Issues to address

[TarpHawk]

Here are the issues the coaching staff needs to address. Spoiler alert: There is no Tom bashing in this post. This is all meant to be constructive, not griping or sniping.

1. Injuries. Why so many this year? Is it just bad luck or something more?

2. Individual improvement. We didn't see much if any year-over-year improvement by individuals this year. One could say Tony's new physique, but that didn't help him. One could say Warner's run to the finals, but that was more coin-flip than improvement. No one looked like they'd made a decision in the offseason to become an NCAA champ. Overall it was a look of stagnation up and down the lineup and throughout the season.

3. Philosophy & Style. What style does Iowa Wrestling embody? Constant attacking? Better conditioning? Better technique? Fans are not seeing the secret sauce. Too many 2-1 chess matches. Too little urgency. Too many OT losses.

4. Recruiting & Development of Champs & Multi-time Champs. NCAA titles favor champs/finalists/multi-time champs. Spencer Lee turned the tide for Iowa. But other than Lee, we have a problem recruiting and/or developing champs. Iowa hasn't had an individual champ other than Lee since 2017 (Clark). Iowa hasn't had a multi-time champ other than Lee since 2012 (McDonough). This is a serious problem that hasn't yet been solved beyond a single individual. We need a better plan going forward.

5. Transfers. A whole new full-time endeavor. We need an A+ strategy. (P.S. We loved ADS & Eierman.)

6. Broader Legacy. If things continue on this trajectory, Tom's legacy will be that he was the second best coach of the 2000s-2020s. That's better than Ryan, Smith, Koll, etc. But it's not what he wants (or we want). No one is expecting an Iowa title in 2023. But I guarantee most are hoping for 3+ more between now and 2029. How does Tom go out with a bang like Gable and secure his legacy?

7. Awareness of Fan Feedback. The Rivals board is indeed the cesspool. But don't discount what fans are saying. There's always a grain of truth in the most scathing comments. Iowa Wrestling is the product, and the comments you're seeing are the consumer product reviews. Fortunately, most of us will be Iowa fans no matter what.

 

[el dub]

Numbers 3 and 4 stand out to me.

Something needs to change as far as urgency goes. Too much hanging out and waiting. Someone brought up the experience of Jake Herbert training in Russia the other day. Apparently their live goes approximate match conditions. Extra long live goes in practice might not promote urgency.

And the recruiting aspect…. I get that we like our guys and feel loyalty to the starters, but we need to decide if we’re looking to win national championships in team loyalty or team points.

In today’s environment, a top thirty recruit is a project. Their contributions should be a pleasant surprise rather than crucial to success of team.

 

[Redm18]

Here are the issues the coaching staff needs to address. Spoiler alert: There is no Tom bashing in this post. This is all meant to be constructive, not griping or sniping.

1. Injuries. Why so many this year? Is it just bad luck or something more?

2. Individual improvement. We didn't see much if any year-over-year improvement by individuals this year. One could say Tony's new physique, but that didn't help him. One could say Warner's run to the finals, but that was more coin-flip than improvement. No one looked like they'd made a decision in the offseason to become an NCAA champ. Overall it was a look of stagnation up and down the lineup and throughout the season.

3. Philosophy & Style. What style does Iowa Wrestling embody? Constant attacking? Better conditioning? Better technique? Fans are not seeing the secret sauce. Too many 2-1 chess matches. Too little urgency. Too many OT losses.

4. Recruiting & Development of Champs & Multi-time Champs. NCAA titles favor champs/finalists/multi-time champs. Spencer Lee turned the tide for Iowa. But other than Lee, we have a problem recruiting and/or developing champs. Iowa hasn't had an individual champ other than Lee since 2017 (Clark). Iowa hasn't had a multi-time champ other than Lee since 2012 (McDonough). This is a serious problem that hasn't yet been solved beyond a single individual. We need a better plan going forward.

5. Transfers. A whole new full-time endeavor. We need an A+ strategy. (P.S. We loved ADS & Eierman.)

6. Broader Legacy. If things continue on this trajectory, Tom's legacy will be that he was the second best coach of the 2000s-2020s. That's better than Ryan, Smith, Koll, etc. But it's not what he wants (or we want). No one is expecting an Iowa title in 2023. But I guarantee most are hoping for 3+ more between now and 2029. How does Tom go out with a bang like Gable and secure his legacy?

7. Awareness of Fan Feedback. The Rivals board is indeed the cesspool. But don't discount what fans are saying. There's always a grain of truth in the most scathing comments. Iowa Wrestling is the product, and the comments you're seeing are the consumer product reviews. Fortunately, most of us will be Iowa fans no matter what.

8. Match planning and strategy. It seems like it's a lot more likely for an Iowa guy to wrestle and beat a guy then lose to him the next match or 5 next matches then for an Iowa guy to lose to a guy then win the next match. Why is this? It seems like our guys make stupid choices like taking down when we shouldn't. Penn State is the opposite. Are TnT having strategy sessions with wrestlers with film and game plans? Some times to me it seems like Cael is playing chess and TnT are playing rock em sock em robots.

 

[Redm18]

Numbers 3 and 4 stand out to me.

Something needs to change as far as urgency goes. Too much hanging out and waiting. Someone brought up the experience of Jake Herbert training in Russia the other day. Apparently their live goes approximate match conditions. Extra long live goes in practice might not promote urgency.

And the recruiting aspect…. I get that we like our guys and feel loyalty to the starters, but we need to decide if we’re looking to win national championships in team loyalty or team points.

