Coach preference.
- Thread starter Dallas Burgher
- Start date
I am a former college wrestler and know most of the guys being discussed. Pat would be a slam dunk hire. I really hope the adminstration steps up and does what is necessary to make it happen.
I think Santoro is the best possible hire. He has Lehigh in the top dozen, or better, pretty much every year, and does it at a school with very high academic standards and a relatively limited budget.
I think Flynn would be a good but not great hire. Edinboro had a terrific finish when they had Port and two other wrestlers in successive weight classes, but his teams have not been as consistent as Lehigh under Santoro. We have beaten Edinboro about half the time this decade and haven't beaten Lehigh.
Is the Hahn being mentioned Damion Hahn from Cornell? He is the associate HC there. Rob Koll has been the HC forever, but my understanding is that he has become something of a figurehead in recent years.
But, you never know in wrestling. Tom Ryan was HC at Hofstra when tOSU hired him 10 years ago. He has taken a program which was a second tier Big Ten program and made it a national power. They might be the only school in a position to challenge PSU the next few years.
I think Flynn would be a good but not great hire. Edinboro had a terrific finish when they had Port and two other wrestlers in successive weight classes, but his teams have not been as consistent as Lehigh under Santoro. We have beaten Edinboro about half the time this decade and haven't beaten Lehigh.
Is the Hahn being mentioned Damion Hahn from Cornell? He is the associate HC there. Rob Koll has been the HC forever, but my understanding is that he has become something of a figurehead in recent years.
But, you never know in wrestling. Tom Ryan was HC at Hofstra when tOSU hired him 10 years ago. He has taken a program which was a second tier Big Ten program and made it a national power. They might be the only school in a position to challenge PSU the next few years.
If it's between Flynn and Pat, I would take Pat.
If Brands was in the mix, I like him.
If Brands was in the mix, I like him.
Its not hard to satisfy the basic requirements to be an RTC - basically just need to be a member org of USA Wrestling, have a minimum Bronze certified coach, etc. The hurdle, as you mention, is the requirement of having a min of 4 possible national team members and funding them/coaches, etc., in freestyle only. Can the PWC get there? Who knows, but I'd love to see it.
Average matches are not heavily attended, but big matches bring in nice crowds.
I was a kid when Rex Peery coached at Pitt. The Field House was full for the big matches back in those days. He used to try to schedule his alma mater, Oklahoma State, as well as Oklahoma, Syracuse, Lehigh and of course PSU. Other than that it was a regional schedule. I don't think WVU had a wrestling team back then.
This release says they finished top 15 three years consecutively with a single season breakout, but it's from April 2015. Most recent I remember being published. You can extraoplate by subtracting the largest match (held at the Pete) and it gets you somewhat close.
http://www.pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/m-wrestl/spec-rel/041515aaa.html
You simply can't make an apples to apples comparison with the Lehigh and Edinboro programs. What Flynn does at Edinboro is amazing. Unless a kid loves snow, there is no reason to go there, and yet Flynn still gets some really good kids. He also takes under the radar guys and turns them in to All-Americans. There are those who follow college wrestling that consider him to be the top coach in the sport. He's top five for sure.
Having said that I hope Pitt gets Santoro. He's a better fit for the program, and selfishly as an Edinboro fan, I don't want to see Flynn leave.
Having said that I hope Pitt gets Santoro. He's a better fit for the program, and selfishly as an Edinboro fan, I don't want to see Flynn leave.
From the USA Wrestling Crieria:
An Established National Team Contender shall be considered a wrestler who meets at least one of the following competitive accomplishments within the last four calendar years:
a. Won at least one match at a USAW World or Olympic Team Trials
b. Placed top 8 at USAW Senior Open Championships
c. Placed top 8 at USAW University National Championship
d. Placed top 8 at FILA Junior National Championship
e. Placed top 8 at USAW Junior National Championship
f. Placed top 8 at USAW Cadet National Championship
g. Placed top 4 in the High School State Championship
h. Placed top 4 at the Prep National Championships
i. Placed top 4 at USAW State Junior freestyle/Greco-Roman Championships
j. Placed top 4 at USAW State Cadet freestyle/Greco-Roman Championships
Top 4 in high school states or Top 4 at Prep Nationals. Piece of cake for a D1 wrestling program. Funding, not so easy.
Here's a list of RTC's. http://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Team-USA/Regional-Training-Sites/Locations
U Buffalo, Clarion, Northern Colorado, UNC Greensboro, Wherever-the-heck-this-is -- LEGENDS OF GOLD (Beresford, SD). So really, shouldn't Pitt be able to pull this off?
U Buffalo, Clarion, Northern Colorado, UNC Greensboro, Wherever-the-heck-this-is -- LEGENDS OF GOLD (Beresford, SD). So really, shouldn't Pitt be able to pull this off?
I'm pretty sure that those criteria do not apply to kids on the roster - that is the criteria for the minimum of 4 guys that are being funded through, and train at, the RTC.
Nonetheless, its not hard to find guys still in high school that finished in the top four. It's easy to get an RTC, harder to make it count. Clarion, Buffalo, and on and on. But Pitt needs one. How can you get the top wrestlers to come without one? Penn/Drexel has Brandon Slay. Think that matters to Austin DeSanto? Don't be surprised if Keith Gavin isn't assistant coach and RTC coach. That would make sense, but this is Pitt. Gotta commit to winning!
Understand that just b/c those other schools have an RTC - doesn't mean it's operating effectively as one. Clarion and Buffalo aren't pumping out tourney favorites and probably have very little funding; on the flip side, Titan Mercury, Sunkist Kids, Crappy Valley's RTC - they have Rob's of money behind them. So you are absolutely correct - Pitt has to commit to winning, not just existing.
Not surprised. Hopefully its because Lehigh REALLY stepped it up, and not because we fell on our faces with a shitty offer/package.
Knops Knotes @KnopsKnotes
#BreakingNews Source close to negotiations tells me that Pat Santoro will stay at Lehigh, not leave for Pitt. Says Lehigh "stepped it up."
#BreakingNews Source close to negotiations tells me that Pat Santoro will stay at Lehigh, not leave for Pitt. Says Lehigh "stepped it up."
Understood - but I mean REALLY REALLY REALLY stepped it up
We are gonna end up making a "Stallings" hire (i.e., completely botch it and hire someone who won't take us anywhere
Anyone willing to bet they hire Kocher? Or Headlee?
She has been on the job for a week. Guess what - 35 years of boosters being cheap and apathetic administrators lead me to believe she is not the problem.
Did you read bwh05's post earlier in this thread?
Who do you think is running this process?
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