Joe McFarlandRevWrestling.com recently caught up with McFarland to get his thoughts on Mark Moos moving down to 125 pounds, Josh Churella, Eric Tannenbaum, and Steve Luke all moving up in weight, the controversial Ryan Churella vs. Johny Hendricks NCAA finals match, Joe Warren's mentality, and his outlook on the Wolverines.
Mark Moos started his collegiate wrestling career as a 125-pounder, moved up to 133 in January of his sophomore season, and is now moving back down to 125 for his senior season. Why the move back down to 125?
McFarland: I don't think he got as big as he thought he probably would. During the summer he didn't get that heavy at all … and 125 was probably more of a suitable weight class for him … and he finally realized that. He wasn't cutting any weight at all to make 133.
Is Moos being able to stay on weight all season a concern?
McFarland: No, he's already down to where he needs to be. He got his weight down in August. He did a good job of getting it down. Actually, even earlier than that, during our summer camps his weight was down where it needed to be. Yeah, he's been down for a couple months now.
Josh Churella has been one of the top wrestlers in the country over the past two seasons, yet he's battled some injuries and has also had some disappointments at the NCAA Championships, placing eighth as a freshman and failing to place last season as a sophomore. What do you think he's learned from his past disappointments?
McFarland: Well, I just think he made some mistakes last year at the NCAA Championships. His freshman year, he was just sick as a dog. Last year, he made some mistakes. You can't make mistakes at that tournament. You have to be on top of your game. You have to wrestle mistake free. I think his focus is on putting together great matches.
You have obviously spent a lot of time with the Churella family. When comparing Josh Churella to Ryan Churella, is there a bigger difference in their wrestling styles or a bigger difference in the personalities?
McFarland: Well, they're a little different in both respects, but they're very similar in a lot of respects, too. Their wrestling styles are definitely a little different. Josh isn't as tall and rangy as Ryan. It's just a different style altogether. They both possess great wrestling skills. I think the thing that the whole Churella family possesses, though, is a great desire to win. Their preparation is always there. Their work ethic is outstanding. Those guys work extremely hard and stay focused on what they need to do to get better. There are some differences in their wrestling, there's no doubt.
Eric Tannenbaum and Joe McFarlandMcFarland: Well, I think there are some factors in there. Eric was not as as focused last year because of a number of different things, but I think he's made those adjustments. I see a kid who has moved up and feels a little bit more comfortable in his new weight class. I think you're going to see him having a great season this year. Eric moving up is a good thing … and he's excited about the season coming up. He's really comfortable where he's at now.
Describe the difference between the Steve Luke who won the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December of 2005 and the Steve Luke who went 0-2 at the NCAA Championships in March of 2006. Was weight cutting a factor?
McFarland: Yeah, we held him back on some matches to try to keep him fresh. But the bottom line is I just think he's going to be much more comfortable where he's at now. I see him in the practice room and see what he's doing every afternoon. We're looking for an outstanding season from Steve. I think he's going to make an impact this year.
Luke is moving up two weight classes (157 to 174). Has he grown into the 174-pound weight class pretty well?
McFarland: Yeah, no question about it. Physically, he looks really good. He's going to be able to really concentrate on wrestling, becoming a better wrestler, working on his conditioning, and just really being able to get after it. I think it was tough on him last year. I know he's excited about the upcoming season.
Describe the feeling after Ryan Churella's NCAA finals loss to Johny Hendricks?
McFarland: Extremely disappointing. How else can you put it? It's something that I still think about. I just think it's a shame what happened. It's disappointing that you see that kind of stuff happen at that level. We still hear about that today. People talk about it.
Ryan Churella (Photo/John Sachs)McFarland: Our athletics director did. We got involved in a few things with the NCAA. I'm hoping that it was the impetus that helped make the changes in regards to the officials of the finals matches. From what I understand, those guys will not be working the NCAA Championships in Auburn Hills.
Was that the toughest individual loss of your coaching career?
McFarland: No question about it. I sat there in the corner after this thing was unraveling … it was like a bad dream. It really was.
Ryan Churella has not competed since the NCAA finals in March. Is his competitive wrestling career over?
McFarland: No, he wants to continue to wrestle freestyle. He's going to start up with Real Pro Wrestling. And I'm excited to watch him compete. He just needed a little time off after the NCAA's.
Many wrestling fans around the country were shocked when one of your former wrestlers, Andy Hrovat, pinned Mo Lawal at the World Team Trials in Sioux City, Iowa. What was your reaction?
McFarland: I wasn't really shocked. I see the things Andy has done in regards to his preparation. I know how dangerous Andy can be. He was really well prepared going into that tournament, there's no question. Even at the World Championships, he had a really tough first round draw. I think if Andy would have gotten by that match, he would have been in a pretty good situation. I think the whole thing of going through the Trials and the World Championships was a great experience for him. He's going to come back that much better and stronger for next year.
Joe Warren (Photo/John Sachs)McFarland: He's just a great competitor. He believes that every single time he steps on the mat that he's going to win. He told me before he went over to the World Championships that he was going to win the Worlds. He told me that his weight was where it needed to be, that he felt as good as he's ever felt, his preparation was great, and I think that showed in the kind of results he had at the World Championships.
He's a warrior, there's no question about it. He has a lot of confidence in himself. He gets after people. He actually won the gold just by the way he competes. To stay on that guy and win with just a few seconds left, that's Joe Warren's style of wrestling. He loves to get after guys … and he'll stay after guys.
How important is it to your program to have both the Big Ten Championships and the NCAA Championships in the state of Michigan this season?
McFarland: We're excited to have things close to Ann Arbor. Obviously, the Big Tens are up at East Lansing and the NCAA's are at the Palace in Auburn Hills. For us, it's obviously going to decrease our travel. We're going to be able to stay close to home and have our home fans, so we're hoping it's going to be a boost for us.
Joe McFarlandMcFarland: I think so. We have some young guys who can really make an impact this year. I think guys like Tyrel Todd, Casey White, and Steve Luke got a lot of experience last year … and I think those guys are all ready to step up and make an impact this year. I think Mark Moos moving down is going to help us … in addition to having guys like Josh (Churella) and Eric (Tannenbaum) back. Those guys are refocused this year and hungry. And with everything being in our backyard, I think that's only going to help us.
The Big Ten has two new head coaches this season, both former Hawkeyes: Tom Brands at Iowa and Tom Ryan at Ohio State. What do those coaching additions do to the conference landscape?
McFarland: It just makes it that much tougher. Those guys are going to do a great job with their programs. The Big Ten, as tough as it is now, it's only going to get tougher. I think that's going to be attractive to recruits. You've already seen those guys are stepping up and doing a good job with their respective programs. How much tougher can the Big Ten get? It's just going to continue to grow and develop. I think we have a lot of coaches in the Big Ten who are into it, doing a good job, and also doing it the right way.
Do you see Minnesota as the team to beat this season?
McFarland: Yeah, no question about it. But I see that Mack Reiter may have torn his ACL, which I'm sure is sort of a shock to their program. J and his staff have done a great job up there. Regardless of whether Mack wrestles this season or not, I still think they're the team to beat.
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