Anyone else find it weird that Spencer Lee is already Brands' heir apparent?

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

From reading Iowa message boards its seems like most Hawkeye fans favor Spencer Lee to be the Iowa Head Coach once Tommy B hangs 'em up.  I get Spencer is great and all, has his own "Spencer Lee" tab on the Iowa wrestling webpage, but he's still a college student who is only now going into his final year.  He's a 25 year old kid who I think still plans on competing for Olympic gold and World medals, if his body isn't completely spent from college wrestling.

Iowa has such a rich history of wrestlers who are at the same level as Spencer in terms of NCAA accolades, have Olympic and World level medals, and actual high school or college coaching experience.  Why wouldn't one of those guys be the front runner rather than Spencer?

As a Penn State fan, even during the David Taylor years and complete and utter lovefest with the Magic Man, I can't recall Penn State fans clamoring for DT to be Cael's successor while he was still in college.  Granted now that Taylor is almost a decade removed from college, a multiple time World champion and Olympic Gold medalist the talk of him coaching seems much more reasonable...

 

 

Edited November 1, 2022 by Jimmy Cinnabon

[ionel]

I had a bagel again for breakfast this morning.

[Wrestleknownothing]

I too find it weird. Has Spencer Lee ever even said coaching is one of his goals? The last interview of his I saw, he placed heavy emphasis on international competition, but I don't recall any talk of coaching.

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

Just now, Wrestleknownothing said:

I too find it weird. Has Spencer Lee ever even said coaching is one of his goals? The last interview of his I saw, he placed heavy emphasis on international competition, but I don't recall any talk of coaching.

I don't think he has.  I think Iowa fans are just so in love with Spencer that they can't see any of the other logical choices.

[wrestlingshoe]

I do like Spencer's demeanor in his most current Flow interview. What I like about it is his light hearted, but matter of fact focus on a continued world and Olympic pursuit. That does give Brands time to finish out his tenure, but at the same time Spenser does not have any appearance of focus outside of competing. 

[Wrestleknownothing]

1 minute ago, wrestlingshoe said:

I do like Spencer's demeanor in his most current Flow interview. What I like about it is his light hearted, but matter of fact focus on a continued world and Olympic pursuit. That does give Brands time to finish out his tenure, but at the same time Spenser does not have any appearance of focus outside of competing. 

I loved his reaction when asked about wrestling elsewhere. The quizzical look was priceless without being combative. He seems to have a very comfortable relationship with the press.

[dragit]

1 hour ago, Jimmy Cinnabon said:

Iowa has such a rich history of wrestlers who are at the same level as Spencer in terms of NCAA accolades, have Olympic and World level medals, and actual high school or college coaching experience.  Why wouldn't one of those guys be the front runner rather than Spencer?

 

Actually not a lot of candidates near his level. Under 45 anyway.  And those guys haven't been coaching.   

I agree that the Spencer fixation is notable.  But I think it's understandable.  It's been a really tough run since 2011 as PSU has established clear dominance. The one oasis in there has been Lee.  He dominates as much or more as the PSU studs. 

And not only is he at that level as a wrestler, he has also been credited as a leader who drove recruiting and togetherness of their one (two, really, they would have won in 2020) breakthrough during The Decade Of Cael. 

So he occupies a unique place as a potential Brands successor, which is a relevant issue with Brands already several years older than Gable was at retirement.  

[mspart]

Brands still has his knees though.   Now's here's a question.   Would Gable have kept his dominance once Cael went to PSU?   That one would be a head scratcher.

mspart

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

1 hour ago, dragit said:

Actually not a lot of candidates near his level. Under 45 anyway.  And those guys haven't been coaching.   

How about Brent Metcalf?  Hawkeye legend, loved just as much by Iowa fans, 3x NCAA champ, World gold medalist, currently coaching at the college level.

Why wouldn't he be a more logical choice than Spencer?

Edited November 1, 2022 by Jimmy Cinnabon

[VakAttack]

2 hours ago, Wrestleknownothing said:

I too find it weird. Has Spencer Lee ever even said coaching is one of his goals? The last interview of his I saw, he placed heavy emphasis on international competition, but I don't recall any talk of coaching.

I think he's stated that, post competition, he's more of an administrative focus on being an AD.

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

53 minutes ago, VakAttack said:

I think he's stated that, post competition, he's more of an administrative focus on being an AD.

