Head Coach Ben Askren

[11986]

How much longer do you all think Smith will stay on at Mizzou? He’s 55 or so I think. 

[jajensen09]

23 minutes ago, jchapman said:

Does anyone really see him going somewhere to be an assistant coach?

Depends on $$. Maybe co HC. Him and Sndyer are pretty tight and have coached together before. 

Edited February 16 by jajensen09

[Hammerlock3]

Just now, 11986 said:

How much longer do you all think Smith will stay on at Mizzou? He’s 55 or so I think. 

He's still really effective. Mizzo doesn't have the stagnant feel that Iowa has or OSU had before about a month ago.

[PortaJohn]

1 minute ago, Tripnsweep said:

The biggest part of college coaching is recruiting. So if he can do that well then the rest will sort itself out. 

I think this will be one of his strongest attributes along with his coaching abilities.  

[Hammerlock3]

1 minute ago, PortaJohn said:

I think this will be one of his strongest attributes along with his coaching abilities.  

Despite thinking his instant name recognition isn't that great, I agree thinking he'd be an excellent recruiter, guy can talk, and not in chael sonnen way either.

[Gus]

3 minutes ago, Hammerlock3 said:

He's still really effective. Mizzo doesn't have the stagnant feel that Iowa has or OSU had before about a month ago.

A big part of that is the fact that Mizzou has never been at the level of Iowa or OK State. 

[AnklePicker]

32 minutes ago, Hammerlock3 said:

He might be a great coach from what I can tell. I'd need to see where he ends up, and i hope he ends up somewhere, before I could guess how it will take or if he'll have success.

He MIGHT be a great coach?  What possibly makes you say that?  

[BAC]

40 minutes ago, Hammerlock3 said:

how much name recognition does he have outside of people in their mid 30s and up? 

Honestly, outside of current top D1 coaches and top active competitors, he probably has the highest name recognition there is, at least among current top high school recruits.  

From his Hodge career, to making the Olympic team, to becoming one of wresting's top MMA fighters, to becoming a lead Flo personality, to running the Asken Wrestling Academy, he's always been in the wrestling limelight, and he has one of the more memorable personalities and styles.  My guess is over 95 of the top 100 recruits know who he is.

If you're hiring a coach, and the top D1 coaches aren't moving and the top active competitors aren't ready to move into a full time coaching position... do you know a potential candidate who has MORE name recognition among top high school recruits? 

Heck, he probably has better name recognition among top high schoolers than 90% of existing D1 coaches.  

You don't have to like the guy, but questioning his name recognition among recruits is a pretty bad take.  

[Mr. PeanutButter]

Pipe dream, I know, but I would love dove if he came to Iowa, in whatever capacity. Head coach of the HWC makes the most sense since he could do his thing without being bogged by the administration. Again, pipe dream. 

More realistically, it's probably Wisconsin if anywhere D1. It will serve as sweet retribution against Bono and would. Give that program some much needed panache

[VakAttack]

I mean...we've been discussing Bono's tenure at Wisconsin....and that's the only job I would imagine he would want (although I would love to get him at Iowa, I think there's no shot). The only thing is, I think there's a cap at Wisconsin, I'm not sure they can realistically compete for a natty, but I don't think that's something Askren would agree with.

[BAC]

44 minutes ago, bnwtwg said:

don't be obtuse.

 

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

18 minutes ago, Gus said:

A big part of that is the fact that Mizzou has never been at the level of Iowa or OK State. 

Also coming off a bad stretch, which goes under the radar because they are not Iowa or Oklahoma State. (to add to your point)

[Hammerlock3]

15 minutes ago, AnklePicker said:

He MIGHT be a great coach?  What possibly makes you say that?  

are you implying there is a lot of evidence he's a great college coach? 

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

6 minutes ago, VakAttack said:

I mean...we've been discussing Bono's tenure at Wisconsin....and that's the only job I would imagine he would want (although I would love to get him at Iowa, I think there's no shot). The only thing is, I think there's a cap at Wisconsin, I'm not sure they can realistically compete for a natty, but I don't think that's something Askren would agree with.