In today’s environment, a top thirty recruit is a project. Their contributions should be a pleasant surprise rather than crucial to success of team.

Do our guys work on edge wrestling at all or in practice do they just wrestle straight goes where they might start at one end of the room and end up at the other?

 

[lookleft goright]

Not that my opinion matters, but I feel as a wrestling fan and not a fan of any particular team, Iowa needs to incorporate more circular motion and add some low level attacks (ankle picks, sweep singles, low singles or something).

Also, I know how tight nit the Hawks are, but they need some diversity on their staff - which will probably take care of my first suggestion. One of the reasons it is Iowa agains the world, is because they have segregated themselves from the world. Look at PSU's staff. Cael and Cody(ISU) Cunningham (CMU). Now he is mentioning Kennedy (Illinois). Michigan's staff - Bormet (Michigan) KJ (all over), Bolyard (Eastern Michigan) ASU's staff Zeke Jones (ASU) Molinaro (PSU) Pritts (Mizzou and NC state). Oregon state's staff Pendleton Okie State, Martinez (Illinois), Engle (Missouri Valley NAIA school) Cornell's staff Grey (Cornell) Russell (Mich), Vinson (NC state)

With all that being said, Iowa is still a formidable opponent and an incredible program, but to be the best and stay the best, it takes constant improvement. Tom was willing to fire Zadick while the Hawks were tearing it up and he hired Morningstar. I am not saying he has to get rid of Morningstar, but Tom has made some tough choices and he will have to make some more to get back on top.

 

[Chips28]

It’s been 16 years, this is just what it is. It’s not about which attacks they use. Zaddick was clearly a problem at more than just Iowa

 

[Chuck C]

8. Match planning and strategy. It seems like it's a lot more likely for an Iowa guy to wrestle and beat a guy then lose to him the next match or 5 next matches then for an Iowa guy to lose to a guy then win the next match. Why is this? It seems like our guys make stupid choices like taking down when we shouldn't. Penn State is the opposite. Are TnT having strategy sessions with wrestlers with film and game plans? Some times to me it seems like Cael is playing chess and TnT are playing rock em sock em robots.

I don’t know why more of our guys don’t start employing what Spencer started doing, inasfar as chasing people all over the mat. If our opponents are going to keep backing up and disengaging, quit chasing them. Plant your butt facing the center circle, and stand your ground.

Our guys seem to have it forced into their heads to keep moving forward and taking ground which causes us to constantly walk into the opponent’s shots or forces us to take a bad shot.

Opponents know this, but we keep bashing our heads against the wall trying the same thing.

 

[evashevsky58]

Agree with all the points but these arent issues that apply only to iowa. They apply to all teams not named Penn State. So.....we need to send in a spy and find out their secret formula! (Besides the recruiting advantage) Personally, like Tarp says i think its multifaceted.

 

[lookleft goright]

It’s been 16 years, this is just what it is. It’s not about which attacks they use. Zaddick was clearly a problem at more than just Iowa

I only brought up Zaddick to show that Tom is willing to make tough decisions. It is hard to fire replace a guy who has been a part of winning 3 straight titles is a tough decision.

 

[MSU158]

One thing I will say is most Iowa fans have NO IDEA how spoiled you are! I mean it respectfully, you are almost all diehards that bleed black and gold. But, your “problems” are things that 95% of the rest of DI would give their right arms to have and PSU is the ONLY team that compares and, admittedly, surpasses.

Simply put, you just won a team championship last year and were clearly the best team the Year before, being robbed by Covid. If not for a slew of injuries, you were probably in it to the very end with PSU last night.

Now, I do agree that, to be the best, you need to constantly identify weakness and look for ways to improve, But, you can’t lose sight of how good you actually have been simply because PSU is so good that you think you aren’t.

PSU is the UNICORN right now. They are the perfect storm of converging elements that Iowa is simply ill equipped to match. The resources, the coaching staff, the location, etc. make it an uphill battle of epic proportions.

I know the Iowa mantra has always been, if you are second you are last, but, under Brands, you have been clearly the 2nd best by a large margin behind a dynasty that is now challenging Gable as the best in modern wrestling.

Finally, I am just saying, don’t miss the forest looking through the trees. You are still right near the top, chasing only 1 team. Fix what you can in a smart and efficient manner, but wholesale changes to chase a dynasty you simply may not be able to catch, risks letting other teams catch up to you in the process.

 

[Chips28]

Keep recruiting better, schedule smarter, strategize throughout the year

 

[MitchLL]

Attack and have some offense.

Been stated a thousand times on this forum... outside of ADS and Murin, too many guys going without first period takedowns. That's disregarding the injuries, obviously.

 

[SPOONER]

Here are the issues the coaching staff needs to address. Spoiler alert: There is no Tom bashing in this post. This is all meant to be constructive, not griping or sniping.

1. Injuries. Why so many this year? Is it just bad luck or something more?

2. Individual improvement. We didn't see much if any year-over-year improvement by individuals this year. One could say Tony's new physique, but that didn't help him. One could say Warner's run to the finals, but that was more coin-flip than improvement. No one looked like they'd made a decision in the offseason to become an NCAA champ. Overall it was a look of stagnation up and down the lineup and throughout the season.

3. Philosophy & Style. What style does Iowa Wrestling embody? Constant attacking? Better conditioning? Better technique? Fans are not seeing the secret sauce. Too many 2-1 chess matches. Too little urgency. Too many OT losses.

