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Which team is 2nd best during the PSU dynasty?

There are many ways of looking at this, and I think the "answer" depends on what you hold most important. But here are some stats, based on Top-5 finishes and 2nd-place finishes during 2011-2024.......

Number of Top 5 finishes
Iowa: 13
PSU: 12
OhSt: 7
OkSt: 7
Cornell: 6
Michigan: 5

Based on number of Top-5 finishes, Iowa is clearly the 2nd best team during the PSU dynasty. Pretty indisputable if going by that metric.

Digging a little deeper into those Top 5 finishes by looking at the number of points scored when finishing Top5, and how many points off of 1st place when finishing Top5.......

Average Points Scored when finishing Top 5
PSU: 132.3 (hi 172.5, lo 107.5)
OkSt: 95.8 (hi 119.5, lo 70.5)
OhSt: 95.3 (hi 133.5, lo 68.5)
Iowa: 87.2 (high 129, low 67)
Cornell: 80.3 (high 102.5, lo 65)
Michigan: 75.5 (high 95, lo 62.5)

Average Points off 1st Place when finishing Top 5
PSU: -1.3 (hi -15.5, low 0)
OkSt: -29.4 (hi -53.5, low -4)
OhSt: -37.7 (hi -74.5, lo 0)
Iowa: -44 (hi -105, lo 0)
Cornell: -50.8 (hi -100, lo -14)
Michigan: -66.9 (hi 101.5, lo 36.5)

That differential seems like an unfair metric if you happened to place Top 5 in the year PSU slaughtered everyone and broke an all-time scoring record. So let's adjust that last bit there by dropping the hi and lo differential for each team:

Adjusted Average Points off 1st Place when finishing Top 5 (hi/lo differential omitted)
PSU: -0.0
OkSt: -29.7
OhSt: -37.9
Iowa: -42.4
Cornell: -47.6
Michigan: -65.5

Didn't change much.

Iowa dominates the other 2nd Best contenders in number of Top 5 finishes, but when Oklahoma St and Ohio St do make the Top 5 (which has been 54% of the time since 2011), they tend to do a little better than Iowa in scoring, both in team points scored and in how close they finish to 1st place.

How about number of 2nd-place finishes? The field is pretty tight.....

OhSt: 3
Cornell: 2
Iowa: 2
Minn: 2
OkSt: 2
Michigan: 1
PSU: 1

And average point scoring when finishing 2nd?

PSU: 113.5 (hi 113.5, lo 113.5)
OhSt: 113.3 (hi 133.5, lo 96.5)
Minn: 110.8 (hi 117.5, lo 104)
OkSt: 108.5 (hi 119.5, lo 97.5)
Michigan: 95.0 (hi 95, lo 95)
Iowa: 83.3 (hi 84, lo 82.5)
Cornell: 83.0 (hi 93.5, lo 72.5)

Average Points off 1st Place when finishing 2nd
OkSt: -14.8
Minn: -15.5
PSU: -15.5
OhSt: -28.5
Iowa: -36.5
Michigan: -36.5
Cornell: -57

Cornell kind of gets shafted in that rundown by placing 2nd in 2024.......so if we re-rank based on the absolute lowest differential a 2nd-place team has attained, we get:
OkSt: -4
Minn: -5.5
OhSt: -8
Cornell: -14
PSU: -15.5
Iowa: -18
Michigan: -36.5

Sorting through all the junk above.....Since 2011, PSU has 11 titles, Iowa 1, Ohio State 1. Iowa has finished Top 5 every year, almost twice as much as Ohio State and Oklahoma State. But Ohio State has finished 2nd more times than Iowa, and when Iowa does finish 2nd, they are very near the bottom in points scored and in proximity to first place.

So what do we have in Iowa? An extremely consistent team that always finishes in the Top 5, but really only places Top 2 as an anomaly. Sure, having the 1 title makes me feel better that I'm not a Poke or Goofer fan, but what about Suckeyes? They have 1 title like us, but a point can be made that they do a better job of getting close to a title. More 2nd place finishes, more points scored when doing so, and losing by less. Similar look for Okie St, except they don't have a title.

I guess none of this should surprise us. Under Brands since 2011, the team finish and gap from 1st has been pretty darn consistent, with a nice win in 2021. Should we expect a trend? Or are we essentially flatlined? Part of me feels like the Ohio State (or even Okie St) approach would provide more fan satisfaction -- we'd be down and out of the Top 5 about half the time, but when building for a run at the top, we'd be more effective in grabbing 2nd place and in actually being close to 1st.

