John Smith retires

[flyingcement]

On 4/16/2024 at 7:52 AM, fishbane said:

Retirement Press conference - 

 

this was a really great press conference honestly.  I thought it was worth a listen.  John's a captivating speaker

[wrestle87]

11 hours ago, Gus said:

Mastrogiovanni thing. 

I know about the first one, what happened to these dudes? Did they all just decide to run that zoo?

[Le duke]

6 hours ago, wrestle87 said:

I know about the first one, what happened to these dudes? Did they all just decide to run that zoo?

The larger (174) one ended up at Northern Colorado. Went 11-4 officially, 13-5 unofficially.

Wasn't their starter, which was weird because the actual starter went 6-10 on the season.

[Gus]

7 hours ago, wrestle87 said:

I know about the first one, what happened to these dudes? Did they all just decide to run that zoo?

I have no insider information but I wonder if they were "asked" to leave. 

[Okie_Pat]

3 hours ago, Gus said:

I have no insider information but I wonder if they were "asked" to leave. 

It is my understanding that Trevor, the one who now runs a zoo was cutting a lot of weight to make 125 and just couldn't do the cut anymore. He had zero energy on the mat and it showed. He had a lot of soild wins and if he could of held the weight he probably would be an AA by now. Travis on the other hand (the younger one) left because he wasn't going to start. 

[Formally140]

It's pretty clear smith stayed until Fix graduated. 
 

Truly the GOAT internationally and one of the greatest coaches ever. People can argue if he stayed too long but he's still one of the greatest.

[Offthemat]

3 hours ago, Formally140 said:

It's pretty clear smith stayed until Fix graduated. 
 

Truly the GOAT internationally and one of the greatest coaches ever. People can argue if he stayed too long but he's still one of the greatest.

If a wrestler wants to know how to win six world championships in a row, where else is there to go?

[WrestlingFan89]

On 4/17/2024 at 2:39 PM, fishbane said:

Yeah is he the youngest D1 head coach?  I mostly stuck to the top 15 or so teams.

Mike Poeta (Illinois, Illinois 2009) wrestled at the 2012 Olympic Trials. Angel Escobedo (Indiana, Indiana 2010) wrestled at the 2012 Olympic Trials.  Chris Pendleton (Oregon State, OSU 2005) was the runner up in the challenge tournament in 2012.  Matt Valenti (Penn, Penn 2007) was also at the 2012 Olympic Trials losing to Scott in the semis.  I think all retired soon thereafter.

Obe Blanc made the world team in 2013.

[fishbane]

6 hours ago, WrestlingFan89 said:

Obe Blanc made the world team in 2013.

Escobedo wrestled at worlds at 57kg in 2013.  Looks like Blanc and Escobedo wrestled at the trials in 2016, so he's another one high school recruits may have seen wrestle live.

[alex1fly]

On 4/17/2024 at 8:14 PM, Okie_Pat said:

Kaid Brock had a laundry list of injuries and decided to hang ‘em up, Gfeller had serious off the mat issues but eventually straightened up, came back and cut 45 lbs in about 2 months to start. Marstellar got kicked off the team for being an idiot. There have been some program issues that John has brushed under the rug for a while but that has changed dramatically the last few years.
 

Exactly. Some guys didn't improve but there are guys on each roster that did. Preston Weigel and Derek White were both on Kaid Brock's team and those guys went from nothing to the NCAA finals. The reason I want a new coach is so OSU can have someone driving the ship that is genuinely on board with new paradigms in the sport.

[NM1965]

On 4/17/2024 at 8:14 PM, Okie_Pat said:

Kaid Brock had a laundry list of injuries and decided to hang ‘em up, Gfeller had serious off the mat issues but eventually straightened up, came back and cut 45 lbs in about 2 months to start. Marstellar got kicked off the team for being an idiot. There have been some program issues that John has brushed under the rug for a while but that has changed dramatically the last few years.
 

I didn't like how he handled his boy Joe and Chandler Rogers either, I'll be honest. That issue hurt the team and screwed over Rogers to benefit his own kid. 

[alex1fly]

1 minute ago, NM1965 said:

I didn't like how he handled his boy Joe and Chandler Rogers either, I'll be honest. That issue hurt the team and screwed over Rogers to benefit his own kid. 