4. Recruiting & Development of Champs & Multi-time Champs. NCAA titles favor champs/finalists/multi-time champs. Spencer Lee turned the tide for Iowa. But other than Lee, we have a problem recruiting and/or developing champs. Iowa hasn't had an individual champ other than Lee since 2017 (Clark). Iowa hasn't had a multi-time champ other than Lee since 2012 (McDonough). This is a serious problem that hasn't yet been solved beyond a single individual. We need a better plan going forward.

5. Transfers. A whole new full-time endeavor. We need an A+ strategy. (P.S. We loved ADS & Eierman.)

6. Broader Legacy. If things continue on this trajectory, Tom's legacy will be that he was the second best coach of the 2000s-2020s. That's better than Ryan, Smith, Koll, etc. But it's not what he wants (or we want). No one is expecting an Iowa title in 2023. But I guarantee most are hoping for 3+ more between now and 2029. How does Tom go out with a bang like Gable and secure his legacy?

7. Awareness of Fan Feedback. The Rivals board is indeed the cesspool. But don't discount what fans are saying. There's always a grain of truth in the most scathing comments. Iowa Wrestling is the product, and the comments you're seeing are the consumer product reviews. Fortunately, most of us will be Iowa fans no matter what.

Only disagree with #7. The moment any coach starts catering to fans it’s time for him to call it quits. There’s nothing being mentioned here that an advisor, expert, confidant, etc. wouldn’t also say, and probably communicate it even better.

 

[fearthefuture21]

Excuse my ignorance as I never wrestled when younger, just a fan. But my question is do wrestlers watch tape of their opponents similar to other major sports? I gotta believe every standard wrestler has a multiple attacks and then some that are of more difficult than others. Why not unleash those or attempt them when you've faced the same opponent a handful of times and always lost?

 

[78HKEYE]

Here are the issues the coaching staff needs to address. Spoiler alert: There is no Tom bashing in this post. This is all meant to be constructive, not griping or sniping.

1. Injuries. Why so many this year? Is it just bad luck or something more?

2. Individual improvement. We didn't see much if any year-over-year improvement by individuals this year. One could say Tony's new physique, but that didn't help him. One could say Warner's run to the finals, but that was more coin-flip than improvement. No one looked like they'd made a decision in the offseason to become an NCAA champ. Overall it was a look of stagnation up and down the lineup and throughout the season.

3. Philosophy & Style. What style does Iowa Wrestling embody? Constant attacking? Better conditioning? Better technique? Fans are not seeing the secret sauce. Too many 2-1 chess matches. Too little urgency. Too many OT losses.

4. Recruiting & Development of Champs & Multi-time Champs. NCAA titles favor champs/finalists/multi-time champs. Spencer Lee turned the tide for Iowa. But other than Lee, we have a problem recruiting and/or developing champs. Iowa hasn't had an individual champ other than Lee since 2017 (Clark). Iowa hasn't had a multi-time champ other than Lee since 2012 (McDonough). This is a serious problem that hasn't yet been solved beyond a single individual. We need a better plan going forward.

5. Transfers. A whole new full-time endeavor. We need an A+ strategy. (P.S. We loved ADS & Eierman.)

6. Broader Legacy. If things continue on this trajectory, Tom's legacy will be that he was the second best coach of the 2000s-2020s. That's better than Ryan, Smith, Koll, etc. But it's not what he wants (or we want). No one is expecting an Iowa title in 2023. But I guarantee most are hoping for 3+ more between now and 2029. How does Tom go out with a bang like Gable and secure his legacy?

7. Awareness of Fan Feedback. The Rivals board is indeed the cesspool. But don't discount what fans are saying. There's always a grain of truth in the most scathing comments. Iowa Wrestling is the product, and the comments you're seeing are the consumer product reviews. Fortunately, most of us will be Iowa fans no matter what.

When it comes to #4, what Jim is doing at the Citadel should help immensely.

 

[shobart]

Only disagree with #7. The moment any coach starts catering to fans it’s time for him to call it quits. There’s nothing being mentioned here that an advisor, expert, confidant, etc. wouldn’t also say, and probably communicate it even better.

Agree, but I think #7 is reasonable to a certain extent. No, it’s not as if Brands should be looking to a fanatic fan base for guidance, but I don’t think it’s necessarily detrimental for a coach to keep abreast/a pulse on what’s going on with the die hard fan crowd. Great coaches become great with a lot of assistance from those they surround themselves with. It’s a progressive mindset and sometimes the simplest/wisest advice can come from a place where one least expects it.

 

[Sidewinder00]

Here are the issues the coaching staff needs to address. Spoiler alert: There is no Tom bashing in this post. This is all meant to be constructive, not griping or sniping.

1. Injuries. Why so many this year? Is it just bad luck or something more?

2. Individual improvement. We didn't see much if any year-over-year improvement by individuals this year. One could say Tony's new physique, but that didn't help him. One could say Warner's run to the finals, but that was more coin-flip than improvement. No one looked like they'd made a decision in the offseason to become an NCAA champ. Overall it was a look of stagnation up and down the lineup and throughout the season.

3. Philosophy & Style. What style does Iowa Wrestling embody? Constant attacking? Better conditioning? Better technique? Fans are not seeing the secret sauce. Too many 2-1 chess matches. Too little urgency. Too many OT losses.