Bottom line for me over the last 13 NCAAs.....Iowa under Brands:
1 team title (2021)
2 second-place finishes (2015, 2023)
5 individual champions (McD, StJ, Ramos, Clark, Lee)
Scored >100 points only twice (2012, 2021)
Averaged 87 points
Averaged >40 points away from 1st

Are we really 2nd best? Maybe. And if so, are we really as good of a 2nd-best program as we should be with the brand and resources of Iowa Hawkeye Wrestling? We have 13 years of data during the PSU dynasty to go on......Coming out of 2010, I would have laughed at a notion that there would be a changing of the guard. But if we were not to be the top team over the next decade-plus, I would have at least predicted a much stronger stranglehold on "2nd Best".
I can’t overlook how much different this original discussion would be if 2020 would have played out. There is no denying that was ours to lose and were easily the front runner. Yeah… I know… ifs and buts.
 
Tan Tom is still old school, imo. I like the idea of young blood. DT would be an amazing hire, imo. He knows the current recipe for success.
Don’t be lazy.
DT was a no go from this board right up until the Gadson tweet. The cry for change posters want the entire staff gone, gut the house, and then burn it to the ground.

There hasn’t been a credible attempt too explain the vision and process for success,
after the lynching is complete. How weak.
 
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Don’t be lazy.
DT was a no go from this board right up until the Gadson tweet. The cry for change posters want the entire staff gone, gut the house, and then burn it to the ground.

There hasn’t been a credible attempt too explain the vision and process for success,
after the lynching is complete. How weak.
Lynching, eh? I lost confidence with the Ferrari debacle.
 
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Don’t be lazy.
DT was a no go from this board right up until the Gadson tweet. The cry for change posters want the entire staff gone, gut the house, and then burn it to the ground.

There hasn’t been a credible attempt too explain the vision and process for success,
after the lynching is complete. How weak.
I'm a 'cry for change' poster. I think I've given a 'credible attempt to explain the vision and process for success' with regard to the types of changes needed in training/coaching structure. I've discussed at-length the major flaws, as I see them, with the current training/coaching structure. I've detailed how I've seen these flaws in action first-hand and how they directly contribute to (or essentially cause) the lackluster results the program is currently achieving. And yes, I do think only averaging a top-2 team placement once every four years is lackluster given the resources available to (and tradition behind) the Iowa wrestling program.

I think the approach I've laid out would certainly improve our results. I think DT is someone who believes in that type of approach. I don't think that's lazy and it has less to do with the Gadson tweet than it has to do with the fact that DT is a good option. I mentioned DT as a potential replacement on several occasions on this board prior to the Gadson tweet. Also, I'm not sure why Gadson would lie about the DT consideration/discussions. But even if he did, I still think DT would be a great hire.

As far as assistants, I think you'd want to make sure DT (or whoever we would hire as the replacement HC) trusts them. At the same time, I don't think the yes-man assistant coaches system we currently employ works very well. So, I think that should be addressed in the hiring process of the (hypothetical) new HC.

So, you say there hasn't been a credible attempt. What else do you need to see in order to consider an attempt to be credible? Finally, I don't know who you're referring to when you mention posters who want to 'burn it (the program) to the ground' but I haven't noticed such posters.
 
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Anyone see this? Thoughts?


I'm a 'cry for change' poster. I think I've given a 'credible attempt to explain the vision and process for success' with regard to the types of changes needed in training/coaching structure. I've discussed at-length the major flaws, as I see them, with the current training/coaching structure. I've detailed how I've seen these flaws in action first-hand and how they directly contribute to (or essentially cause) the lackluster results the program is currently achieving. And yes, I do think only averaging a top-2 team placement once every four years is lackluster given the resources available to (and tradition behind) the Iowa wrestling program.

I think the approach I've laid out would certainly improve our results. I think DT is someone who believes in that type of approach. I don't think that's lazy and it has less to do with the Gadson tweet than it has to do with the fact that DT is a good option. I mentioned DT as a potential replacement on several occasions on this board prior to the Gadson tweet. Also, I'm not sure why Gadson would lie about the DT consideration/discussions. But even if he did, I still think DT would be a great hire.

