Well, the time for this thread is AFTER Nationals, don't you think? It makes me queasy calling for heads to roll after ONE dual loss. AZ is right though. We're gonna talk about this sooner or later. I have a several thoughts:
This isn't about Carl Sanderfield. He will do what he does with the studs he gets. More power to him. Suggesting to offer him big $ to come coach is total lunacy AND poor judgement. He wouldn't come, and I wouldn't want him. He was getting owned by TB when he was at ISU, and he hasn't changed much since then, but the talent he gets has.
We've all seen some promising wrestlers become more timid and less offensive as the season and the years go by. They're supposed to get better every match, but they peak in the middle of the season. They're supposed to get better every year, but they peak after two. I don't think that injuries explain this. We've seen a couple of recruiting classes produce under-performing wrestlers. I can't believe that it's just bad luck. However, I love the new class that's coming in next year. It is a quality class, and could produce two or three finalists. Maybe some years the recruiting wasn't so hot, but not this year. So recruiting is good right now. We will need them to wrestle up to the level of their talent.
The issue is not so much our losing, but how we wrestle. I don't mind the losing as much as the poor wrestling: no takedowns, no early offense, no back points, few bonus points, no third-period extra motor. Talented guys who consistently wrestle really well always end up winning sooner or later. Also note that our guys often beat the lesser opponents handily, but lose to top talent. With some exceptions (Gilman), they also coast on leads.
This isn't about poor coaching. TnT are as good as they get. Also, make no mistake: nothing removes the personal responsibility of each wrestler to do his best. This isn't about that. This is about sports psychology.
My best guess is that the culture (fans, tradition, etc.) and maybe the coaches have created a pressurized environment that wears down the guys, and I think it's getting worse. Personally, I think some of these guys are afraid to lose. I think they're so afraid of losing, both in practice and in matches, that they don't practice and perform the things that could help them win. I hear TB saying the right things in the interviews. My guess is that he's doing the right things, too, but the guys just can't hear it. Also, although they are both awesome coaches, I agree with another poster that having both TnT may not be the ideal coaching mix. However, these are smart guys and they'll figure it out.
As fans, we have a part in this. First, we need to applaud real effort as much as victory. It's about direction, not perfection. We need to recognize and celebrate
major improvements in our guys, especially third-period effort.
Second, let's keep Hawkeye Carver a welcoming place for all visiting fans. (Okay, maybe not the Clones
) People travel to Iowa City for the Iowa Wrestling Experience, so let's make it a good one, so they come back and we can beat them again.
Third, let's try to push for a better dual schedule with fewer weak opponents early in the season. We don't learn as much or as fast when we wrestle DIII schools or JCs. If you want to be the best, then you have to wrestle the best. Shouldn't UNI be on the schedule EVERY year? Also, schools like Edinboro, Missouri, and VTech should be on there often too. I'd rather lose early to the best guys from these schools that at Nationals. We take on all comers.
Fourth, let's help Iowa High School wrestling get even better. This is our own talent pool, and we really need all the talent we can get.
