If Pollard had been AD, Gable would have coached at ISU.

**ketelmeister** · 05-12-2007, 07:04 PM

Imagine where Iowa State would be today, had Lou McCullough named Dan Gable Head Wrestling coach? Gable wanted to stay, but Harold Nichols would not retire. He was a great coach, but stayed too long, and Gable took Iowa to new heights. If Jamie Pollard had been AD, I believe he would not have let Gable get away. Put Iowa's championships in our column and wow....

**isu_bub** · 05-12-2007, 07:06 PM

I actually hate thinking about the idea....

**Steve** · 05-13-2007, 07:33 PM

It wasn't a question of Nichols stepping down. Gable wasn't ready to take over and wasn't named head coach at iowa until after he had spent 3 or 4 years as an assistant there. The problem at ISU was that Nichols had a very loyal and successful assistant coach who he refused to run off to make room on the staff for Gable. I have to admire Nichols for that just as I admire Douglas for stepping down when he did. It was a combination of circumstances - not just who the AD was.

**alaskaguy** · 05-13-2007, 08:39 PM

Nichols didn't decide to retire until after the 1984-1985 season. Gable became the head wrestling coach at Iowa in 1976. You don't replace a man that was named national coach of the year three times with an individual that had no head coaching experience.

The Nichols legacy included coaching at Iowa State for 32 years, during which his teams won six NCAA championships and finished second 11 times. He coached 38 collegiate champions. In the 25 years before his arrival, Iowa State had had only one NCAA winner.

**cyputz** · 05-14-2007, 12:24 AM

Steve and Alaska Guy...well stated.
(Rep to you two)

**ISUCY11** · 05-14-2007, 12:29 AM

yeah yeah yeah...what if...

if Gable stayed here, would we have still ended up with Cael?

**RedStorm** · 05-14-2007, 08:17 AM

The reason Dan Gable is who he is, and has had the success he had, was because of Harold Nichols.

**letsgostate** · 05-14-2007, 11:27 AM

I don't agree with the reason Dan Gable is who he is was solely because of Harold Nichols. I agree he was a great coach, but you could also point to Gable as the reason for several of those national championships. ISU should have found a way to keep Gable with the carrot of moving him into the top spot. Once he left, ISU never won another national title and moved down as low at 7th during Nichols tenure. The arguement is not where Nichols was a great coach, it was did he stay too long and did ISU miss an opportunity. You could make the same arguement with Cael. IF ISU did not hire him, he would have gone to Iowa. I think Ketelmeister has a valid point here.

**BryceC** · 05-14-2007, 12:00 PM

I have no problem with Gable leaving. I would have loved to have the success Gable had at Iowa at ISU, but like others have said, you don't go out and fire a guy like Nichols to make space for a guy who's never been a head coach, especially if he's still healthy enough to coach for 8 more years. It was a no brainer, even though Gable had a ton of success.

**ketelmeister** · 05-14-2007, 06:19 PM

Just a question here and this is not meant to be smart or anything, but how was the Gable situation any different that when ISU made room for Cael?

**Wesley** · 05-14-2007, 06:24 PM

Originally Posted by ketelmeister

Just a question here and this is not meant to be smart or anything, but how was the Gable situation any different that when ISU made room for Cael?

You can add me to that list. Frankly, Cael and Dan are both upgrades to Harold. JP just runs it more like a corporation than the old boys.

**alaskaguy** · 05-14-2007, 06:46 PM

Originally Posted by ketelmeister

Just a question here and this is not meant to be smart or anything, but how was the Gable situation any different that when ISU made room for Cael?

Nichols was the most successful wrestling coach in ISU's history and was a coaching legend. Although Bobby Douglas was a very successful wrestling coach for ISU, his success does not measure up to what Nichols accomplished. For example, Douglas never won a national championship while coaching ISU and finished as low as 19th (2002-2003).

**ketelmeister** · 05-14-2007, 09:23 PM

I don't want to belabor a point, but Nichols was almost 70 when he retired, he was old when I was at Iowa State and young wrestlers want to wrestle their coach. I just think he held on too long and should have groomed Gable as his replacement. I believe Pollard saw that and didn't want to make the same mistakes of the past.