As far as assistants, I think you'd want to make sure DT (or whoever we would hire as the replacement HC) trusts them. At the same time, I don't think the yes-man assistant coaches system we currently employ works very well. So, I think that should be addressed in the hiring process of the (hypothetical) new HC.

So, you say there hasn't been a credible attempt. What else do you need to see in order to consider an attempt to be credible? Finally, I don't know who you're referring to when you mention posters who want to 'burn it (the program) to the ground' but I haven't noticed such posters.
Gadson’s tweet starts with.
They are starting rumors. I haven’t read the thread so I am not sure who they are?
Why would he start a rumor, he’s an Iowa State alum and he does not like the Hawks at all.

I appreciate you sharing your experience. We also engaged in a dialogue about “play wrestling and your experience with long hard forty five minute go’s with a lot of hand fighting and being worked into the ground.
There have been posts about differences between what you experienced and what happens now.
Especially from “Acuhawk” it’s fact that he knows what happens in practice. I am not going to share how I know it’s fact, because I respect his anonymity.

Of course a staff has to trust the head coach. Are you of the belief the current staff doesn’t trust Tom? Tom not allowing dissenter's on staff is perfectly reasonable.
I don’t believe this means he doesn’t listen to staff about what to work on. The frustration with not being able to wrestle through tough scrambling positions bothers the hell out of me as well. I agree this has to change.

As far as answering your credible attempt question, more names than DT and who the assistants are. I’ve heard JB, Cox, Dake. I think it’s a pipe dream to think we’d get a dream team of coaches. I also want to know how Spencer stays involved.
If Spencer, DeSanto and Kem where to join the staff would it be sufficient? Kem is a great scrambler. DeSanto is a great finisher. Spencer is well, Spencer. Spencer and Kem have dealt with major injuries and those experiences are valuable.

Programs stay loyal to their alumni, unless the program is completely irrelevant as PSU was before Carl. As much as people think we need outside help, that is a tough sell to major donors and the majority of fans.

The burn it to the ground reference is not about the program it’s about all of the current staff being axed. Whenever there is post like this people bemoan, name call, tell you to go f*** yourself and say your a Brands nut sucker.
 
Gadson’s tweet starts with.
They are starting rumors. I haven’t read the thread so I am not sure who they are?
Why would he start a rumor, he’s an Iowa State alum and he does not like the Hawks at all.

I appreciate you sharing your experience. We also engaged in a dialogue about “play wrestling and your experience with long hard forty five minute go’s with a lot of hand fighting and being worked into the ground.
There have been posts about differences between what you experienced and what happens now.
Especially from “Acuhawk” it’s fact that he knows what happens in practice. I am not going to share how I know it’s fact, because I respect his anonymity.

Of course a staff has to trust the head coach. Are you of the belief the current staff doesn’t trust Tom? Tom not allowing dissenter's on staff is perfectly reasonable.
I don’t believe this means he doesn’t listen to staff about what to work on. The frustration with not being able to wrestle through tough scrambling positions bothers the hell out of me as well. I agree this has to change.

As far as answering your credible attempt question, more names than DT and who the assistants are. I’ve heard JB, Cox, Dake. I think it’s a pipe dream to think we’d get a dream team of coaches. I also want to know how Spencer stays involved.
If Spencer, DeSanto and Kem where to join the staff would it be sufficient? Kem is a great scrambler. DeSanto is a great finisher. Spencer is well, Spencer. Spencer and Kem have dealt with major injuries and those experiences are valuable.

Programs stay loyal to their alumni, unless the program is completely irrelevant as PSU was before Carl. As much as people think we need outside help, that is a tough sell to major donors and the majority of fans.

The burn it to the ground reference is not about the program it’s about all of the current staff being axed. Whenever there is post like this people bemoan, name call, tell you to go f*** yourself and say your a Brands nut sucker.
PSU's problem was staying loyal to the alums in many of their sports. It doesn't work in the last twenty years or so in general. And in their case Sanderson reached out to them. Twice. They didn't return his phone call the first time. the second time they did. And why didn't they return his call the first time? The then AD didn't think he was serious and jsut using them as a bargaining chip.
 
You should get a hobby and get off the message board... presumably, you're a grown man. This shouldn't be affecting you so much

The more negative shit that comes out of your mouth the more that is going to bleed into your mood and general state of being. Take a ****ing break
At the end of the day this is just entertainment for us so it's important to keep it in perspective.
 
