Poll: KJ's Status
- Thread starter crablegs
- Start date
Didn't participate in the poll, but do consider these things:
- half of the starters (5 out of 10 weights) are hurt, or are just getting back from injury
- all of the depth at those weights is currently redshirting
- two weight classes have been a struggle with weight (125 and 165); one of those two weights will be fine here soon, if not already (125), and that weight "issue" IMO is somewhat related to Earl getting another year
The room has some real nice talent, and more is on the way.
- half of the starters (5 out of 10 weights) are hurt, or are just getting back from injury
- all of the depth at those weights is currently redshirting
- two weight classes have been a struggle with weight (125 and 165); one of those two weights will be fine here soon, if not already (125), and that weight "issue" IMO is somewhat related to Earl getting another year
The room has some real nice talent, and more is on the way.
Wait and see what happens at Nationals. Too me, that's all that matters anyway.
I think you're correct on that which is why I'm not sure why we scheduled them. At best you can say it allows us a chance to sort out the lineup but you still have to at least take them somewhat seriously. You can't just cycle your training for Veags and Iowa and assume everything else will fall in to place with no complaints.
Didn't vote, but I am disappointed in early season results. Not sure what all occurred with the Harrington injury or Quean's situation. Downey getting injured is unfortunate.
I really wish we kept Gabe at 149 and Meeks at 141. Both Redshirt seniors and deserve a shot to both start. If somebody comes during season and takes the spot, then so be it. I wish the best for Gabe, because he is a Cyclone through and through. I hope he figures it out because the talent is there.
I know this team is better than the results being shown. But with all these seniors and juniors, it shouldn't be occurring
I really wish we kept Gabe at 149 and Meeks at 141. Both Redshirt seniors and deserve a shot to both start. If somebody comes during season and takes the spot, then so be it. I wish the best for Gabe, because he is a Cyclone through and through. I hope he figures it out because the talent is there.
I know this team is better than the results being shown. But with all these seniors and juniors, it shouldn't be occurring
I'm tired of hearing that the program is "building". This is Jackson's 8th season at ISU and he started 5 RS seniors this weekend. This is the team he built.
Sure injuries don't help, but it's not like ISU opened up against Penn State, Iowa, Okie state and tOSU. We lost to NDSU, SDSU and Wyoming! Don't tell me the coaches don't care about these early duals, if that was true they wouldn't be pulling true freshman's RS to wrestle up a weight class.
I am also tired of hearing about how his teams peak in March. ISU has finished outside the top 10 at NCAAs six years in a row. He has been the coach for the worst 2,3,4,5 and 6 year stretches in ISU history. Hands down the worst coach in ISU history. The only thing he has going for him is that the AD doesn't care.
Sure injuries don't help, but it's not like ISU opened up against Penn State, Iowa, Okie state and tOSU. We lost to NDSU, SDSU and Wyoming! Don't tell me the coaches don't care about these early duals, if that was true they wouldn't be pulling true freshman's RS to wrestle up a weight class.
I am also tired of hearing about how his teams peak in March. ISU has finished outside the top 10 at NCAAs six years in a row. He has been the coach for the worst 2,3,4,5 and 6 year stretches in ISU history. Hands down the worst coach in ISU history. The only thing he has going for him is that the AD doesn't care.
Well, that, and all of the fans that continue to make excuses (see posts above).
I understand that March matters most however IMO loosing and making excuses (no matter how valid they are) has become the normal for this program which is not acceptable. Even if our starters are hurt the coaches still need to have everyone at the correct weights and backups prepared to step in at anytime and compete. There appears to be a lack of discipline and accountability and that starts at the top.
I'm voting for a change today but I don't see a benefit of making a change toda. If I was JP I'd wait till the end of this season and make a change then. In the meantime I'd be having a very confidential job search and line up funding to make a "wow" hire. Hopefully KJ can right the ship and change my mind before this year is done.
