A look at what Popolizio hire could mean

North Carolina State has hired Pat Popolizio away from Binghamton. Let's examine what the hire could mean for North Carolina State, ACC, and Binghamton.

North Carolina State

Probably the best hire possible for the struggling Wolfpack program. Popolizio is a proven turnaround expert and national recruiter, and is guaranteed to motivate the Raleigh fan base. That energy pump should help increase their home attendance and potentially generate new sources of financial support. The Wolfpack administration, headed by former Maryland AD Debbie Yow (Pat Santoro, Kerry McCoy), knew that they were offering a special opportunity to their new coach; revamped facility, full scholarships, and a desirable living location. For Yow and her staff, Popolizio is proof that they are in tune with the wrestling world and that they intend to provide the Wolfpack program with the support they need to be successful.

Pat Popolizio guided Binghamton to a 14th-place finish at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Popolizio has an excellent reputation, and for good reason. The Binghamton program he adopted had been discontinued in 2004 and after reinstatement in 2005-2006 was dealt a blow when Tony Robie left to take a position at Virginia Tech after only one season. (The team was 0-12.) Popolizio, a native of New York, moved quickly to create a culture of confidence in the program and notched several accomplishments in his first three years as coach. However, it was the 2010 season when he oversaw a conference championship squad and two All-Americans that created buzz that he might be in line for more opportunities.

Fickle as the wrestling community can be, Popolizio had a down year in 2011, failing to place any wrestlers at the NCAA tournament (As one coach told me after NCAAs, "Are you kidding me? This guy created a winning program at Binghamton and all of a sudden he's not hot shit after one down year?") Popolizio's wrestlers had a stellar 2012 campaign with two wrestlers, Ironman Award winner Donnie Vinson (third place at 149 pounds) and freshman heavyweight Nick Gwiazdowski taking home All-American honors as the team finished a program-best 14th in the country. Popolizio was named the CAA Coach of the Year for the second time in his career (2010, 2012).

Popolizio will be looking to recruit some of the nation's best talent, but former coach Carter Jordan didn't leave the cupboards bare. The team is looking forward to the return of two NCAA qualifiers in rising sophomore Coltin Fought and rising junior Matt Nereim. Also word is freshman 184-pounder Josh DaSilveira (Ft. Lauderdale, Cardinal Gibbons High School) might be poised to make an immediate impact.

ACC

Popolizio is entering a conference in the midst of a revival, and his talents are sure to make the competition a lot tougher in a hurry. Parity is the new buzzword in college wrestling, and if you look at the current lineups of Maryland, Virginia, and Virginia Tech, there is reason to believe that another top 20 program (like Popolizio has proven he can create) could mean a lot more automatic qualifiers for the conference.

Fans of the ACC won't have to wait long to witness his impact, Popolizio's on-mat coaching skills are substantial and with the right staff should help bring a balanced lineup to the tournament.

Binghamton

The Binghamton job is much more attractive than it was when Popolizio inherited the position from Robie in 2006. But his exit is incredibly deflating for a program on the cusp of creating a legacy of multiple All-Americans every year. Does Binghamton have all the chips in place to move forward with a new coach? Of course, and they'll attract top talent, but will it be other head coaches or just assistants?

Binghamton will probably want to pursue coaches who are familiar with recruiting the area and that have a preexisting relationship with Frank Popolizio (which doesn't narrow it down much since Frank seems to know and love everyone). They will also be looking at someone they believe can build on the momentum Pat was able to create in the last three seasons. Success in the eyes of an administrator isn't just about winning. They want to see alumni activity, good grades, and financial support. Overall they'd love to see a program as close to self-sustaining as possible. It's a difficult charge, but one that might motivate a few of the country's top assistants, and maybe a few head coaches as well.

Jeremy Spates (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

If they choose an assistant the smart money would be on Cornell's Jeremy Spates, who would likely accept the job. The longtime Oklahoma and Cornell assistant has been looking for his first head coaching job and has many of the qualifiers needed to be successful at Binghamton. As a Cornell assistant (and childhood denizen of Ithaca), Spates is familiar with wrestling in upstate New York, recruiting local and national talent, and has up-close experience with how to friend-raise and fundraise.

Another assistant possibility would be Sean Gray from Princeton, who along with head coach Chris Ayers has done well to improve the team's middleweights. He's got a ton of coaching experience and might be looking for a chance to spring up a rung on the coaching ladder.

It's unclear who Binghamton has called or plans to call, but don't be surprised to hear names like Matt Dernlan, and even Chris Ayers tossed around. Both are great head coaches who would certainly attract the attention of the Binghamton administration.

Prognostication is a fool's errand, but I see Jeremy Spates as the most logical hire. He's smart, well-liked, and though the Binghamton fan base feels deflated (and rightly so), his hire would undoubtedly reenergize the base.

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