4. Recruiting & Development of Champs & Multi-time Champs. NCAA titles favor champs/finalists/multi-time champs. Spencer Lee turned the tide for Iowa. But other than Lee, we have a problem recruiting and/or developing champs. Iowa hasn't had an individual champ other than Lee since 2017 (Clark). Iowa hasn't had a multi-time champ other than Lee since 2012 (McDonough). This is a serious problem that hasn't yet been solved beyond a single individual. We need a better plan going forward.

5. Transfers. A whole new full-time endeavor. We need an A+ strategy. (P.S. We loved ADS & Eierman.)

6. Broader Legacy. If things continue on this trajectory, Tom's legacy will be that he was the second best coach of the 2000s-2020s. That's better than Ryan, Smith, Koll, etc. But it's not what he wants (or we want). No one is expecting an Iowa title in 2023. But I guarantee most are hoping for 3+ more between now and 2029. How does Tom go out with a bang like Gable and secure his legacy?

7. Awareness of Fan Feedback. The Rivals board is indeed the cesspool. But don't discount what fans are saying. There's always a grain of truth in the most scathing comments. Iowa Wrestling is the product, and the comments you're seeing are the consumer product reviews. Fortunately, most of us will be Iowa fans no matter what.

This is a great post, thank you. We are chasing a juggernaut with PSU. The last 2 years help us to feel better about where we are, but it doesn’t appear to be sustainable. There is no secret sauce to what is going on in Happy Valley. And my comments are coming from someone who lives in central PA and has to deal with all the crap from these asinine fans. There are no worse than these people, trust me.

They recruit better, their athletes develop in their program, and they seemingly love their coaches and the environment. How many of their champs talked about coming to PSU to be the best. We collectively eyeroll, but I think this resonates with a lot of kids. I don’t understand the injuries, is this year an anomaly?

Hope this staff can get things figured out.

 

[dtripp26]

Excuse my ignorance as I never wrestled when younger, just a fan. But my question is do wrestlers watch tape of their opponents similar to other major sports? I gotta believe every standard wrestler has a multiple attacks and then some that are of more difficult than others. Why not unleash those or attempt them when you've faced the same opponent a handful of times and always lost?

You'd have to think we do but Tom has said repeatedly (kinda paraphrasing) that we work on what our guys are doing.

I think that's a mistake and it's obvious our opponents, especially PSU, are studying film to scout us. Any time we've had a big win over them (ADS, Jaydin, Kem) they've come back and improved their tactics to tip the scales in their favor.

We need to do a better job of preparing for our opponents, especially come tourney time. Wrestling has advanced far beyond pummeling, pushing and hand fighting.

 

[BBptg5]

One thing I will say is most Iowa fans have NO IDEA how spoiled you are! I mean it respectfully, you are almost all diehards that bleed black and gold. But, your “problems” are things that 95% of the rest of DI would give their right arms to have and PSU is the ONLY team that compares and, admittedly, surpasses.

Simply put, you just won a team championship last and were clearly the best team the Year before being robbed by Covid. If not for a slew of injuries, you were probably in it the to very end with PSU last night.

Now, I do agree that, to be the best, you need to constantly identify weakness and look for ways to improve, But, you can’t lose sight of how good you actually have been simply because PSU is so good that you think you aren’t.

PSU is the UNICORN right now. They are the perfect storm of converging elements that Iowa is simply ill equipped to match. The resources, the coaching staff, the location, etc. make it an uphill battle of epic proportions.

I know the Iowa mantra has always been, if you are second you are last, but, under Brands, you have been clearly the 2nd best by a large margin behind a dynasty that is now challenging Gable as the best in modern wrestling.

Finally, I am just saying, don’t miss the forest looking through the trees. You are still right near the top, chasing only 1 team. Fix what you can in a smart and efficient manner, but wholesale changes to chase a dynasty you simply may not be able to catch, risks letting other teams catch up to you in the process.

right near the top but 60 points behind. 14 matches with NO takedowns. no strategy about what other wrestlers want to do. no adjustments on how to attack and score.

 

[dtripp26]

They recruit better, their athletes develop in their program, and they seemingly love their coaches and the environment. How many of their champs talked about coming to PSU to be the best. We collectively eyeroll, but I think this resonates with a lot of kids. I don’t understand the injuries, is this year an anomaly?

Hope this staff can get things figured out.

Yes, after this weekend (undeservedly due to our injuries) the old F** State vs robots is back.

We need to ratchet up our recruiting, it's good but needs to be better, and find out how to get that edge back that we had in 2020.

 

[Nashville_Hawkeye]

One thing I will say is most Iowa fans have NO IDEA how spoiled you are! I mean it respectfully, you are almost all diehards that bleed black and gold. But, your “problems” are things that 95% of the rest of DI would give their right arms to have and PSU is the ONLY team that compares and, admittedly, surpasses.

Simply put, you just won a team championship last and were clearly the best team the Year before being robbed by Covid. If not for a slew of injuries, you were probably in it the to very end with PSU last night.

Now, I do agree that, to be the best, you need to constantly identify weakness and look for ways to improve, But, you can’t lose sight of how good you actually have been simply because PSU is so good that you think you aren’t.

PSU is the UNICORN right now. They are the perfect storm of converging elements that Iowa is simply ill equipped to match. The resources, the coaching staff, the location, etc. make it an uphill battle of epic proportions.

I know the Iowa mantra has always been, if you are second you are last, but, under Brands, you have been clearly the 2nd best by a large margin behind a dynasty that is now challenging Gable as the best in modern wrestling.