That was a screwy deal for sure. I don't think John did it to help his kid... Joe had higher scoring potential at NCAAs and won the ranking match. Chandler was exciting and a pinning threat always but not an All American threat, while Joe at his peak was a 2x AA and hanging within a point of Mark Hall. However Joe didn't certify at the weight to start the season, so you can definitely argue that there should not have been a late season ranking match. 

[NM1965]

3 minutes ago, alex1fly said:

That was a screwy deal for sure. I don't think John did it to help his kid... Joe had higher scoring potential at NCAAs and won the ranking match. Chandler was exciting and a pinning threat always but not an All American threat, while Joe at his peak was a 2x AA and hanging within a point of Mark Hall. However Joe didn't certify at the weight to start the season, so you can definitely argue that there should not have been a late season ranking match. 

As I recall the main issue was seeding. Rogers had essentially sewed up a top 10 seed at NCAAs, but Joe didn't have enough matches to get a decent seed (RPI issues because he barely wrestled that year), so as I recall Joe had to wrestle the #1 seed at NCAAs in the first round. Granted, Rogers wasn't really a title threat, but he'd have gotten a decent seed at NCAAs and had a good shot at placing. Thanks to Joe's seed Joe basically had no chance. 

[boconnell]

5 minutes ago, NM1965 said:

As I recall the main issue was seeding. Rogers had essentially sewed up a top 10 seed at NCAAs, but Joe didn't have enough matches to get a decent seed (RPI issues because he barely wrestled that year), so as I recall Joe had to wrestle the #1 seed at NCAAs in the first round. Granted, Rogers wasn't really a title threat, but he'd have gotten a decent seed at NCAAs and had a good shot at placing. Thanks to Joe's seed Joe basically had no chance. 

Yep.  The seeding was an issue.  But the heavier half of the team went up in weight when Weigel got hurt.  When Weigel came back in January there were no good decisions.  He could have not allowed Weigel to come back, not let Nolan Boyd drop, not let Jacobe Smith drop, not let Joe Smith drop, or let them all go the weight they want and have a wrestle off.  I think the decision that got made resulted in fewer points for the team, but I don't think it was even slightly unfair.  I think the best lineup for the team probably squeezes out Boyd which would have been even more brutal.  

[jackwebster]

1 hour ago, boconnell said:

I think the best lineup for the team probably squeezes out Boyd which would have been even more brutal.  

Brutal? Nah, Blasphemy! Boyd was a model Cowboy. Sit the kid who didn't want to be there.

[NM1965]

6 hours ago, jackwebster said:

Brutal? Nah, Blasphemy! Boyd was a model Cowboy. Sit the kid who didn't want to be there.

That would've been Joe. Poor kid had HEW something awful. 

[1032004]

Is the fact that Scott hasn’t been named HC yet a bad sign for him?

[CowboyYe2024]

10 hours ago, 1032004 said:

Is the fact that Scott hasn’t been named HC yet a bad sign for him?

The are probably going to interview Popolizio, Pendleton and Branch. The coaching tree is so big they are probably going to test their options. 

[MPhillips]

5 minutes ago, CowboyYe2024 said:

The are probably going to interview Popolizio, Pendleton and Branch. 

It's Scott's job...

[ionel]

1 hour ago, CowboyYe2024 said:

The are probably going to interview Popolizio, Pendleton and Branch. The coaching tree is so big they are probably going to test their options. 

Nah ... they would've talked to them same time as Scott.  Branch once could've been, not now.  Pop obviously likes the east coast.  Pendleton just doesn't have enough years at head coach, 2-4 more ... could've been.  

[1032004]

1 hour ago, MPhillips said:

It's Scott's job...

If it was a done deal I would’ve thought they only would’ve waited like a week, but just speculating 

[ionel]

9 minutes ago, 1032004 said:

If it was a done deal I would’ve thought they only would’ve waited like a week, but just speculating 

Universities have procedures to follow.  

[1032004]

17 minutes ago, ionel said:

Universities have procedures to follow.  

Does OK state have more procedures than Cornell?  Looks like it took them about a day to promote Grey when Koll left

[MPhillips]

30 minutes ago, 1032004 said:

If it was a done deal I would’ve thought they only would’ve waited like a week, but just speculating 

There's an application process. You know this...

[ionel]

17 minutes ago, 1032004 said:

Does OK state have more procedures than Cornell?  Looks like it took them about a day to promote Grey when Koll left

They can be different.