I'm a 'cry for change' poster. I think I've given a 'credible attempt to explain the vision and process for success' with regard to the types of changes needed in training/coaching structure. I've discussed at-length the major flaws, as I see them, with the current training/coaching structure. I've detailed how I've seen these flaws in action first-hand and how they directly contribute to (or essentially cause) the lackluster results the program is currently achieving. And yes, I do think only averaging a top-2 team placement once every four years is lackluster given the resources available to (and tradition behind) the Iowa wrestling program.

I think the approach I've laid out would certainly improve our results. I think DT is someone who believes in that type of approach. I don't think that's lazy and it has less to do with the Gadson tweet than it has to do with the fact that DT is a good option. I mentioned DT as a potential replacement on several occasions on this board prior to the Gadson tweet. Also, I'm not sure why Gadson would lie about the DT consideration/discussions. But even if he did, I still think DT would be a great hire.

As far as assistants, I think you'd want to make sure DT (or whoever we would hire as the replacement HC) trusts them. At the same time, I don't think the yes-man assistant coaches system we currently employ works very well. So, I think that should be addressed in the hiring process of the (hypothetical) new HC.

So, you say there hasn't been a credible attempt. What else do you need to see in order to consider an attempt to be credible? Finally, I don't know who you're referring to when you mention posters who want to 'burn it (the program) to the ground' but I haven't noticed such posters.
Gadson tweet: Can someone explain to me who this guy is and How he would know??? I know Vhslum confirmed he heard it also but does the orginal guy know or is he a troll?
 
Gadson tweet: Can someone explain to me who this guy is and How he would know??? I know Vhslum confirmed he heard it also but does the orginal guy know or is he a troll?
Former NCAA Champ for ISU in 2015. Been top 3 on world team ladder a couple times since. Still heavily connected to ISU…

Also, even if true, the rumor doesn’t help Iowa in any way. What it DID do, as you can plainly see in many posts on here, was sow incredible amounts of dissension
 
PSU's problem was staying loyal to the alums in many of their sports. It doesn't work in the last twenty years or so in general. And in their case Sanderson reached out to them. Twice. They didn't return his phone call the first time. the second time they did. And why didn't they return his call the first time? The then AD didn't think he was serious and jsut using them as a bargaining chip.
And those alums probably didnt have the success Carl did? Did they get a blank check and the autonomy to do whatever they wanted? Was PA HS wrestling as powerful pre-Carl as it is now? When Carl hangs it up will they go outside the program for a replacement.
Ohio State’s staff alumni, Okie State Alumni, Michigan Staff Alumni, Arizona State Alum head coach then built his staff
NC State Pat Pop-Okie State ‘01 two alumni on Staff, Neb Manning built his staff-2 Alumni, Dlagnev Neb-Keary Alum,
Iowa State all have ties to the state Iowa.
Catching my drift?
As much as some want all new staff not associated with Hawkeye Wrestling. Good luck with that dream.
 
Gadson’s tweet starts with.
They are starting rumors. I haven’t read the thread so I am not sure who they are?
Why would he start a rumor, he’s an Iowa State alum and he does not like the Hawks at all.

I appreciate you sharing your experience. We also engaged in a dialogue about “play wrestling and your experience with long hard forty five minute go’s with a lot of hand fighting and being worked into the ground.
There have been posts about differences between what you experienced and what happens now.
Especially from “Acuhawk” it’s fact that he knows what happens in practice. I am not going to share how I know it’s fact, because I respect his anonymity.

Of course a staff has to trust the head coach. Are you of the belief the current staff doesn’t trust Tom? Tom not allowing dissenter's on staff is perfectly reasonable.
I don’t believe this means he doesn’t listen to staff about what to work on. The frustration with not being able to wrestle through tough scrambling positions bothers the hell out of me as well. I agree this has to change.

As far as answering your credible attempt question, more names than DT and who the assistants are. I’ve heard JB, Cox, Dake. I think it’s a pipe dream to think we’d get a dream team of coaches. I also want to know how Spencer stays involved.
If Spencer, DeSanto and Kem where to join the staff would it be sufficient? Kem is a great scrambler. DeSanto is a great finisher. Spencer is well, Spencer. Spencer and Kem have dealt with major injuries and those experiences are valuable.

Programs stay loyal to their alumni, unless the program is completely irrelevant as PSU was before Carl. As much as people think we need outside help, that is a tough sell to major donors and the majority of fans.