Finally, I am just saying, don’t miss the forest looking through the trees. You are still right near the top, chasing only 1 team. Fix what you can in a smart and efficient manner, but wholesale changes to chase a dynasty you simply may not be able to catch, risks letting other teams catch up to you in the process.

Looking at the results over the past 12 years, including this one, we have consistently been a top 3-5 place team, winning it all once and placing 2nd once, so I’m not seeing the 2nd best by a large margin comment. And I’m not as intelligent in the wrestling world as 99% of the guys on here but I have said before and will continue to say that we have to make changes to our staff. We need to bring in some new pieces, guys who have Spencer Lee mentalities, guys that will push our fellas to go out and destroy those who can be destroyed and wrestle more smarter, tactical matches against their toughest opponents. I’m always baffled as to why our top tier wrestlers can’t/don’t bonus significantly weaker opponents. Too many of them (those not named Lee, ADS, Kem and and before this year Cass) have no sense of urgency to destroy, and in the end their inability to bonus guys is killing us come tourney time. This is a team sport and as a member of the team each person should give their best. And nobody can convince me that a top 10-15 guy can’t bonus most guys outside the top 50. Yet most of our guys don’t even try to rack up the TDs…and the. Come tourney time they can’t get a TD. Perhaps if their TD rates were 5-8 per match, instead of 1-2 they’d be better equipped to score when needed. Most of our guys are boring as hell to watch even if they’re wrestling weaker opponents because they’re not trying to score. I’d rather see Drake lose 11-10 against McKee than watch Alex and Kaleb win 3-2 against guys they should destroy. We need to fix our f’ing mindset and press offense cause guys like Alex have proven that defense doesn’t win NCAA championships, not if you can’t generate offense when it’s needed.

 

[Hicksy87]

Here are the issues the coaching staff needs to address. Spoiler alert: There is no Tom bashing in this post. This is all meant to be constructive, not griping or sniping.

1. Injuries. Why so many this year? Is it just bad luck or something more?

2. Individual improvement. We didn't see much if any year-over-year improvement by individuals this year. One could say Tony's new physique, but that didn't help him. One could say Warner's run to the finals, but that was more coin-flip than improvement. No one looked like they'd made a decision in the offseason to become an NCAA champ. Overall it was a look of stagnation up and down the lineup and throughout the season.

3. Philosophy & Style. What style does Iowa Wrestling embody? Constant attacking? Better conditioning? Better technique? Fans are not seeing the secret sauce. Too many 2-1 chess matches. Too little urgency. Too many OT losses.

4. Recruiting & Development of Champs & Multi-time Champs. NCAA titles favor champs/finalists/multi-time champs. Spencer Lee turned the tide for Iowa. But other than Lee, we have a problem recruiting and/or developing champs. Iowa hasn't had an individual champ other than Lee since 2017 (Clark). Iowa hasn't had a multi-time champ other than Lee since 2012 (McDonough). This is a serious problem that hasn't yet been solved beyond a single individual. We need a better plan going forward.

5. Transfers. A whole new full-time endeavor. We need an A+ strategy. (P.S. We loved ADS & Eierman.)

6. Broader Legacy. If things continue on this trajectory, Tom's legacy will be that he was the second best coach of the 2000s-2020s. That's better than Ryan, Smith, Koll, etc. But it's not what he wants (or we want). No one is expecting an Iowa title in 2023. But I guarantee most are hoping for 3+ more between now and 2029. How does Tom go out with a bang like Gable and secure his legacy?

7. Awareness of Fan Feedback. The Rivals board is indeed the cesspool. But don't discount what fans are saying. There's always a grain of truth in the most scathing comments. Iowa Wrestling is the product, and the comments you're seeing are the consumer product reviews. Fortunately, most of us will be Iowa fans no matter what.

I believe a little of everything Tarp. Regarding #1, injuries happen, however. A couple injuries is one thing being a walking mash unit is another. I would question the S&C program as it more than addressing getting stronger.

The Brands are great coaches, but you more than anyone in this forum know and know the psychological approaches that Gable took to motivate each individual. I have believed for a long time that the Brands (as are most coaches period) are not as good in the psychological game.

Tom and gang will figure things out and tweak their system appropriately.

 

[Hawk170]

Numbers 3 and 4 stand out to me.

Something needs to change as far as urgency goes. Too much hanging out and waiting. Someone brought up the experience of Jake Herbert training in Russia the other day. Apparently their live goes approximate match conditions. Extra long live goes in practice might not promote urgency.

And the recruiting aspect…. I get that we like our guys and feel loyalty to the starters, but we need to decide if we’re looking to win national championships in team loyalty or team points.

In today’s environment, a top thirty recruit is a project. Their contributions should be a pleasant surprise rather than crucial to success

I don’t know why more of our guys don’t start employing what Spencer started doing, inasfar as chasing people all over the mat. If our opponents are going to keep backing up and disengaging, quit chasing them. Plant your butt facing the center circle, and stand your ground.

Our guys seem to have it forced into their heads to keep moving forward and taking ground which causes us to constantly walk into the opponent’s shots or forces us to take a bad shot.

Opponents know this, but we keep bashing our heads against the wall trying the same thing.

Our "style" without stalling calls doesn't work!

 

[Kwoodhawk]

In regards to transfers, it seems it is going to be a much bigger thing than in the past.

You forgot to show Lugo some Love............

I was thinking he was our first transfer recently.

