You'll be coaching Coleman Scott on Thursday at the Grapple in the Big Apple. Scott has lost all his matches to Shawn Bunch, and all but one to Reece Humphrey. What are your thoughts on the upcoming wrestle-offs?
Smith: It doesn't matter what the record was in the past. Coleman Scott hasn't wrestled Shawn Bunch in a while and none of that really matters anyways. It doesn't matter what happened in the past when this is for the Olympic team. The guy that wants it is the guy that is going out to execute and he's the guy who is gonna win. I think Coleman Scott is ready to do that.
John Smith coaching at this year's NCAAs in St. Louis (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Smith: It's been a year of prep, really three years of prep for Coleman. That experience has brought him forward in the process and will give him his best performance this week. The wrestle-off is just part of the journey in making the Olympic team and those other guys had their own journeys but Coleman has probably had it tougher than any wrestler ever has. Sitting out of the Olympic Trials was probably a huge advantage for those other guys, because take it from someone who has won a few of these the toughest thing to do is win the Trials. Coleman Scott is faced with the toughest journey, the toughest qualification, and I think you'll see that it's going to pay off for him.
Take me back through the World Grand Championships. Do you see some similarities with the Grapple in the Big Apple?
Smith: Yeah, these events have been a shot in the arm for wrestling. And there are a lot of similarities, just the fact that this is something happening way outside the norm for our sport with the attention and being in New York City. I think it's fun to watch and fun to be a part of. Those events back in Pittsburgh were also great events and there are a lot of similarities when it comes to big attendance and the Russians coming in. I think it's hard to look at all this and not see some good things happening.
Do you stay in touch with Sergei Beloglazov?
Smith: We have a good relationship. Absolutely. As far as staying in contact, not really unless I see him at a wrestling tournament.
The Oklahoma State wrestling team is known for their technique. Right or wrong, fans associate your burnt orange singlet with low singles, crackdowns, and crisp setups. What is it like to be a part of your system? Is it true you guys don't do much live for the first several weeks or months?
Smith: Always trying to get a system in place, but we are also always adjusting it for what we have in the room. That's just the challenge of coaching. We've changed it at times. You have to ask yourself, 'Are we starting five freshmen? And what should you do with these five freshmen?' Things have to be tweaked. You don't throw away all your lessons, but you tweak them and that kind of depends on what is not best for the athletes and what is going keep them coming into the room. Today you have to adjust it to your environment.
John Smith (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)Smith: Oh, no. That would be the most dangerous thing I could do.
Tyler Caldwell actually cited the "Oklahoma State style" as one of the reasons he chose to transfer to Oklahoma State. That's a considerably risky thing to do once Bedlam comes around. Talk to me about his potential and how you see him toughening up your lineup.
Smith: Tyler Caldwell doesn't need to worry about my expectations. He has high enough expectations. There is a lot made of style and everyone wants to score and I think Tyler's smart to try and find ways to score more points and that'll compliment his good, solid defense. I don't think you'll see a big change in his style, maybe just mentality and approach. His expectations are as high as it goes.
You got some horses in the middle of your lineup, huh?
Smith: (Laughs) You bet! You always think you're set in the summer and you look around the room and you think you got a nice look. Then in the middle of the year, you wonder what happened to that look. I think you have to earn the look. When you start thinking you have something for sure, that's about the first time you realize you don't. I expect that we as coaches and the wrestlers keep banging away and earning it. That's what every team needs to do, I think, bang away and earn it.
Mark Cody and you go back a long way. He was even your head assistant for a few years. What is your relationship like today with Coach Cody?
Smith: He was the grad assistant here for a year and then I hired him to be my head assistant for three years, from 2001-2003. It was right before he got the job at American. I have great respect for Mark and am proud to see what he's done and what he's accomplished. Things are just a lot more competitive now that he's living in the same state and coaching at Oklahoma.
John Smith talks with Blake Rosholt during Bedlam (Photo/Austin Bernard, Tech-Fall.com)Smith: If I wanted to go after the gold medal in 1996 it was probably something that I was in a position to do. You know it's not like I was going to fall off the face of the earth after winning six in a row. They got a lot tighter, and it's just tough for anyone. The pressure is there and there is nothing for you to do but to win. Taking second ain't gonna do it for you after winning four, five gold medals. I did what I needed to do when I needed to do it.
