There are just under 80 Division I wrestling programs and it's unlikely that each of these coaches is doing a perfect job. We know that there are programs in desperate need of change, and there is likely at least one or two coaches secretly hopeful that they can move forward into other careers.
For anyone who has wrestled or coached at the Division I level, there has been a noticeable increase in what is asked of most coaches. No longer are they just teaching outside singles, setting the schedule and doling out per diem. The modern coach is coaching, recruiting, fundraising, marketing AND running the daily operations of their program. There is little time for relaxation and the pressure to win is always present and ever-stressful.
Still, six week after the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships none of the almost 80 coaches have left their post.
Tom Minkel has served as Michigan State's head wrestling coach for 24 seasons (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)The character of the Michigan State head wrestling coach has never been in question and he elicits vehement support from alumni -- most who graduated in the 1980s and 1990s. I know their loyalty to Coach Minkel because they are always eager to email, a fact that I appreciate, even if at times their threats have become physical. I have respect for Coach Minkel, and yet the fact remains that change is needed in East Lansing.
Six weeks after the NCAA tournament and still no change at the top of any programs. That's apathy, plain and simple, and for a sport run on passion nothing could be more dangerous.
To your questions ...
Q: What are your thoughts on last year's medal winners at the World Championships getting byes to the finals of this year's World Team Trials? Should they have to prove themselves every year? Is sitting out the mini tournament too much of an advantage, especially at some of the deeper weight classes?
-- Scott M.
Foley: USA Wrestling wants to win the most medals possible at the World Championships and Olympic Games. At the core of that mission is the ability for wrestlers to defeat foreign competition, while also remaining the best in the country. While making it past your countrymen is important, the balance struck by USA Wrestling seems to reflect the want to get the right wrestler in front of the foreign competition.
USA Wrestling has done a great job with this model. There should be considerations given to previous World medalists since they've proven to be able to achieve the ultimate goal of the organization. Still, they will need to beat the best local opponent to have that option.
I think we can all agree that putting Jordan Burroughs into the mini tournament doesn't reveal much about his ability to beat foreign competition. Yet Burroughs won't be given a free pass (as is the habit of other countries) and will need to defeat the very best of the mini tournament, which as you recognized will likely be a formidable opponent.
Yes, sitting out the mini tournament is an advantage in that it reduces risk of injury and potential exhaustion, but to be competitive worldwide the USA should ensure these minor advantages to its performers.
Q: I'll be the first to admit to being ignorant in regards to the structure and bracketing of international wrestling tournaments. That being said, how did Andrew Hochstrasser manage to win Pan Ams with "only" two matches? It seems like a lot of training, traveling, and (what I'm only assuming) was a less than enjoyable weight cut for very minimal mat time. Looking at the performance as a whole, over half of the matches that the U.S. wrestled were won by large margins. What does that say about the depth of the Pan Ams, or was the U.S. freestyle team just THAT good?
-- Ethan S.
Foley: The USA men's freestyle team is probably the third deepest in the world behind the Russians and Iranians. The advantage seems to come from the number of matches wrestled in a lifetime (albeit not all freestyle) by such a large number of wrestlers willing to compete into their twenties. While Azerbaijan and Turkey pour resources into their teams, the programs don't seem to have the same depth as the American side.
As for the Pan American Championships, many of the nations were only concerned with qualifying for the Pan American Games in Toronto, which led some nations to send backups, or nobody at all. Some of the weight classes ended up thinned out and in Hochstrasser's case he also ended up with a first-round bye.
Look for the Pan American Games in July to be a much more competitive tournament.
MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME
Link: A funny and eye-opening look into the world of kid's MMA
This is how to finish a double leg
Baby panda falls out of a tree
Q: Which 2014 World Team member has the greatest risk of being unseated in Greco and freestyle?
-- @CodyOcho5
Foley: It's tough to say since so many are performing well at the international level. My initial reaction was Tony Ramos, but he's been wrestling so well that I'd hate to see him miss another year on the roster. Still, he might be vulnerable to guys like Angel Escobedo and even Zach Sanders who can find a way to knock him out early.
I'd keep an eye on 48 kilos in women's wrestling where longtime rivals Alyssa Lampe and Victoria Anthony are set to do battle. Lampe has owned the majority of the matches, but Anthony has the last win, catching Lampe on her back.
The Greco-Roman team probably won't see much upheaval, though I'd expect Ellis Coleman to have the advantage versus Bryce Saddoris should the two meet in the mini tournament.
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