 

[summithawk]

Here are the issues the coaching staff needs to address. Spoiler alert: There is no Tom bashing in this post. This is all meant to be constructive, not griping or sniping.

1. Injuries. Why so many this year? Is it just bad luck or something more?

2. Individual improvement. We didn't see much if any year-over-year improvement by individuals this year. One could say Tony's new physique, but that didn't help him. One could say Warner's run to the finals, but that was more coin-flip than improvement. No one looked like they'd made a decision in the offseason to become an NCAA champ. Overall it was a look of stagnation up and down the lineup and throughout the season.

3. Philosophy & Style. What style does Iowa Wrestling embody? Constant attacking? Better conditioning? Better technique? Fans are not seeing the secret sauce. Too many 2-1 chess matches. Too little urgency. Too many OT losses.

4. Recruiting & Development of Champs & Multi-time Champs. NCAA titles favor champs/finalists/multi-time champs. Spencer Lee turned the tide for Iowa. But other than Lee, we have a problem recruiting and/or developing champs. Iowa hasn't had an individual champ other than Lee since 2017 (Clark). Iowa hasn't had a multi-time champ other than Lee since 2012 (McDonough). This is a serious problem that hasn't yet been solved beyond a single individual. We need a better plan going forward.

5. Transfers. A whole new full-time endeavor. We need an A+ strategy. (P.S. We loved ADS & Eierman.)

6. Broader Legacy. If things continue on this trajectory, Tom's legacy will be that he was the second best coach of the 2000s-2020s. That's better than Ryan, Smith, Koll, etc. But it's not what he wants (or we want). No one is expecting an Iowa title in 2023. But I guarantee most are hoping for 3+ more between now and 2029. How does Tom go out with a bang like Gable and secure his legacy?

7. Awareness of Fan Feedback. The Rivals board is indeed the cesspool. But don't discount what fans are saying. There's always a grain of truth in the most scathing comments. Iowa Wrestling is the product, and the comments you're seeing are the consumer product reviews. Fortunately, most of us will be Iowa fans no matter what.

I think your point number 4 affects all the others. While top wrestlers want to win team titles, they want to win individual ones too. PSU can sell them that…the number of individual champs they’ve had is insane. And they always seem ready for the finals even if they are ranked lower (see Lee and Starrocci last year). People can debate their wrestling style all they want…but it works. And they continue to get better.
And frankly the Iowa style of relentless wrestling we saw in the past is not our trademark anymore….aside from Lee and Desanto.
This is not a rip on our coaches. Not everyone can be a Gable. And as much as I hate to say it (/Since I now work for Penn state health)….not everyone can be Cael. We will just have to be content with an excellent program that has good people, excellent athletes….just not being able to get over the hump consistently…and no shame in being the second best program overall for the past ten years or so.

 

[MSU158]

Looking at the results over the past 12 years, including this one, we have consistently been a top 3-5 place team, winning it all once and placing 2nd once, so I’m not seeing the 2nd best by a large margin comment. And I’m not as intelligent in the wrestling world as 99% of the guys on here but I have said before and will continue to say that we have to make changes to our staff. We need to bring in some new pieces, guys who have Spencer Lee mentalities, guys that will push our fellas to go out and destroy those who can be destroyed and wrestle more smarter, tactical matches against their toughest opponents. I’m always baffled as to why our top tier wrestlers can’t/don’t bonus significantly weaker opponents. Too many of them (those not named Lee, ADS, Kem and and before this year Cass) have no sense of urgency to destroy, and in the end their inability to bonus guys is killing us come tourney time. This is a team sport and as a member of the team each person should give their best. And nobody can convince me that a top 10-15 guy can’t bonus most guys outside the top 50. Yet most of our guys don’t even try to rack up the TDs…and the. Come tourney time they can’t get a TD. Perhaps if their TD rates were 5-8 per match, instead of 1-2 they’d be better equipped to score when needed. Most of our guys are boring as hell to watch even if they’re wrestling weaker opponents because they’re not trying to score. I’d rather see Drake lose 11-10 against McKee than watch Alex and Kaleb win 3-2 against guys they should destroy. We need to fix our f’ing mindset and press offense cause guys like Alex have proven that defense doesn’t win NCAA championships, not if you can’t generate offense when it’s needed.

Average out those placements against EVERY other team. You will find that NO OTHER team is even close other than PSU. Literally not even close…

 

[blcoach80]

Average out those placements against EVERY other team. You will find that NO OTHER team is even close other than PSU. Literally not even close…

I agree, the Hawks are consistently really good. PSU has consistently been the best most years lately. Brands needs to get us from really good to the best most years to keep the fanbase happy imo. It is all about expectations.

 

[TarpHawk]

One thing I will say is most Iowa fans have NO IDEA how spoiled you are! I mean it respectfully, you are almost all diehards that bleed black and gold. But, your “problems” are things that 95% of the rest of DI would give their right arms to have and PSU is the ONLY team that compares and, admittedly, surpasses.

Simply put, you just won a team championship last and were clearly the best team the Year before being robbed by Covid. If not for a slew of injuries, you were probably in it the to very end with PSU last night.

Now, I do agree that, to be the best, you need to constantly identify weakness and look for ways to improve, But, you can’t lose sight of how good you actually have been simply because PSU is so good that you think you aren’t.

PSU is the UNICORN right now. They are the perfect storm of converging elements that Iowa is simply ill equipped to match. The resources, the coaching staff, the location, etc. make it an uphill battle of epic proportions.

