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Tom Brands receives contract extension

Todd Conner

HR MVP
Dec 23, 2004
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It is great to be an Iowa Wrestling fan.

Go Hawks!
 
He is getting to be an old timer. :) Although he sure seems to be youthful and full of energy and vigor.

So does anyone think he and Terry dye their hair to hide any gray and give them a recruiting edge?
 
He is getting to be an old timer. :) Although he sure seems to be youthful and full of energy and vigor.

So does anyone think he and Terry dye their hair to hide any gray and give them a recruiting edge?
They really don’t seem like they type of people who would dye their hair. No offense to anyone who does, but it just doesn’t seem to fit.
 
Seems like a long contract extension. So call me not a fan of it. No offense to the brands and what they’ve accomplished but the landscape is wide open with talent over the next couple of years. Presumably JB, dake, Snyder (possibly, but less likely), bo, Nolf, zain (all the same as Snyder). Unless they’re thinking Spencer is just a shoe in post 2028 Olympics no matter what. And it’s what I hope for except things don’t tend to work out how we want. Hell, Tom was at VT. Hate to see Spencer go through whatever cycle he goes through and then get an offer somewhere else and never return. I don’t know. Maybe Tom would step aside for Spencer if he said look, I have an offer at x but I’m not sure it works that way and I’m not sure Tom would take a bow. And not that there would be an opening if JB took over in 3 years for Spencer, but I’m sure there wouldn’t be too many complaints…and I’m for the Spencer no matter what committee. Just my thoughts. 7 years is a long time.
 
Seems like a long contract extension. So call me not a fan of it. No offense to the brands and what they’ve accomplished but the landscape is wide open with talent over the next couple of years. Presumably JB, dake, Snyder (possibly, but less likely), bo, Nolf, zain (all the same as Snyder).
Who are 6 guys who won't be the next Iowa Wrestling HC Aaron?
 
Seems like a long contract extension. So call me not a fan of it. No offense to the brands and what they’ve accomplished but the landscape is wide open with talent over the next couple of years. Presumably JB, dake, Snyder (possibly, but less likely), bo, Nolf, zain (all the same as Snyder). Unless they’re thinking Spencer is just a shoe in post 2028 Olympics no matter what. And it’s what I hope for except things don’t tend to work out how we want. Hell, Tom was at VT. Hate to see Spencer go through whatever cycle he goes through and then get an offer somewhere else and never return. I don’t know. Maybe Tom would step aside for Spencer if he said look, I have an offer at x but I’m not sure it works that way and I’m not sure Tom would take a bow. And not that there would be an opening if JB took over in 3 years for Spencer, but I’m sure there wouldn’t be too many complaints…and I’m for the Spencer no matter what committee. Just my thoughts. 7 years is a long time.
Just because some of those names you mentioned did OK as wrestlers really has nothing to do with being a Head Coach does it?
 
Just because some of those names you mentioned did OK as wrestlers really has nothing to do with being a Head Coach does it?
Exactly

Spencer will certainly be shooting for 2024, maybe 2028. Then he'd need to come in as an Asst Coach and learn those ropes, which are many. Let's not forget that he'll be eating steak the whole of the time with NIL dough, so it's not an apples to apples comparison with the old days when assistants lived poor. Likely he is making more than Tom now, and would certainly be if he wins in 2024.
 
Seems like a long contract extension. So call me not a fan of it. No offense to the brands and what they’ve accomplished but the landscape is wide open with talent over the next couple of years. Presumably JB, dake, Snyder (possibly, but less likely), bo, Nolf, zain (all the same as Snyder). Unless they’re thinking Spencer is just a shoe in post 2028 Olympics no matter what. And it’s what I hope for except things don’t tend to work out how we want. Hell, Tom was at VT. Hate to see Spencer go through whatever cycle he goes through and then get an offer somewhere else and never return. I don’t know. Maybe Tom would step aside for Spencer if he said look, I have an offer at x but I’m not sure it works that way and I’m not sure Tom would take a bow. And not that there would be an opening if JB took over in 3 years for Spencer, but I’m sure there wouldn’t be too many complaints…and I’m for the Spencer no matter what committee. Just my thoughts. 7 years is a long time.
The point is that it will be Tom's choice. When his body wears out, then that choice is made for him, just like it was for Gable. There's a reason that you don't see many 60 year-old wrestling coaches like you do in basketball or football. Coaching wrestling is hands-on, either by the head coaches or by assistants, or both. Tom Brands generally makes careful decisions for the benefit of the program, and expect him to do the same in the future.

