match your theory in any way.

Edit: I agree Casey is more vocal in matches of course, but that doesn’t even mean anything. Cael always says he trusts his/their preparation, so jumping around the mat and screaming is not going to help anything if they haven’t already put in the right work beforehand.
 
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Beezy14 said:
Why does this theory exist over here? I’m legitimately curious. Cael Sanderson spends as much, and probably more, time on the mat coaching and competing with his athletes than anyone in wrestling.

It’s literally why most of these kids pick PSU. David Taylor, Bo Nickal, Anthony Cassar, Mark Hall, etc etc all went to PSU to be coached by Cael. Mark Hall after the semi-finals, “If I can hold Sanderson down for 30 secs, I can hold anybody down.”

There is not even a debate about this. Everyone who pushes this theory is 100% wrong and always has been. In fact, Iowa (a team with 2 lightweight coaches and a middleweight coach) would actually have EVEN MORE sucess than they do now (which is a lot) if they studied the Penn State program, rather than bury their heads in the sand saying, “Cael can’t/doesn’t coach.”

Not discrediting Casey’s contributions AT ALL, but real life does not match your theory in any way.

Edit: I agree Casey is more vocal in matches of course, but that doesn’t even mean anything. Cael always says he trusts his/their preparation, so jumping around the mat and screaming is not going to help anything if they haven’t already put in the right work beforehand.
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Funny, I didn't see beezy listed as one of the coaches or wrestler’s names on penn state’s roster...and last I checked PSU had closed practices to the public? Correct me if I’m wrong, coach. I’ll tell you this, I’ve never been to an Iowa practice but I’ve seen plenty of video and plenty of times witnessed the brands not only rolling with guys and teaching technique but also drenched in sweat (especially terry). And that wasn’t from just “jumping around and screaming” like your little shot at them coaching referred to either. See, I’m finally no longer hungover from NCAA’s and have to read this junk about Carl wrestling more than any other coach. I don’t doubt that he does wrestle his guys but if it was about the coaches wrestling that draws recruits in, the brands bros would literally get every top notch recruit out there. They get down and dirty to this day. So I’m not buying that. It’s rich and definitely a new take to me “come to penn state where you get to wrestle Carl.” Joke. What happened to the constant rant that penn state allows their wrestlers to develop their own style and blah blah blah. No need to wrestle Carl if that’s the case. Penn state has a good thing going. Their recruiting is insane and nobody denies the coaching staff gets the job done like clockwork . It’s the aura they’ve built up there, it’s carl and his magical 159-0(1), the facilities and also the big time money which goes hand in hand with the facilities that gets the top guys there. And once you get one crop of great guys in a program, it’s contagious, because they win. And everyone wants to win. Ohio st did well by getting nato, Snyder, and the 500 jordans there, look at them. Maybe Iowa with kem, Lee, bull and Warner are enough of a spark. Time will tell. But don’t come here with the wrestling Carl crap. And Cunningham just looks like a crooked accountant. If there was something funky going on in HV, he’d be the mastermind for sure haha. I’m not one who necessarily believes that but I’m just saying he looks guilty of taking some old ladies bingo money.
 
Beezy14 said:
In fact, Iowa (a team with 2 lightweight coaches and a middleweight coach) would actually have EVEN MORE sucess than they do now (which is a lot) if they studied the Penn State program, rather than bury their heads in the sand saying, “Cael can’t/doesn’t coach.”
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This is a silly post. Not disputing that karl can coach, but suggesting that he is doing something, from a mat coaching perspective, that is head and shoulders above what other active coaches do, is silly and proven incorrect when you look at his results at ISU.

Where karl excels is at recruiting and and finding a way to manage scholarships to maximize his recruiting talents. He made some smart moves when he got to PA and it put him many steps ahead. I am sure he is a great mat coach, just like many others.He is an excellent recruiter, which is also a big part of his coaching duties, which makes him a very good coach.
 