I know the Iowa mantra has always been, if you are second you are last, but, under Brands, you have been clearly the 2nd best by a large margin behind a dynasty that is now challenging Gable as the best in modern wrestling.

Finally, I am just saying, don’t miss the forest looking through the trees. You are still right near the top, chasing only 1 team. Fix what you can in a smart and efficient manner, but wholesale changes to chase a dynasty you simply may not be able to catch, risks letting other teams catch up to you in the process.

Excellent point.

 

[PSU Mike]

Probably unwelcome and certainly oversimplified, but Hawks need some outside influence because picking a small core of (offensive) competencies (which do vary from wrestler to wrestler and your staff already embraces that) and just trying to do them better for 5 years doesn’t beat the top competition often enough. Also may need to redefine winning. The disappointment this time of year may be related to trying to win every single match other times of the year. It’s clear what the team I follow calls winning and how best to achieve it, and it’s narrow: get better by risking something along the way so you’re best prepared for a single weekend. E.g., it’s okay to go under a tough rider when tied in a dual - now you have some reference point for what you need to solve. Running from that challenge and hoping it solves itself isn’t a strategy.

 

[MVPFAN]

Looking at the results over the past 12 years, including this one, we have consistently been a top 3-5 place team, winning it all once and placing 2nd once, so I’m not seeing the 2nd best by a large margin comment. And I’m not as intelligent in the wrestling world as 99% of the guys on here but I have said before and will continue to say that we have to make changes to our staff. We need to bring in some new pieces, guys who have Spencer Lee mentalities, guys that will push our fellas to go out and destroy those who can be destroyed and wrestle more smarter, tactical matches against their toughest opponents. I’m always baffled as to why our top tier wrestlers can’t/don’t bonus significantly weaker opponents. Too many of them (those not named Lee, ADS, Kem and and before this year Cass) have no sense of urgency to destroy, and in the end their inability to bonus guys is killing us come tourney time. This is a team sport and as a member of the team each person should give their best. And nobody can convince me that a top 10-15 guy can’t bonus most guys outside the top 50. Yet most of our guys don’t even try to rack up the TDs…and the. Come tourney time they can’t get a TD. Perhaps if their TD rates were 5-8 per match, instead of 1-2 they’d be better equipped to score when needed. Most of our guys are boring as hell to watch even if they’re wrestling weaker opponents because they’re not trying to score. I’d rather see Drake lose 11-10 against McKee than watch Alex and Kaleb win 3-2 against guys they should destroy. We need to fix our f’ing mindset and press offense cause guys like Alex have proven that defense doesn’t win NCAA championships, not if you can’t generate offense when it’s needed.

You named Spencer, ADS, Kem and Cass as 4 guys who do a good job of getting bonus. It's not a coincidence that they are the 4 most athletic (Cass is athletic for 285) and talented guys we have had recently along with a healthy Eierman. PSU wins titles with athletic and talented recruits not grinders. We are not going to win national titles grinding out matches with hand fighting and head pulls. We need guys that have the athletic ability to hit explosive shots and scramble if they need to.

 

[aije]

Only disagree with #7. The moment any coach starts catering to fans it’s time for him to call it quits. There’s nothing being mentioned here that an advisor, expert, confidant, etc. wouldn’t also say, and probably communicate it even better.

"If a coach starts listening to the fans, he's going to wind up sitting next to them."- Marv Levy

 

[grapplefann]

Only disagree with #7. The moment any coach starts catering to fans it’s time for him to call it quits. There’s nothing being mentioned here that an advisor, expert, confidant, etc. wouldn’t also say, and probably communicate it even better.

I think that Tarp means to consider fan feedback, and be prepared to have answers. We're not talking about letting fans steer the ship, or choose direction. We're talking about managing social media well. Those messages matter particularly for recruiting. And yes, hiring an advisor to initially help set up this effort would not be a poor move.

 

[blcoach80]

You named Spencer, ADS, Kem and Cass as 4 guys who do a good job of getting bonus. It's not a coincidence that they are the 4 most athletic (Cass is athletic for 285) and talented guys we have had recently along with a healthy Eierman. PSU wins titles with athletic and talented recruits not grinders. We are not going to win national titles grinding out matches with hand fighting and head pulls. We need guys that have the athletic ability to hit explosive shots and scramble if they need to.

This. Look at the Champs this year. RBY, Lee (Spencer if he wrestled), Yani, O'Toole, CStar, Brooks, etc. They are all athletic scramblers. That is the what the future of wrestling is. We need to recruit accordingly. Awful hard to gameplan for scramblers.

 

[MilleGinja]

Average out those placements against EVERY other team. You will find that NO OTHER team is even close other than PSU. Literally not even close…

Fair point. Just look at where the OSUs finished this year.

 

[MVPFAN]

This. Look at the Champs this year. RBY, Lee (Spencer if he wrestled), Yani, O'Toole, CStar, Brooks, etc. They are all athletic scramblers. That is the what the future of wrestling is. We need to recruit accordingly. Awful hard to gameplan for scramblers.

I'd say Dean was probably the least athletic guy and he had tight matches since the second round minus vs #21 Hoffman. Stevenson is next level. Deakin an absolute hulk for the weight.

 

[CAhawki]

Its all about a winning culture… aside from TnT, who has won anything? Serious question… what hardware can the assistants flash in front of recruits? I hate to play the M* card, but him and Telford cant compete with what some of the other top programs can flaunt. Cant really point to too many current olympic results as Gilman is in the Blue and white… So aside from Carver and some banners… what can Iowa do to separate themselves from the others… because the other have caught Iowa.

