Can't be much fun for the wrestlers
- Thread starter psyclone51
- Start date
and they won't anytime soon, which is why their mired in this horrendous downward spiral the last three years
I think what is most frustrating and disappointing is that there does not seem to be progress forward with the program or the wrestlers. In fact, it seems that ISU is going in reverse.
His first year, with what Cael left him, KJ managed to finish 3rd at the NCAA, and completed a very good dual meet season.
What has happened since then? In the last couple of years, the wrestlers (at least to me) do not appear to have much aggresiveness or stamina, and do not appear to be prepared to face their opponents.
KJ is a Olympic Gold medal winner, and a World Champion. Plus, he has a couple of excellent assistants. Maybe I am naive, but it would seem to me he should be able to do pretty well with recruiting, even against the Penn States and the Iowas. Also, there are fewer and fewer colleges with wrestling, which should mean that there is even more likelihood that ISU can get top recruits with less competition.
There are some good recruits.....but when I watched Meeks wrestle at the state championships, and then the other night......it did not look like the same wrestler at all. Yes, he is wrestling on the college level now, but he just did not look as agressive, as prepared, or as strong as he did in high school. How can that happen?
Something has to be done.....soon. This is a too proud and too tradition-laden program to just let it fail like this.
His first year, with what Cael left him, KJ managed to finish 3rd at the NCAA, and completed a very good dual meet season.
What has happened since then? In the last couple of years, the wrestlers (at least to me) do not appear to have much aggresiveness or stamina, and do not appear to be prepared to face their opponents.
KJ is a Olympic Gold medal winner, and a World Champion. Plus, he has a couple of excellent assistants. Maybe I am naive, but it would seem to me he should be able to do pretty well with recruiting, even against the Penn States and the Iowas. Also, there are fewer and fewer colleges with wrestling, which should mean that there is even more likelihood that ISU can get top recruits with less competition.
There are some good recruits.....but when I watched Meeks wrestle at the state championships, and then the other night......it did not look like the same wrestler at all. Yes, he is wrestling on the college level now, but he just did not look as agressive, as prepared, or as strong as he did in high school. How can that happen?
Something has to be done.....soon. This is a too proud and too tradition-laden program to just let it fail like this.
The only thing that Iowa State Wrestling had going for it in the past 10 years was Sanderson. When he left he took any chances of ISU ever having a competitive wrestling program with him. KJ was the only person that really wanted to come to ISU and he was the bottom of the barrel.
Bottom of the barrel is pretty harsh. He is an Olympic gold medalist and from our last National Champioship team and an AA. He has a staff the consists of a 4 time AA in Troy Nickerson. 2 World team members and AA from Iowa State in Trent and Travis Paulsen, and recently undefeated National Champ Jon Reader.
This staff is not bottom of the barrel and I think we are lucky to have these guys at Iowa State. I think there has been some growing pains, but I see improvements in this team from last year to this year.
This staff is not bottom of the barrel and I think we are lucky to have these guys at Iowa State. I think there has been some growing pains, but I see improvements in this team from last year to this year.
And all good high school kids don't make good College wrestlers. We lost a big senior class KJ's 1st year and had some big recruits not pan out. We had about 30 kids in the room and now have around 50 kids. We have tried bring in some big name recruits and some didn't pan out, Joey Cozart is the 1st that come to mind, #29 in the nation overall. Destin McCauley is another that comes to mind. Both were suppose to provide immediate help.
My take on it is getting someone in there to drive these guys if that is beating them up one side and down the other or embarrassing them in front of the guys so they dont want it to happen again (making sure to know where each guys line is and not crossing it, which every good coach should know how to find it), and then telling them what they need to do in order to become national champions. Have guys showing them to go after the kill and not sit back on their heels. Keep attacking attacking attacking, and dont stop until you cant move or the other guy is humiliated. I know I will never be upset with a cyclone wrestler that is the aggressive one in the match but ends up getting pinned because he went after the guy but got caught (as long as it isn't something that could have easily been avoided)
I think the guys TnT, Reader and Nickerson are great to have in the room, we need to add another for the lower weight guys. Jackson maybe stop tweeting and start talking with the guys going over techniques and tape. And as been mentioned getting someone to step up and be the leader (we had varner, had reader, had sorenson) now looking like Kyven wants to but hasnt reached that role fully yet. Just a couple things I think and have already been mentioned that needed pointed out again.
I think the guys TnT, Reader and Nickerson are great to have in the room, we need to add another for the lower weight guys. Jackson maybe stop tweeting and start talking with the guys going over techniques and tape. And as been mentioned getting someone to step up and be the leader (we had varner, had reader, had sorenson) now looking like Kyven wants to but hasnt reached that role fully yet. Just a couple things I think and have already been mentioned that needed pointed out again.
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ISU wrestling is showing signs of improvement, let's not banter on what if's. Get behind the coaches and wrestlers. Obviously we have varying degrees of talent (coaches and wrestlers). Build the pride from the bottom up, a couple of wrestlers finding their confidence by year end is a plus. KJ was not my choice for a coach, but I am behind him 100%. He knows he has to produce.
I'm not saying anything about KJ and not saying we need to dump him right this minute. He knows he has to produce, but maybe it is time or he has already started (judging by the showing they had out east) to get in that room and break guys down and work on being the aggressive one. You are 100% right we have guys that will be lucky to finish close to .500 and we have guys that I honestly think can be AA and place very very high. I know I can't complain and no one else should complain about having Reader TnT in there, those guys are a great bunch and I know how much work they really put into their jobs. And I maybe shouldn't have said anything about needing an extra guy because Nickerson is great, but I am fearing he might be spread out too thin at times with the lower weight guys, but I'm probably way off in thinking that.
Are you available? As a coach? Or a wrestler? Seriously, you sound like somebody I would want on my team. And you are clearly a diehard Cyclone!
I am always curious to know who other people would have liked to seen get the job. Not being a jerk, I really am curious. I was good with the hire but who are some other names of possible candidates that would 'realistically' be a good fit as well as a top level coach who could bring the fire, passion and killer instinct back to the room that seems to have been missing for a while now?
I still think KJ gets (and deserves) a bit more time if continued progress is being made, though.
Oh I can never give up on the Cyclone family, even through some rough times. I dont think you would want me anywhere near the room, two blown out knees when I was younger. Heaven forbid I bring that omen anywhere near these guys we have, that's the last thing we need someone going down with an injury.