Zack Esposito to NC State

[gromit]

Nice get for Pat Pop and the Wolfpack

https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/12301765-zack-esposito-named-associate-head-coach-at-nc-state

[JVStateChamp]

Good pickup for NC State. This may be bigger news for USA wrestling, there has been a lot of turnover for the freestyle development coach in recent years. 

[Voice of the Quakers]

Two questions:

1) What prompted Esposito to leave OSU in the first place?
2) If Esposito did truly want the USA Wrestling position, what's going on in Colorado Springs?

[bracketbuster]

I will add my own question. I hope this doesn't come off as mean towards the USA coaches but I am generally curious. What kind of coaching do they actually do and what are their actual duties? Do guys go out to Colorado more than I realize? It seems like all the wrestlers training for the Olympics are doing so at their RTCs and when they go to international events I see their "College" coaches in their corner.

I don't know this for a fact but since Esposito got back into college coaching so quickly, to me it adds to the speculation that Coleman Scott is going to eventually be the head coach at Oklahoma State it is just a matter of when and that Esposito was probably told that he was not going to be the head coach. But I could be reading too much into this.

[gromit]

13 minutes ago, Voice of the Quakers said:

Two questions:

1) What prompted Esposito to leave OSU in the first place?
2) If Esposito did truly want the USA Wrestling position, what's going on in Colorado Springs?

I'm assuming it was due to Coleman Scott's pending move to Stillwater, but I'm unsure of the timing.

Edited March 14 by gromit

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

Looks like a great hire!

[BAC]

I kinda feel for USAW.  You have to think they were clear that they wanted a commitment, not someone who was going to leave the job only 6 months in. I can't criticize Esposito since I don't know the full story, but I hope it was more than "something better came along," since it stinks to have this happen while an Olympic cycle is reaching its peak. 

Maybe USAW can snag one of the guys who leaves his shoes on the mat at Trials in April? 

[bnwtwg]

Maybe it was "hey, I heard James is going to give it one more shot and you need someone since he is stepping away. Because of the timing from Coleman and Koll, there are no quality openings that are a good fit. If you will have me for this folkstyle season until I can find a new coaching home, I will help keep things afloat at the OTC."

[lisa morales]

Cauliflower ear type destined to be an assistant wrestling coach for life.

[wrestle87]

The freestyle development position has  been an interim coaching holdover/placeholder/carousel position for as long as I can remember.  Metcalf talked about taking that position before Iowa State pulled him in.  In this day and age, USAW is another RTC for freestyle, though I imagine they play a larger role in Greco.  

Espo wasn’t exactly a freestyle monster, my impression was that J Smith said “yeah, nah you’re not the guy,” which is brutal considering how much he did for Okie State, but he saw the writing on the wall and moved on with grace.

[Idaho]

15 minutes ago, wrestle87 said:

Espo wasn’t exactly a freestyle monster, my impression was that J Smith said “yeah, nah you’re not the guy,” which is brutal considering how much he did for Okie State, but he saw the writing on the wall and moved on with grace.

That's the same impression I got as well.... and not to be a turd, but it looks like Ok State made a good choice with the year they have had. 

[MidwestMan]

13 minutes ago, Idaho said:

That's the same impression I got as well.... and not to be a turd, but it looks like Ok State made a good choice with the year they have had. 

THIS!

[wrestle87]

1 hour ago, Idaho said:

That's the same impression I got as well.... and not to be a turd, but it looks like Ok State made a good choice with the year they have had. 

That's not being a turd at all, Coleman has reinvigorated(saved?) that program in a rather clear fashion.  Okie State wrestlers look better than they have in many many years.  The last time I can remember Okie State wrestlers looking like they actually enjoyed wrestling to this extent was back when Jake Rosholt and Johnny Hendricks were wearing highlighter orange.  Those teams had swagger.  This team also definitely has swagger and a tremendous attitude (even though I root against okie state more often than not, old habits die hard), it's tremendous to have them back in a place where an electric orange singlet is something you definitely worry about having to deal with.  

[Voice of the Quakers]

31 minutes ago, wrestle87 said:

That's not being a turd at all, Coleman has reinvigorated(saved?) that program in a rather clear fashion.  Okie State wrestlers look better than they have in many many years.  The last time I can remember Okie State wrestlers looking like they actually enjoyed wrestling to this extent was back when Jake Rosholt and Johnny Hendricks were wearing highlighter orange.  Those teams had swagger.  This team also definitely has swagger and a tremendous attitude (even though I root against okie state more often than not, old habits die hard), it's tremendous to have them back in a place where an electric orange singlet is something you definitely worry about having to deal with.  

Which is why I'm curious why the press is saying this a great hire for NC State...

Again, not every great wrestler is a great coach.

Edited March 14 by Voice of the Quakers

[Interviewed_at_Weehawken]

12 minutes ago, Voice of the Quakers said:

Which is why I'm curious why the press is saying this a great hire for NC State...

Again, not every great wrestler is a great coach.

I assume Pat Pop knows him well enough from Oklahoma State to believe in him as a coach.

Also, its not like the Tarheels were tearing it up under Coleman.  Maybe Scott is more suited to an assistant role? Or maybe he's found a place where he fits in better?

[PortaJohn]

Other than Trephan, how many Jersey kids has Pat Pop recruited during his tenure?  Espo is a great pipeline to fix this

[wrestle87]

2 hours ago, Voice of the Quakers said:

Which is why I'm curious why the press is saying this a great hire for NC State...

Again, not every great wrestler is a great coach.

Espo is a great coach, I have no question about this, but I don’t think I’ve ever heard him get suit and tie adult style serious, which is something all head coaches must have.  I’d think of him as a non-abrasive Mike Zadick.  Dude has tremendous pedigree, talent, and connections, but just not the personality to fill the very big shoes that J Smith will leave behind.  We have to keep in mind that when coach smith leaves, the success of whoever takes his place will determine career outcomes for a number of administrators at Oklahoma State as well.  I love Espo in the wrestling room, but I would not pick him if I were the administrator.

Also, gotta love the Okie State derivative tree.  Pat pop came out of the same room.  Going to have Espo helping him fight the powers that be.