And of course we had a great wrestler in Tom Brands that followed up after me. I was proud that he maintained that weight class for a lot of years after me. I have no regrets and I know it was time for me, emotionally, to move on. I was ready. I was satisfied with when I was done. You gotta want more in this sport to be successful and for me I was satisfied. I was able to walk off the mat and have a good feeling while walking.
What did you think of Cael's comeback in 2011?
Smith: I have great respect for what Cael did last year. I think he ticks a little bit differently than me, than everyone. Him going in and competing, maybe that completed him in some ways, completed his journey. Maybe going through the event helped him complete his quest as an athlete. We always think of careers in terms of wins and losses, but for the wrestler it's not always wins and losses you're looking for. Sometimes you have something else and I think that's what he probably solved. It was brave of him to come back.
John Smith greets Cayle Byers as he comes off the mat (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Smith: We didn't have a lot of room to make errors that year, or even for guys to get injured. The lineup was solid, but we had no depth. The sanctions definitely depleted everything as far as that was concerned. But looking back and thinking about Mark Branch coming from a losing record to win an NCAA title, and of course Pat Smith was trying to win his fourth title. The dynamics of that team were really important and ended up being the reason they excelled.
Maybe the biggest thing that happened for that team was when Alan Fried decided he was going to stay in Stillwater. That was the key, I think. Without Alan that title wasn't possible, because things were looking pretty bleak at one time, but Fried staying meant the difference.
I recently read an article about your son Joe, who won his first high school state title. Congrats! The article said you didn't start coaching him until he was 12. Does that mean he didn't start wrestling until then? That can't be possible, right?
Smith: No, no. He's been wrestling since he was six or seven. I'm not saying that's the way to do it, but he's always been in good hands.
Speaking of family, which Smith brother had the most talent?
Smith: Well, that's probably a better question to ask my brothers. We talk about talent all the time, things like "talent" and "explosiveness," but the difference is that those things can't maintain, or we talk about it with wrestlers who don't have the metal capacity to sustain and use those talents. I think the better question would be who was the most mentally tough of us all. That answer is Pat Smith.
I don't think he was very talented and he didn't start winning until later in his wrestling career, like eighth or ninth grade, but what he had to be the first four-time NCAA champion? Wow. That was a process which draws a lot of attention and it was a whole different type of attention than me winning six gold medals because that was all out of the country. Pat was one of the most mentally tough guys I've ever coached and to see him have that success was special. You know, "talent" that just doesn't get it done.
You should think about a career in politics.
Smith: (Laughs) See how I made that into a new question?
John Smith with Jordan Burroughs at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Smith: That's a tough one and probably not a fair one. Kenny made three Olympic teams. Anyone can win one match, but who can sustain things over a long time. Jordan can beat anyone once, same with Kenny. People that sustain greatness are impressive and Jordan shows every sign of being able to sustain things. I think you judge them by how they sustain their focus, and how they deal with winning and money and things that come into their life. The good thing about Burroughs is from what I've seen he's been able to sustain that drive through this Olympic year. Tell you what, that's a great question to ask once he's made a few more Olympic teams.
You did it again. You changed the question! OK, I know you're a big time hunter ... What's your greatest hunting story? Hunting conquest?
Smith: I probably read more and buy more stuff for hunting than I ever do hunt, but I tell you I'm always prepared. I love to bird hunt and that's probably my favorite animal to hunt. When I get out there it's usually to go pheasant hunting or quail hunting. I like the excitement and challenge of it, and with pheasant hunting I like the workout which can be as much as walking 15 miles. That's definitely my choice. I also love to bow hunt. Obviously in Oklahoma it's white tail deer and overall I'd say I get out there about two to three times a year. I also have a great love for fishing, but again I probably read more and watch more on TV. Sometimes that's all I need, probably because it's all I get.
Putting in too many hours to enjoy the outdoors? What's your average week like?
Smith: I put in a lot of hours, but it's what you love to do. You only count hours if you hate your job. I love mine.
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