KJ gets contract extension
- Thread starter buf87
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Wrestling at ISU isn't what it used to be, and I don't know that it ever will again. And, that's no fault of whoever is the current coach. The sport in general doesn't have the popularity it used to - just look at all of the schools that have dropped the sport in the last 2 decades, and look at the Olympics issue going on right now. I'm not saying that to say we're "settling" for Jackson. In fact, I think the extension was a good move due to recent improvement and not too long of an extension to see if that improvement continues. But, if he were let go, I would be surprised if we could find a superstar coach that could bring us back to the glory days of the 80s.
No fault "of whoever is the current coach"? He's been here 4 years and we are not good. That's not his fault even just a LITTLE bit?
BTW, I believe we have told you this before but wrestling is actually growing at the collegiate level.
You hate that Jackson is our coach - I get it, that's your opinion. My opinion is I agree with the extension and think Jackson can keep building on the improvements I saw this year.
Cael never got us to the level to beat Iowa. He is in a recruiting honey hole now and Iowa and everyone else will struggle to surpass Penn State in the near future.
How many guaranteed D1 recruits are there in Iowa? This year 2 and next year, not sure if any. Yes maybe some will develop into D1 AA, but Pennsylvania is loaded every year. The best in Minnesota are gobbled up by Minnesota.
So with the state of Iowa talent is what it is, we need to develop talent and find other ways to get to the top.
Rhoads never gets any 4 star recruits (Yes Lazard and Campo, Iowa boys), but develops talent to surpass teams get better talent. I hope KJ can do the same.
How many guaranteed D1 recruits are there in Iowa? This year 2 and next year, not sure if any. Yes maybe some will develop into D1 AA, but Pennsylvania is loaded every year. The best in Minnesota are gobbled up by Minnesota.
So with the state of Iowa talent is what it is, we need to develop talent and find other ways to get to the top.
Rhoads never gets any 4 star recruits (Yes Lazard and Campo, Iowa boys), but develops talent to surpass teams get better talent. I hope KJ can do the same.
In that post I only took exception with your comment that Jackson has had literally no effect on this program. That's silly.
Page 179 of the report below suggests otherwise...
http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/PR2013.pdf
Good point...that didn't come across the way I meant it. I meant that the sport's dwindling popularity in general isn't because of Jackson. Before this year, I was ready for a change. But, after what I saw this year, I'd like to think we can keep that improvement coming next year with Jackson still at the helm. If not, well the extension is just 2 years.
NEICyFan---After the NCAA's last year, I was sitting right next to you calling for Jacksons departure...Cussed him and swore I couldn't wait for 2014 when we'd have a new coach. Most of this was in a drunken stupor...wrestling misery will cause a fella do resort to those type of things. However, in the last 6 weeks ISU has looked better than they have the previous two years combined. Jackson's first year was all Cael...anyone who thinks differently is high off their keester. You also have to account for the "Cael" affect. Kids were falling over themselves to come to Iowa State to wrestle for Cael Sanderson--greatest college wrestler ever!---now they're doing that for Penn State. Jackson literally had nothing left in the cupboards. Remember Kyven was jackson's recruit....I honestly believe he has a legitimate chance at winning the title next week...The younger kids that jackson recruited that are wrestling now have shown some great promise in the last 6 weeks. All sophmores and freshmen. Yes, they may not make a lot of noise next week outside of Gadson, but I wouldn't be surprised if they do. I'm not 110% on board but I'm not 110% against the extension. I just hope that if things don't get significantly better before 2015, Pollard has the kahunas to pull the plug.
At the beginning of the season I was very disappointed at the program and figured there was no way KJ could make it through this season. After Midlands, however, my view started to change. I'm not saying we are an elite program again by any means, but we look like a wrestling team again. There's a fight, a swagger, everything about the team feel different. I couldn't tell you why for sure, but it seems like KJ has put together a great staff, finally gotten some depth in the room and at least someone in that room is motivating those guys and pretty much everyone in that room is there because of KJ. So from that standpoint I like the extension, I think they've earned the 2 yrs. no more, no less. There's still a short leash in my opinion, more improvement needs to be seen, nice recruits and coaching up our guys is a must. I'd like to see how much further this staff can go.
Another thought I had is that not only is our team rather young, but the staff itself is relatively "young" in respect to the coaching profession. I could be wrong on any of these, but I believe ISU is KJ's first college coaching gig and I'm sure there's a learning curve there going from freestyle to D1, Paulson is new to coaching all around as is Nickerson, though he came from the Finger Lakes wrestling club. I think everyone involved is learning, developing and getting better, I just hope this iteration of our program has a high ceiling.
Another thought I had is that not only is our team rather young, but the staff itself is relatively "young" in respect to the coaching profession. I could be wrong on any of these, but I believe ISU is KJ's first college coaching gig and I'm sure there's a learning curve there going from freestyle to D1, Paulson is new to coaching all around as is Nickerson, though he came from the Finger Lakes wrestling club. I think everyone involved is learning, developing and getting better, I just hope this iteration of our program has a high ceiling.
I will only chime in here once. NONE OF THE NAMES MENTIONED WILL COME HERE TO COACH. They all let it be known that they would not. Why? The pay and budget is NOT top 10 pay/budget. The support was small when Cael was here and continues to erode. The facility is not top 20 (even if new- it lags behind badly), the recruiting base is overrated when compared to the east coast. When you get top 10 budget with a top 10 facility- you can expect a top 10 program. Troll away if you like- these are facts. Aside from 3 good years of Bobby- (most of his teams were comparable to this year) and 3 good years of Cael, what makes you think we were contending for NCAA titles?
I'm not going to get in the battle of CKJ I've state enough in the other threads.. but to answer your question since 63-64' season we have been a constant top 10 team all but what three times? And a ton of those we were top 3,4,5. I think that is the status we all would like to see us working towards finishing in the top 10 and moving into that top 5 team. It'll take time and work, but the way things have turned around it can't get any worse then finishing 35th or whatever we've done recently
I'm not sure about that one. Marcus Harrington has a shot if he keeps improving like he did this year from last year, but I'm only familiar with a few of the junior class this year in the state, so I'm not sure who else might be there. Were there any 2 or 3 time winners in the junior class this year?
Also, I think this extension is a good probationary one to see if he can continue to build on what was the disaster of his second and third years after we graduated what, 6 or 7 seniors in one class with only frosh that were decent behind them?
I stand behind what I have said all along. I like KJ, I've been nothing but excited about the past month and what he has done, I am very skeptical given what happened the 2.5 years before that.
I have a hard time comparing football and wrestling, mainly because wrestling is a sport where we were seen as a giant, and football is a sport where we were a nothing. Rhoads has brought us along quite nicely and sustained us at a level that is closer to what we are wanting. I still believe wrestling should have been able to recruit better than we did given the stature of our program. Regardless, we are where we are and hopefully we wrap the season up nicely at the NCAAs.
I have a hard time comparing football and wrestling, mainly because wrestling is a sport where we were seen as a giant, and football is a sport where we were a nothing. Rhoads has brought us along quite nicely and sustained us at a level that is closer to what we are wanting. I still believe wrestling should have been able to recruit better than we did given the stature of our program. Regardless, we are where we are and hopefully we wrap the season up nicely at the NCAAs.