The critics are going to question who might be better. I wonder that myself. Three options come to my mind...
In no particular order:
1. Jason Christiansen ( sp?) SEP high school coach. Very impressed with the program he has built. Dresser has done well at VaTech
2. Cody Sanderson - Alumni. Is he ready to run his own program?
3. Kyle Dake & David Taylor- co head coaches. Pipe dream I know.
Laugh away but share your thoughts.
I'm voting for a change today but I don't see a benefit of making a change toda. If I was JP I'd wait till the end of this season and make a change then. In the meantime I'd be having a very confidential job search and line up funding to make a "wow" hire. Hopefully KJ can right the ship and change my mind before this year is done.
The critics are going to question who might be better. I wonder that myself. Three options come to my mind...
In no particular order:
1. Jason Christiansen ( sp?) SEP high school coach. Very impressed with the program he has built. Dresser has done well at VaTech
2. Cody Sanderson - Alumni. Is he ready to run his own program?
3. Kyle Dake & David Taylor- co head coaches. Pipe dream I know.
Laugh away but share your thoughts.
This is some of how I feel. He has been for 8 years and we can't field a deep enough team to beat atleast 2 of the 3 that we have lost to already. On top of that, lets not forget some real head scratching line up decisions he's made this year and in years past. I'm seriously done giving him chances. I will support the wrestling team but I will no longer support having KJ on this staff.
I've stayed about as patient as anyone but I just don't feel like Iowa State wrestling should ever go o'fer the Dakotas, and Wyoming while squeaking out a win against No. Colorado. Yes, injuries and weight issues suck, but year 8 there has to be a way to overcome it. It's sad how far this once proud program has fallen.
I've supported KJ the last few seasons, but this isn't Iowa State Wrestling any more. It's one sport we should expect to dominate with the exceptions of maybe the Penn State's, Iowa's and Okie State's of the world..Point being there should be NO excuses as to why we sneak past Northern Colorado and lose to Wyoming, NDSU and SDSU in year 8. Even with the injuries our backups should mop the floor with most of those teams' starters. We've got an elite coaching staff with quality CWC guys to learn from also. With the successes we've had recently in recruiting we should be producing dominant results over that caliber of opponents.
I could get excited about Burroughs but what makes me nervous about him or Varner is their lack of coaching experience. Dake is a little different because his dad was a coach and he grew up in a high level coaching family much like CMC. I would be nervous that a Burroughs/Varner type hire would lack the organizational skills ala kj
See I think KJ's lack of organizational skills are part of what hurts him. Why no backup 125 on the trip to CO when your starter is having weight issues. No backup Hwt on Dakota trip, but 3 184 lbers. Head scratching lineup and redshirt decisions have been the norm for years.
The only thing giving me optimism is the true freshmen and recruits do seem to be a much higher caliber than we've had in the past. KJ has shown he can take the elite wrestler and make them great, maybe there is some hope. It's a thin strand, but it's all I've got to hold on to at the moment.
Yep, that really bothers me. Some stuff is out of a coaches control - you can't plan for injuries and you can't throw guys out there when they aren't healed up. But the Simmons thing was a coaching failure pure and simple. As a coach you should know how a guy's weight cut is going and if there's a chance of somebody missing weight because of a tough cut then you should have a backup with you, especially when your backup is a guy like Larson who can wrestle up a weight if need be and you can be confident he won't give up more than 3 points against all but the very best opponents. Simmons isn't totally innocent for missing weight but Jackson and the rest of the staff should have known in advance that missing 125 was a possibility. And since he was able to wrestle on Sunday it isn't like they can blame it on an unexpected injury or skin issue.
And I'm sure if you interviewed Jackson about it he'd say something like "We need to control our weight better" instead of taking ownership of his screw up.
The state of our wrestling program just bums me out so hard man. I can't even muster the energy to be sad, mad, or hopeful about it anymore. I'm just bummed out.
