InterMat talked Swink about the hiring of Joe Russell as the head wrestling coach at George Mason.
Bill Swink talks to one of his wrestlers at Colonial ForgeSwink: I was excited. My assistant coaches were excited. We've all been hearing it. I think he will bring a lot to Northern Virginia. From everything you hear, his organization skills are just phenomenal. All the athletes you ever talk to that he has worked with love him. I think it will help to raise the awareness of wrestling in that Northern Virginia area having a guy like him come in from the Midwest.
Russell grew up in the Pacific Northwest (Ore.) and then spent 17 years as an assistant coach in the Midwest at Minnesota. Is it a concern that he has not coached in the Northeast?
Swink: I wouldn't think it's a concern. If you're a good coach, it doesn't matter what part of the county you're from. Recruiting is recruiting. Knowing talent is knowing talent. Organization and program development is the same no matter where you're at.
What things are in place at George Mason that can allow a new coach to be successful?
Swink: They have good facilities at George Mason. I think some of the success of the basketball program has raised the public understanding that George Mason has athletics. They don't have a football program. I think being in the Beltway area is huge. That Northern Virginia is region is so strong economically. Even when the rest of the county is having down times, Northern Virginia seems to thrive. I think that's good. I think you can gather a lot of support in a region like that.
On the flip side, what are some of some obstacles that George Mason faces?
Swink: With a good economy, there are a lot of things for kids to do. There are a lot of other opportunities. I think that could be a downside to the area. The program has struggled recently, so you've got to overcome that as far as recruiting.
How important will it be for Russell to build relationships with high school coaches in Virginia?
Swink: I think it's important. That's a start when you come in. Relationship building in athletics is important, especially in wrestling. You want to come in and get the local coaches on board as quickly as you can. They're the ones that are going to be in your gym watching your team compete. They're the guys that are going to be coming to your camps. Those types of things.
How much interest is there in the community of Fairfax and the surrounding area for the wrestling program at George Mason?
Swink: I think there's interest, but with anything, the interest grows with the success you have. But I think there's a good base. There are a lot of wrestling people in Northern Virginia. You have a lot of kids from elementary to middle school to high school to wrestling. You have to work to get those people as your fan base.
Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Swink: I think it shows the commitment from George Mason that they go out and hire a guy like Joe to come in and take over their program. Maybe they're going to follow the trend we have seen at some of the Virginia colleges with Virginia Tech, Uva, and Old Dominion upgrading their programs. To me, on the surface, not knowing anything behind the scenes, it would seem like maybe they're going to throw some better support into the wrestling program.
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