As for Spencer Lee, there's lots of hurdles to go through before he's Hawkeye head coach ready. When you are talking about the Gable/Brands level, that's as high as it gets. An Olympic gold medal and a world championship wouldn't hurt, and the chances for those are much-improved with two functioning knees. I'm in the "Let's see what develops" committee.
 
There's something to be said for stability, so I don't have an issue with 2029. I certainly don't think Tom would give himself an A+ for his coaching performance to date, but he has been a solid A- to A, culminating in a return to an NCAA title. He has grown as a coach and a recruiter, and while I think in most cases age is a negative, in his case I think it's probably a positive. Let's get that new facility built and get some more NCAA titles on the wall!
 
In major college sports the coaches contracts often 5 years longer than the current 'year' and are constantly extended to keep this 5 year cushion. It is often positioned as a commitment to the individuals they are recruiting that they will be with the program through the end of that recruits career (even though we all know this isn't the case). If we are recruiting athletes with freestyle aspirations, 7 years basically signifies that Iowa is committed to Tom through their first realistic Olympic cycle (for the truly elite).
 
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There's something to be said for stability, so I don't have an issue with 2029. I certainly don't think Tom would give himself an A+ for his coaching performance to date, but he has been a solid A- to A, culminating in a return to an NCAA title. He has grown as a coach and a recruiter, and while I think in most cases age is a negative, in his case I think it's probably a positive. Let's get that new facility built and get some more NCAA titles on the wall!
Tarp

I agree with you.

Tom will be the first to say, and has said on many occasions, that he needed to change things around 5 some years ago. He did and got better.

If not for Covid, we'd be 2X champs, albeit with a different lineup this year. Last year to me, validates 2020 finishing as the #1 rated team. I'm old and was used to the way champs were named in football.

The facility completes the circle of what was needed, and it's all on Tom now. He'd have it no other way. The good news is, he's lined up great recruits coming in, with one glaring hole. They'll certainly fix that and likely look to one other weight to improve.

I always pray for a healthy team. I guess I did not do this often enough this year. Maybe everyone can for next year. It's a knife's edge to be healthy and fit.
 
He has been interested in coaching for quite a while.
I recall a pre-season media day several years ago, where DeSanto stated that he'd like to get into coaching. Picture this --- DeSanto coaches at a D1 school that has a dual against Iowa, would be priceless to see Brands and DeSanto going at each other!
 
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What does he make a year?
Per HawkCentral:

$550k for 2022
625k for 2023, then 25k to 75k raises in between topping out at $800k the last year.

You ain't making that doing many other professions, that's for damn sure. Yikes!
 
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I expect some next level recruiting with that kind of pay out
I'm sure it is public knowledge, but what does Bael earn? I don't have a problem with Tom's pay and contract. I thought I read he was in the $350,000 range before, but not sure. That was probably a steal for Iowa. The pay increase will and should come with expectations. I'm sure Tom is well aware of this. I have never noticed that Tom has had a problem with expecting the best out of himself or his wrestlers. I doubt this will be any different.
 
its less than many assistant football coaches at mediocre schools
I almost vomited when I read that the hightest paid employee of the state of Washington is not the Governor or some leading business, political or academic figure. It's Nick Rolovich, the head football coach at Washington State - more than $3 million per year!! I'm guessing this is the same in most states. Talk about skewed priorities in our society!
 
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Just because some of those names you mentioned did OK as wrestlers really has nothing to do with being a Head Coach does it?
I was thinking the same, how do we know someone will be a great head coach? Of course Gable and Sanderson were incredible wrestlers and are great coaches but that's no guarantee for all of these new guys.
 
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