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Every coach on every level teaches 99% of the same techniques. PSU May have a tendency to use that 1% on an ankle pic series. Iowa on a bar arm series. NC state on leg rides, etc.

Cael isn’t better at teaching wrestling. At this level, it’s about connecting with your guys to get the most out of them.

I would imagine if you blindly guaged the mat teaching of all coaches at this level, it’d be hard to separate Cael from Eggum.
 
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Neo_Hawk said:
This is a silly post. Not disputing that karl can coach, but suggesting that he is doing something, from a mat coaching perspective, that is head and shoulders above what other active coaches do, is silly and proven incorrect when you look at his results at ISU.

Where karl excels is at recruiting and and finding a way to manage scholarships to maximize his recruiting talents. He made some smart moves when he got to PA and it put him many steps ahead. I am sure he is a great mat coach, just like many others.He is an excellent recruiter, which is also a big part of his coaching duties, which makes him a very good coach.
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How many NC's do Iowa's Top 10 P4P recruits have?
 
Nobody ever said Tom and Terry aren’t wrestling with their team. They are and do an amazing job with the lightweights.

Nobody ever said Cael teaches wrestling differently than other coaches, but he is a BETTER WRESTLER than all of the other ones, for middle and upper weights. Coaching in wrestling is unique in that because it is so hands on, the best wrestlers are the best coaches. So therefore the the best kids go where the best coaches are, it is not that hard people.

For lightweights, that answer is clearly Tom and Terry. For middle and upper weights, Casey and Cael are the best. There is an alarming number of people on this site that seem to have a hard time understanding how an undefeated 4x NCAA champion and Olympic gold medalist can be a good coach.
 
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Beezy14 said:
Why does this theory exist over here? I’m legitimately curious. Cael Sanderson spends as much, and probably more, time on the mat coaching and competing with his athletes than anyone in wrestling.

It’s literally why most of these kids pick PSU. David Taylor, Bo Nickal, Anthony Cassar, Mark Hall, etc etc all went to PSU to be coached by Cael. Mark Hall after the semi-finals, “If I can hold Sanderson down for 30 secs, I can hold anybody down.”

There is not even a debate about this. Everyone who pushes this theory is 100% wrong and always has been. In fact, Iowa (a team with 2 lightweight coaches and a middleweight coach) would actually have EVEN MORE sucess than they do now (which is a lot) if they studied the Penn State program, rather than bury their heads in the sand saying, “Cael can’t/doesn’t coach.”

Not discrediting Casey’s contributions AT ALL, but real life does not match your theory in any way.

Edit: I agree Casey is more vocal in matches of course, but that doesn’t even mean anything. Cael always says he trusts his/their preparation, so jumping around the mat and screaming is not going to help anything if they haven’t already put in the right work beforehand.
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“Why does this theory exist over here? I’m legitimately curious. Cael Sanderson spends as much, and probably more, time on the mat coaching and competing with his athletes than anyone in wrestling.”........

I unfortunately rarely have the opportunity to go to an Iowa practice and of course have never been to a PSU practice.

What I find interesting is that the premise of your post is that no one on here should claim that Cael or Casey do more of the technique and mat coaching, yet you then make the claim that Cael spends more time on the mat than anyone in the sport. You are critical of someone that makes a claim that may or may not be true about the PSU practice room and then you turn around and speak in absolutes about what Cael is doing and how it’s more than ANYONE out there. Which you or no one else knows for sure.

Im not the original poster but this appears to be a discussion about Casey, his skills and abilities as a coach and then subsequent desire to be a head coach at some point in his career. Not yet “another opportunity” for us Iowa fans to be critical of Cael and his coaching.
 
