The recruiting problem is not a recruiting problem, but a style problem. that the Brands have not evolved the Iowa style. They recruit high achieving HS wrestlers that wrestle and fit the Iowa style. Total dedication, great fundamentally, straight ahead in your face, love to grind it out and impose their will on you. That’s who Arnold is that’s who Marinelli was etc. The problem is is that style does not work anymore at the highest (championship) level. The highest level guys are not that guy. They are the funky, creative, long, quick, offensive, guys that seem to continue to get better year after year. As opposed to those who simply hit their level and don’t rise any higher. The creative guys figure those guys out and move past them.how many times have we all cheered and pushed for some of these ELITE RECRUITS to come to IC and then wait and wonder for a couple seasons whatever happened to these wonderkids?? Some seem to melt into the " room guys crowd" and some just never find their niche on the team . I mean we read on here every year about this 3 time state champion or this 4 time finalist and how much they have done in high school ....only to never see that talent or success materialize on the college mats? We do love our guys but i totally understand them leaving to find a better situation .... even if it is at a lower competition level. I wish them the best and I hope they find the best situation for themselves.
The biggest problem is that the brands believe seem to believe that the way you work through any of these problems is to continue to grind through it and work through it and everything will be OK. They are the embodiment of the Iowa style and to endorse any other style would take a fundamental change in their brain that they’re just not capable of Making. If I believe that style is what made me successful and what made my organization successful how am I enlightened enough to give all of that up and go some other direction?