That's going to disappoint Iowa fans I think, even if he is AD at Iowa.  ADs aren't really known for their influence on recruiting in individual sports.

[MPhillips]

31 minutes ago, Jimmy Cinnabon said:

ADs aren't really known for their influence on recruiting in individual sports.

I suppose that can change...

[headshuck]

How about Brent Metcalf?  Hawkeye legend, loved just as much by Iowa fans, 3x NCAA champ, World gold medalist, currently coaching at the college level.
Why wouldn't he be a more logical choice than Spencer?

He’s too tall and wouldn’t fit in Brands’
shoes.

[KCMO2]

Christ, being a good wrestler doesn't automatically make you a good coach.  And calling him the heir apparent while he's still in college is just stupid.

 

Edited November 1, 2022 by KCMO2

[Le duke]

Christ, being a good wrestler doesn't automatically make you a good coach.  And calling him the heir apparent while he's still in college is just stupid.
 

Don’t head over to HR, then.

While I agree with you, many a Hawkeye fan does not.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[RedPanda]

If he wants to do it (especially if after a stellar international career) who could recruit better?

[dragit]

3 hours ago, Jimmy Cinnabon said:

How about Brent Metcalf?  Hawkeye legend, loved just as much by Iowa fans, 3x NCAA champ, World gold medalist, currently coaching at the college level.

Why wouldn't he be a more logical choice than Spencer?

He's a 2x NCAA champ, Spencer should end up 4.  No world medals, lost Olympic trials. Spencer has lots of age group medals and very high potential at senior level if healthy.

And Metcalf hasn't had a particularly credentialed coaching career, plus he's estranged from the program at their lesser rival. 

Doesn't have Spencer Lee level cache.  Less logical choice for several years down the road when the job might open.  

[RedPanda]

1 hour ago, KCMO2 said:

Christ, being a good wrestler doesn't automatically make you a good coach.  And calling him the heir apparent while he's still in college is just stupid.

 

That may be true, but ADs seem to believe or assume otherwise. Most top programs have a coach who was an NCAA champ at least once. I doubt there are any top programs whose head coach was not at least an AA. Other sports often have coaches who were not star players or who did not even play D1, a la Belechek and the Van Gundy brothers. Wrestling has a different model.

Edited November 1, 2022 by RedPanda

[wrestlingshoe]

6 hours ago, Wrestleknownothing said:

I loved his reaction when asked about wrestling elsewhere. The quizzical look was priceless without being combative. He seems to have a very comfortable relationship with the press.

Yes he is a good interview. Liked... "What do you mean? I just bought a house. I'd stop wrestling before I left Iowa." He did forget to add, though, I bought it with NIL money. : )

[RedPanda]

Wow, I don't recall ever hearing about a college athlete in any sport buying a house. 

[headshuck]

Have you seen Steveson’s wheels?

[ionel]

9 minutes ago, headshuck said:

Have you seen Steveson’s wheels?

[dragit]

6 hours ago, RedPanda said:

Wow, I don't recall ever hearing about a college athlete in any sport buying a house. 

I seem to remember although I wish I didn't some creepy message board fascination with Alex Marinelli and his gainfully employed wife's pursuit of the American dream of settling down together in a house with a mortgage.  

[Bulldog]

15 hours ago, Jimmy Cinnabon said:

How about Brent Metcalf?  Hawkeye legend, loved just as much by Iowa fans, 3x NCAA champ, World gold medalist, currently coaching at the college level.

Why wouldn't he be a more logical choice than Spencer?

You may wanna recheck that.  To quote Metcalf, "I'm not a world anything." 

[Jimmy Cinnabon]

1 hour ago, Bulldog said:

You may wanna recheck that.  To quote Metcalf, "I'm not a world anything." 

I use "world" to mean international comps -- he has won a bunch.

 

Medal record

Representing the  United States
Men's Freestyle wrestling
World Cup
	2015 Los Angeles	65 kg
	2014 Los Angeles	65 kg
Pan American Games
	2015 Toronto	65 kg
Golden Grand Prix Ivan Yarygin
	2015 Krasnoyarsk	65 kg
	2013 Krasnoyarsk	65 kg
	2011 Krasnoyarsk	66 kg
Golden Grand Prix: Baku - Memorial Heydar Aliyev
	2014 Baku	65 kg
	2010 Baku	66 kg
Paris Grand Prix
	2015 Paris	65 kg
Pan American Championships
	2009 Venezuela	66 kg