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Pennstate1985 said:
Don’t know the answer to your question, but Casey is certainly a very important cog in the PSU wheel. He’s not the architect but he is the lead coach for 165 - heavy and it shows. I believe it would be a tremendous loss if he went elsewhere. Maybe he’s waiting for the kids to reach a certain age or something but if does leave, some school is getting a damn fine coach. Hopefully the slush fund can continue to make him happy.
Click to expand...
I agree that losing him would be a big loss. Hopefully he leaves you folks like a bad dream and moves on. ;)
 
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Beezy14 said:
Why does this theory exist over here? I’m legitimately curious. Cael Sanderson spends as much, and probably more, time on the mat coaching and competing with his athletes than anyone in wrestling.

It’s literally why most of these kids pick PSU. David Taylor, Bo Nickal, Anthony Cassar, Mark Hall, etc etc all went to PSU to be coached by Cael. Mark Hall after the semi-finals, “If I can hold Sanderson down for 30 secs, I can hold anybody down.”

There is not even a debate about this. Everyone who pushes this theory is 100% wrong and always has been. In fact, Iowa (a team with 2 lightweight coaches and a middleweight coach) would actually have EVEN MORE sucess than they do now (which is a lot) if they studied the Penn State program, rather than bury their heads in the sand saying, “Cael can’t/doesn’t coach.”

Not discrediting Casey’s contributions AT ALL, but real life does not match your theory in any way.

Edit: I agree Casey is more vocal in matches of course, but that doesn’t even mean anything. Cael always says he trusts his/their preparation, so jumping around the mat and screaming is not going to help anything if they haven’t already put in the right work beforehand.
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This. How are people concluding Cunningham is the upper weight genius? That makes very little sense.

PSU is who they are because of Cael Sanderson. No one else. Do Cunningham and Cody contribute? I'm sure they do. But Cael makes PSU.
 
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Is_there_vodka_in_heaven said:
This. How are people concluding Cunningham is the upper weight genius? That makes very little sense.

PSU is who they are because of Cael Sanderson. No one else. Do Cunningham and Cody contribute? I'm sure they do. But Cael makes PSU.
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Because he is an upper weight genius. Not that Carl isn’t as well but his influence is huge on their wrestling. He does a lot of their individual workouts and also is a main partner for them.

Now does Carl make PSU with his name, his psychology, and his creation of the culture? Absolutely. But Casey is a huge part of their success
 
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HawkTalk84 said:
Because he is an upper weight genius. Not that Carl isn’t as well but his influence is huge on their wrestling. He does a lot of their individual workouts and also is a main partner for them.

Now does Carl make PSU with his name, his psychology, and his creation of the culture? Absolutely. But Casey is a huge part of their success
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How do you know how their workouts are run? Not doubting you. Just curious because I know they don't allow the public to spectate.
 
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Is_there_vodka_in_heaven said:
How do you know how their workouts are run? Not doubting you. Just curious because I know they don't allow the public to spectate.
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The early Flo videos. I did a deep dive and found some videos with Carl and crew back when they weren’t Ft Knox. Also, the Flo guys have a pretty good idea from more recent conversations and would verify what I’m saying.
 
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Is_there_vodka_in_heaven said:
This. How are people concluding Cunningham is the upper weight genius? That makes very little sense.

PSU is who they are because of Cael Sanderson. No one else. Do Cunningham and Cody contribute? I'm sure they do. But Cael makes PSU.
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Ah Vodka, let's take away the cards one by one, and see how long the house can stand. Let's take them away and test your hypothesis. ;)
 
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Everyone said tOSU would suffer when Lou left and they seem to be doing just fine. I’m pretty sure the same would happen with PSU. Remember it’s pretty easy to have a good team when MOST NOT ALL of them are top 10 P4P.
 
NYWRESTLER94 said:
Only way Cunningham leaves PSU is if one of the D1 programs in Michigan has an opening for the head job. To this day I believe the UM job is the only one he’s thrown his name in the hat for.
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This. Tom Borrelli has got to be close to his mid-60s now, so I wonder if he’s thinking of hanging it up soon. I can see Casey Cunningham as the guy CMU would like to take over, and I believe there would be at least some mutual interest.
 
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