Also, Ben has complained about the facilities and how they are probably unable to build a modern wrestling facility.  (I've never been to UW, but apparently not a lot of area to build new structures.)

[Jim L]

7 minutes ago, VakAttack said:

I mean...we've been discussing Bono's tenure at Wisconsin....and that's the only job I would imagine he would want (although I would love to get him at Iowa, I think there's no shot). The only thing is, I think there's a cap at Wisconsin, I'm not sure they can realistically compete for a natty, but I don't think that's something Askren would agree with.

Why do you think there is a cap at Wisconsin? Besides the obvious that there is a cap for every school that is not PSU as long as Cael is there.

[Hammerlock3]

21 minutes ago, Gus said:

A big part of that is the fact that Mizzou has never been at the level of Iowa or OK State. 

by what metric? Of the top of my head I know they beat Iowa and OSU handily in 2007. 

[VakAttack]

3 minutes ago, Jim L said:

Why do you think there is a cap at Wisconsin? Besides the obvious that there is a cap for every school that is not PSU as long as Cael is there.

I think given the life cycle of the sport that building a title threat at a non-power school would go beyond Wisconsin's capabilities.  They don't have the tradition or the money, IMO, to build a full on title contender.  To be clear, were it not for tradition, I don't know that Iowa would be able if they were a Wisconsin-level program right now.  I would love to be wrong, truly, more teams winning is healthier for the sport IMO.  It's one of the reasons I constantly talk about a dual tournament should determine the team title.

[MNRodent]

I didn't take his statement on FRL to mean that he necessarily wants to get into college coaching.  Maybe he just wants to spend more time with or expand his club coaching. He mentioned Freddie Roach as motivating him to coach and he is a boxing and MMA trainer.

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

4 minutes ago, Hammerlock3 said:

by what metric? Of the top of my head I know they beat Iowa and OSU handily in 2007. 

In 2007 lol!!!

Thanks for answering the question.  Going back 17 years, the precise age of the kids whom "no name" Askren may be theoretically recruiting.

[Hammerlock3]

2 minutes ago, Interviewed_at_Weehawken said:

In 2007 lol!!!

Thanks for answering the question.  Going back 17 years, the precise age of the kids whom "no name" Askren may be theoretically recruiting.

why are you so defensive? I wasn't attacking you, I just wanted to know what you meant by that.

[MizzouFan01]

As much as I would like Ben to take over at Mizzou, 2 things, I don’t think Smith is leaving anytime soon. I would think Maple if anyone would be next in line. Just my guess though. 

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

7 minutes ago, Hammerlock3 said:

why are you so defensive? I wasn't attacking you, I just wanted to know what you meant by that.

I just thought it was funny!

(and Gus was whom you were responding to)

But seriously, I thought going back to 2007 was humorous.

Edited February 16 by Interviewed_at_Weehawken

[Gus]

13 minutes ago, Hammerlock3 said:

by what metric? Of the top of my head I know they beat Iowa and OSU handily in 2007. 

On a single year basis, they have had seasons where they have been as good or better than Iowa or OK State. If you look over the last 15 years Iowa and OK State have consistently been at or near the top 5. OK State has had a couple of down years in the past 15 but has had 6 top 3 finishes. Iowa has had a about a dozen top 3 finishes. Mizzou had a third place finish in 2007. 

[ThreePointTakedown]

Lots of D3 schools in WI. Maybe one that might take a chance. Won't get paid much but he'd be able to try if his methods work at the collegiate level. 

Edited February 16 by ThreePointTakedown

[KCMO2]

37 minutes ago, MizzouFan01 said:

As much as I would like Ben to take over at Mizzou, 2 things, I don’t think Smith is leaving anytime soon. I would think Maple if anyone would be next in line. Just my guess though. 

Not sure if Maple is next in line, but he wouldn't be a bad choice.  You always roll the dice when you hire a first-time head coach, but he's got the resume:  NCAA champ, Academic All-American, US Open champ, asst. coach at OU, Purdue, and Nebraska. He also has a masters in intercollegiate athletic administration.  This is his 5th year at Mizzou and 2nd as associate head coach.  They could do a lot worse.