Who does ISU go after
- Thread starter Scott34
- Start date
This is correct. Still a sticky situation.
EDIT: had this typed up for awhile before submitting. Didn't mean to be intentionally repetitive
The situation will resolve itself one way or another before anybody has to commit to anything for next year. Which is good for the recruits and redshirts, but not so good for ISU. Hopefully if Pollard does pull the trigger he has somebody else lined up and ready to go very quickly. A long wait could lead to kids commitments starting to wander.
Getting paid to talk about something does not necessarily make one intelligent on the subject. That's typical talking head BS that you hear in every sport. Far from an original thought.
Why do I think it was a reach? How about, he had never coached collegiate wrestling before, outside of one year as a volunteer assistant 12 years prior to taking the job here. That isn't a reach?
Certainly not a point I've ever made. And I don't think our training tactics have changed considerably since then but the injuries have certainly diminished which I think goes to show you that wasn't the issue.
Gibbons was a part of it last time. At some point, he made a play for the job for himself. I don't know if he has hard feelings over that or not. However, he loves Iowa State so I can't imagine he wouldn't be an advisor.
You may have not been, but many were. Many slammed The staff for our technique or condition for our injuries
Usually to have a job there needs to be some type of qualification. Aside from these guys having backgrounds in wrestling and constantly doing their homework on what goes on in the wrestling world today I believe they have papers from universities (at least the ones on the forefront) that say they are qualified. Also can't see how something they thought up isn't an original thought. I usually don't always agree with some of the things the guys on Flo say but in this instance I had to and there's clearly people here other than myself who also agree. You said "If one could accurately predict the future we wouldn't even have to wrestle the matches. There are no guarantees in sports or life" so you didn't know how KJ would do when he got the job. Calling it a reach from the get go now sounds pretty hypocritical.
Has a deal with Asics for his shoe, which I have no idea about compensation. Brings in around 50-75k on camps as well, atleast it was in that ballpark when he was at ISU. I'm guessing there are performance bonuses in his contract as well, which I have to guess he has been hitting regularly.
I like Kevin. I wish things had gone well for him, but they haven't by my standards. My standards aren't Pollard's, so I don't know what will happen?
College wrestling is really such a small group. There are really just a few teams to have NCAA title success over many years. That being said, these coaching trees all seem to have pretty closed connections, one to another. Progeny tend to want to blaze their own trail, and make something from nothing.
At this point, I wouldn't bet on any PSU wrestler/coach coming to Ames. The following of Cael is cultish, and his disdain for things Ames seems obvious. For me that removes any Cody, Taylor, Varner talk. Which is okay, as I think there is a large part of our fan base that understands that, and reciprocates.
That goes for anything EIU for me. Nothing Gable related for me. No single individual has done more to damage ISU wrestling than he did, IMO. He exists to support one thing, his legacy as a coach. That's living, and it moves forward, while his career as a wrestler is over. I'd be surprised if any of their former wrestlers would want the job.
What does that leave? A lot, I hope. I would welcome any input from Gibbons as an AD. I would hope he still cares. Give it to him if he wants it.
Recent recruiting may point to the Paulsons. Is that true? I would really like to know. Who is responsible for the last two recruiting classes coming to ISU? I would tend to look at retaining something workable there.
College wrestling is really such a small group. There are really just a few teams to have NCAA title success over many years. That being said, these coaching trees all seem to have pretty closed connections, one to another. Progeny tend to want to blaze their own trail, and make something from nothing.
At this point, I wouldn't bet on any PSU wrestler/coach coming to Ames. The following of Cael is cultish, and his disdain for things Ames seems obvious. For me that removes any Cody, Taylor, Varner talk. Which is okay, as I think there is a large part of our fan base that understands that, and reciprocates.
That goes for anything EIU for me. Nothing Gable related for me. No single individual has done more to damage ISU wrestling than he did, IMO. He exists to support one thing, his legacy as a coach. That's living, and it moves forward, while his career as a wrestler is over. I'd be surprised if any of their former wrestlers would want the job.
What does that leave? A lot, I hope. I would welcome any input from Gibbons as an AD. I would hope he still cares. Give it to him if he wants it.
Recent recruiting may point to the Paulsons. Is that true? I would really like to know. Who is responsible for the last two recruiting classes coming to ISU? I would tend to look at retaining something workable there.
I understand wanting to keep this year's class intact. But as I see it, the situation is such that the only workable choice is to let KJ go. He is in the second to last year of his contract. Based on performance, there is absolutely no way to justify offering him an extension. Yet not doing so makes him a dead man walking, which would KILL next year's recruiting. Plus, it is likely that most of the 2017 recruits will redshirt next year. If KJ is fired in 2018, some of them would request a release at that time. Probably that number would be similar to the those that would want one if he's let go this year. So its a question of sacrificing two classes versus one.
I also understand that KJ is one of the few coaches to have trained an NCAA champion in the last 5 years. But a handful of individual champions no longer (IMO) papers over the performance of the team as a whole. Nor do I see many high probability champions in the near future (with apologies to PD2).
Short a miracle performance at nationals, there isn't any other choice but to change coaches this year. And to really do it right, I think that means cleaning the slate—with at most 1 assistant carried over (and then only if the new head coach prefers it).
I also understand that KJ is one of the few coaches to have trained an NCAA champion in the last 5 years. But a handful of individual champions no longer (IMO) papers over the performance of the team as a whole. Nor do I see many high probability champions in the near future (with apologies to PD2).
Short a miracle performance at nationals, there isn't any other choice but to change coaches this year. And to really do it right, I think that means cleaning the slate—with at most 1 assistant carried over (and then only if the new head coach prefers it).
By definition almost, its not a tweak if you drop the head coach. Plus, KJ has been tweaking his staff all along. Its never really been successful. To point: KJ's current assistant coaches (whom everyone seems to love) have not prevented a 1-7 dual record, with top talent leaving their headgear on the mat. What part of that responsibility falls on them?
I'd be wary of foisting remnants of the old regime onto a new HC. I suppose you could promote a current staff member to HC, and some may favor that. Not me.
I'd be wary of foisting remnants of the old regime onto a new HC. I suppose you could promote a current staff member to HC, and some may favor that. Not me.
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I'm torn on this.
From what I've heard, Trent and Travis are the biggest reason for the limited success that we have had. Part of me thinks you keep them around. But I also think it should be up to whoever comes in and takes over. Depends whether that would be a good fit or not.
I could also understand wanting to completely start over.