The burn it to the ground reference is not about the program it’s about all of the current staff being axed. Whenever there is post like this people bemoan, name call, tell you to go f*** yourself and say your a Brands nut sucker.
Yeah, I don't know who 'they' are either. I'm sure Gadson doesn't love the hawks. I still find it unlikely he made it up to tweet about it. Maybe he didn't have a great source. I don't know. Maybe it's true. Again, I don't know. Vhsalum seems to think it's true. He also seems to believe at least some of Acuhawk's claims are untrue if you look at the first post in the thread "What I learned at NCAAs this weekend" (I'm guessing you've read it). And I find it hard to believe that practices are generally only 45-60 minutes long these days, but Acuhawk said so. I really don't know. Acuhawk didn't state whether or not they do much play wrestling these days. Judging by how we perform in scrambles, I doubt it is being implemented often enough or well enough.

My point about assistants was not that the current staff doesn't trust Tom. I was trying to get at the question of who the new assistant coaches might be if DT were to become the head coach by stating it would need to be people he feels he can trust (which likely narrows down the options considerably). After that, I made the point that, even though he needs to feel he can trust the new assistants, it is very important that those assistants are not just yes-men. I think (and I have good reasons to feel this way) that Tom likes to have yes-men as assistants and I think that needs to change if/when the new head coach is hired. No, they shouldn't publicly war against the head coach or anything. But yes, they should run practices (or large portions of practices) fairly often and they should be able to show lots of technique.

I don't think we need a dream-team of coaches. I think there could be room for one of the three of Spencer, DeSanto, Kem (or some other highly-accomplished program alum) to be on a staff led by DT, but I would think DT would want the rest of the staff to be people he's worked with before. I don't know what Spencer's plan is. If he plans to keep competing for a long while, then I doubt he'd be on staff until he finishes up with that but I really don't know. And it is certainly possible that he'd follow Tom or Terry (or both) if TnT are replaced. It'd be nice to stay loyal to our alumni (hell, hire me and I'll take a $600k+ salary lol - kidding!), but I don't think you pass up the opportunity to hire a DT-caliber name and we don't have that currently from our alumni options. Spencer may go on and win the Olympics. That would certainly change the conversation. But, until then..

With regard to the whole staff being axed or not ('burning it to the ground' as you put it), I do think that not much changes unless you replace TnT, especially given the yes-men mentality Tom seems to expect from his assistants. And if TnT are replaced, I do doubt the new HC keeps Morningstar and/or Telford, but who knows. Lastly, I do think there are quite a few posters on this forum who are more loyal to TnT (devotees) than to the program itself.
 
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Former NCAA Champ for ISU in 2015. Been top 3 on world team ladder a couple times since. Still heavily connected to ISU…

Also, even if true, the rumor doesn’t help Iowa in any way. What it DID do, as you can plainly see in many posts on here, was sow incredible amounts of dissension
And I am guessing that was the point. How would someone with no Hawkeye ties get a rumor like that??? This is fun for the off season but it is just going to crush a bunch of people when there is no changes next year....
 
Former NCAA Champ for ISU in 2015. Been top 3 on world team ladder a couple times since. Still heavily connected to ISU…

Also, even if true, the rumor doesn’t help Iowa in any way. What it DID do, as you can plainly see in many posts on here, was sow incredible amounts of dissension
Spot on. Which I think is the underlying reason for the tweet. Impeccable timing too, Saturday morning after the completion of consolation finals at 12:58 PM. He was probably having lunch with Beth.
Its not unreasonable to believe there may have been a desire to stir the pot before the finals.
 
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And those alums probably didnt have the success Carl did? Did they get a blank check and the autonomy to do whatever they wanted? Was PA HS wrestling as powerful pre-Carl as it is now? When Carl hangs it up will they go outside the program for a replacement.
Ohio State’s staff alumni, Okie State Alumni, Michigan Staff Alumni, Arizona State Alum head coach then built his staff
NC State Pat Pop-Okie State ‘01 two alumni on Staff, Neb Manning built his staff-2 Alumni, Dlagnev Neb-Keary Alum,
Iowa State all have ties to the state Iowa.
Catching my drift?
As much as some want all new staff not associated with Hawkeye Wrestling. Good luck with that dream.
All I'm saying is PSU was very much hire from the family prior to Sanderson and they ignored his initial attempt to reach out. He approached them, they didn't approach him.
 
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