Let's see- 3 big 12 titles and a number 5,3 and 2 finish nationally in 3 years. Have we ever had a better 3 year period going back to the early 70's? And now there are probably a dozen high level programs out there instead of just the Iowa and Oklahoma schools as it was for many years. His first 2 years he had an extremely young team and even this year's team was ALL underclassmen. He's an ISU legend, loves ISU and has a great shot at a national title next year and some people still think it's all about the money? Just doesn't make sense. I do think Cael might have got tired of seeing Pollard throwing millions around like candy to bad coaches while he works for a small fraction of what GMac, Chiz and even new unproven coach PR is paid. Yes I know wrestling is not a money maker, but Sanderson is an ISU legend in the only sport ISU is highly respected for on a national level. YOU CANNOT LET HIM GET AWAY. My guess is Cael probably felt a little disrespected along with any other problems he may have had with Pollard. The fact that once PSU made their offer and he didn't give Pollard a chance to counter-offer speaks volumes. If some wrestlers leave with him, especially if they are seniors, that is just another big red flag for our athletic department.
Cael did NOT underachieve
- Thread starter CYKOFAN
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Get ready ... it only took three seasons of Cael to forget we placed 19th! at NCAAs only 7 years back.
Get ready for finishes outside the top 10.
If the turnaround Cael led us two in the last three years after Douglas happened in any other sport he'd be signing a massive extension.
Get ready for finishes outside the top 10.
If the turnaround Cael led us two in the last three years after Douglas happened in any other sport he'd be signing a massive extension.
That would be awesome if we could do this well in football and basketball. I would take these results any day of the week.
So...
I assume you'd have put up the money for the new wrestling building like the one he's going to at Penn State?
superfan-My post was directed at the many posts both in the past and recently that say Cael underachieved at ISU, he lacked intensity, and other garbage I've read about Cael. You're also assuming that Cael left because PSU has a new wrestling building. I highly doubt that was the only reason an ISU legend would leave his alma mater and a program with great tradition and a great shot at a national title next year to go to a program that has neither. Something smells about this whole debacle.
Before Cael we didn't expect to be in the hunt for nat'l championships every year....he raised expectations to the point where we did have those expectations. 'Nuff said. No underachieving here.
maybe, maybe not. i personally don't care. much. i do know that, to me, it seems like he GAVE UP on his alma mater which housed him, fed him, schooled him, employed him.
but he never won a national championship as a coach
and it's obvious that he's no Jim Gibbons
but he never won a national championship as a coach
and it's obvious that he's no Jim Gibbons
I think he clearly underachieved. He's coaching at a wrestling icon, getting paid the most in the nation, with an unparalleled history of success as an athlete.
Sure you can say he did better than his predecessor, but he was still running the second best program in the state. He wasn't hired to win Big XII championships, IMO, he was hired to win national championships, not to lose 3 straight years to Iowa.
He admitted as much about the guys he coached not having intensity. http://www.cyclonefanatic.com/forum/wrestling/47537-cael-going-make-changes.html
Sure you can say he did better than his predecessor, but he was still running the second best program in the state. He wasn't hired to win Big XII championships, IMO, he was hired to win national championships, not to lose 3 straight years to Iowa.
He admitted as much about the guys he coached not having intensity. http://www.cyclonefanatic.com/forum/wrestling/47537-cael-going-make-changes.html
You're right. Something smells, and to me, it smells like money. I was just reading an article from a State College paper that said, "His interest in the job increases after Thursday's on-campus visit." That, to me, screams "facilities" and a larger budget.
And, like it or not, we have underachieved at points these past few years. We choked away the Midlands this year, going 0-5 in the finals. We nearly choked away the Big XII championship this year, with Z saving our collective ***. Finally, we've underachieved when we take the mat against Iowa. We talk about 3 consecutive Big XII championships. With the talent that's on this team, we should be talking about national championships.
Don't get me wrong. I love Cael. I thought he would learn from his mistakes get us over the top in short order. Even Cael himself admitted that they weren't "fighting for the hard points" and that he wasn't "getting the best out of everybody" and that he had to figure out what was wrong.
Source: WRESTLING: Cael Sanderson's Monday press conference transcript
I'm not real impressed with his quote in the Register article this morning. Something to the effect that it will be "easier" to win a title at Penn State.
Easier? That is what drives him? That and $$$, obviously.
This just screams of zero loyality.
Easier? That is what drives him? That and $$$, obviously.
This just screams of zero loyality.
He was the highest paid wrestling coach in the country and had a great wrestling room. You cannot pay him more than the sport brings in in one season. No he didnt underachieve but not winning NCAA titles at ISU goes right back to him, and that is the excuse that he uses over and over and makes me sick to hear him say.
The opposite of underachieved is overachieved, and I do not believe Cael overachieved. He's at(was) an icon for wrestling programs and he is Cael Sanderson so just by that you will be able to recruite some of the best in tha nation. Once you get them here is where coaching is needed. I think winning with a bunch of stud wrestlers is what should be expected, just like Kansas, Duke, NC with all of their McDonald All-Americans. In my book winning with less than the best is overachieving.
Do you really think Cael didn't give back tenfold to ISU in terms of national publicity and prestiege for our program, as well as the joy and pride for ISU fans watching one of our wrestlers do what no other wrestler has done in NCAA history, including the fabled Dan Gable? Heck I doubt there has been any NCAA athlete in any sport that has come close to the perfection achieved by Cael. How quickly many of us forget and are quick to turn on our greatest athlete ever because he's leaving for reasons I still don't completely understand.
Cael's the greatest of all time! What does that have to do with his coaching ability?
Here's the thing -
NOBODY CARES ABOUT WRESTLING outside of Iowa, and the few other states where wrestling is any sort of factor.
So, no, I really don't think he's done that much for ISU as a school in terms of national "publicity and prestiege". He's simply not in a sport that matters on the national stage. Aside fromt hat, ISU already had plenty of publicity and prestige on the national stage in wrestling before Cael came around, and we still will after.
He, much like Dan Gable, is a footnote to the rest of the sporting world.
I know that's probably not the most popular opinion to have on here, but for anyone that hasn't lived elsewhere for any significant amount of time, it's the truth.
edit:
And if you want a bit of evidence to back that up, go to www.espn.com and search for Sanderson. You will have to, because there is no story anywhere to be found on espn.com. You'll find a story from the AP, buried 40 pages deep. You won't find it anywhere on cbssports.com, and you'll have to search again, where you will find the same AP blurb on sports.yahoo.com. On the national stage, nobody cares about this little bit of minutae.
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He might not have underachieved but he was second fiddle coach to Brands and couldn't hack it. After reading all the posts you have started the last few days, it is obvious you're dishing dirt on Pollard which might or might not be justified. What I've seen so far this one isn't on Pollard. ***** away but that's my take. I'm done with him......Good riddance.