 

[Iron Doc]

Hope we can stay well next year.
Guess it's Hellerball time now.

 

[grapplefann]

Here are the issues the coaching staff needs to address. Spoiler alert: There is no Tom bashing in this post. This is all meant to be constructive, not griping or sniping.

1. Injuries. Why so many this year? Is it just bad luck or something more?

2. Individual improvement. We didn't see much if any year-over-year improvement by individuals this year. One could say Tony's new physique, but that didn't help him. One could say Warner's run to the finals, but that was more coin-flip than improvement. No one looked like they'd made a decision in the offseason to become an NCAA champ. Overall it was a look of stagnation up and down the lineup and throughout the season.

3. Philosophy & Style. What style does Iowa Wrestling embody? Constant attacking? Better conditioning? Better technique? Fans are not seeing the secret sauce. Too many 2-1 chess matches. Too little urgency. Too many OT losses.

4. Recruiting & Development of Champs & Multi-time Champs. NCAA titles favor champs/finalists/multi-time champs. Spencer Lee turned the tide for Iowa. But other than Lee, we have a problem recruiting and/or developing champs. Iowa hasn't had an individual champ other than Lee since 2017 (Clark). Iowa hasn't had a multi-time champ other than Lee since 2012 (McDonough). This is a serious problem that hasn't yet been solved beyond a single individual. We need a better plan going forward.

5. Transfers. A whole new full-time endeavor. We need an A+ strategy. (P.S. We loved ADS & Eierman.)

6. Broader Legacy. If things continue on this trajectory, Tom's legacy will be that he was the second best coach of the 2000s-2020s. That's better than Ryan, Smith, Koll, etc. But it's not what he wants (or we want). No one is expecting an Iowa title in 2023. But I guarantee most are hoping for 3+ more between now and 2029. How does Tom go out with a bang like Gable and secure his legacy?

7. Awareness of Fan Feedback. The Rivals board is indeed the cesspool. But don't discount what fans are saying. There's always a grain of truth in the most scathing comments. Iowa Wrestling is the product, and the comments you're seeing are the consumer product reviews. Fortunately, most of us will be Iowa fans no matter what.

Good criticism Tarp, and obviously from the hands of a Hawk fan and not a Hawk hater.
Unfortunately, you've brought up some of these issues for years now, and here we are still talking about them.

Takedowns: why can't we do this in every match? Takedowns are hard to do, and that's why we have to do them, because weaker wrestlers won't and stronger ones will. Let's do them first always.

Recruiting: Always be recruiting. Every meet is a recruiting effort. Every tweet or post is a recruiting effort. Pull out the stops for top 5 guys. There is simply no choice in this sport these days.

The rarest thing is for a coach to take good wrestlers and make them great ones. Not many programs can do that, and we aren't doing that consistently. You either have to recruit talent or create it. Juniors and seniors have had enough time to "get religion" and we expect them to gut out last-minute deficits and overtime matches. Too often, we seeing people lose matches in the last few minutes. No one should coast on leads, or fail to make a last-minute take-down attempt. Win or lose, there is no excuse for insufficient effort.

However, lets face it: our best wrestlers had injuries that prevent sufficient effort. Spencer may say that "Excuses are for wusses" but that doesn't jive with the reality of a serious injury. Nationals and the Big Tens are serious, long, grueling contests. Can anyone gut out 6 or 7 matches in row with a serious knee, back, or shoulder injury?

Lastly, I've got to ask: Does Tom have the right coaching crew right now? I'm not sure that staying within the program makes as much sense now as it did a few years ago. As Lookleft suggested, some new blood that matches the type of old Iowa-Style blood might help. This isn't to trash anyone, but Ito open up our thinking about growth and development.

 

[paednoch23]

Also, I know how tight nit the Hawks are, but they need some diversity on their staff -

Jordan Burroughs would be a good start. Gadsen.

 

[burmafrd1943]

One thing I will say is most Iowa fans have NO IDEA how spoiled you are! I mean it respectfully, you are almost all diehards that bleed black and gold. But, your “problems” are things that 95% of the rest of DI would give their right arms to have and PSU is the ONLY team that compares and, admittedly, surpasses.

Simply put, you just won a team championship last year and were clearly the best team the Year before, being robbed by Covid. If not for a slew of injuries, you were probably in it to the very end with PSU last night.

Now, I do agree that, to be the best, you need to constantly identify weakness and look for ways to improve, But, you can’t lose sight of how good you actually have been simply because PSU is so good that you think you aren’t.

PSU is the UNICORN right now. They are the perfect storm of converging elements that Iowa is simply ill equipped to match. The resources, the coaching staff, the location, etc. make it an uphill battle of epic proportions.

I know the Iowa mantra has always been, if you are second you are last, but, under Brands, you have been clearly the 2nd best by a large margin behind a dynasty that is now challenging Gable as the best in modern wrestling.

Finally, I am just saying, don’t miss the forest looking through the trees. You are still right near the top, chasing only 1 team. Fix what you can in a smart and efficient manner, but wholesale changes to chase a dynasty you simply may not be able to catch, risks letting other teams catch up to you in the process.

PSu is indeed the gold standard right now but you are full of it to say they are close to Gable.

Take a good look at his record which CLEARLY you have not.

And remember he did it back when wrestling was much more popular.