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Pitt interviewing Chris Bono for Wrestling HC

Chris Bono is someone whose name was brought up early in the wrestling coaches search on this board as a coach who would be a very good pick ..... hopefully the AD can get him to Pitt.
 
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From another post on the Olympic board:


"Saw on twitter from a former Lehigh wrestler who would know.....

"This is the same AD who gave Santoro a 10 minute interview before she walked out and called someone else to make them an offer via phone..."

"The post was from Mason Beckman who later admitted he was exaggerating, she did not actually do that."
 
But I thought we were going to run Lyke out of town her first week on the job? Now what?
 
Would be a a great fit. Has a nice young staff Aj shopp. One assistants. Let's keep our fingers crossed.
 
From another post on the Olympic board:


"Saw on twitter from a former Lehigh wrestler who would know.....

"This is the same AD who gave Santoro a 10 minute interview before she walked out and called someone else to make them an offer via phone..."

"The post was from Mason Beckman who later admitted he was exaggerating, she did not actually do that."


I work with Mason...
 
It's kind of weird. I'm a PITT fan and like to see all their sports do well. There was a message on the football board a while back that originally got me over to this board.

Now, its like a train wreck. I don't want to look at the carnage, but just can't stop myself.

I check in daily, on the progress of the search.
 
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Interview appears to not be until tomorrow so weird comment to make
Are the key players the agents of other candidates? Or the Pitt people bashing Lyke? Bashing her throughout the wrestling community will certainly not help with making a good hire. It will become a self-fulfilling prophecy that Lyke won't make a good hire.
 
It's kind of weird. I'm a PITT fan and like to see all their sports do well. There was a message on the football board a while back that originally got me over to this board.

Now, its like a train wreck. I don't want to look at the carnage, but just can't stop myself.

I check in daily, on the progress of the search.

Ha! It worked!
 
She didn't leave and offer it to someone else. The meeting was less than 15 minutes, that part is true.

That's the sad part of it. You bring in an excellent coach with a wealth of experience that is also a Pitt guy that absolutely wants Pitt to be successful whether or not he is the coach, and you don't take the time to pick his brain about how to build up the program? What that obvious lack of interest communicates to the candidate (and Pitt alumnus) is just terrible.

My whole time in that interview would have been asking Pat what he would need to win championships at Pitt.
 
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Every time I hear "Chris Bono", I think of this match. I was there and it was a lot of fun.


I remember that match. I was there too. I went every year with my dad and brother and sat way up high. I was 13. We followed Kolat hard back then. I totally forgot that Bono rode him out for the entire 3rd period. Impressive
 
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Are the key players the agents of other candidates? Or the Pitt people bashing Lyke? Bashing her throughout the wrestling community will certainly not help with making a good hire. It will become a self-fulfilling prophecy that Lyke won't make a good hire.
Someone please tell me that Pitt has too much class to invite someone in for an interview, then make an embarrassingly bad offer to try to low-ball them once they got here.... :(
 
Thanks for posting that.

I, too, was at the Field House that night - and there wouldn't have been too many complaints had Bono been awarded the back points that many of us thought that he'd earned. ;)
Didn't they wrestle a "catch weight"? My recollection is Bono was a bit of a natural heavier weight. It was a really fun night. Can't wait to start taking my kids to the Classic.
 
Didn't they wrestle a "catch weight"? My recollection is Bono was a bit of a natural heavier weight. It was a really fun night. Can't wait to start taking my kids to the Classic.
The fact that Kolat didn't crush Bono (sarcasm intended) initiated a lot of rumors. One rumor was that Bono was heavier - and in fairness to Kolat, Bono certainly looked like it.

The other rumor was that Kolat had spent part of the day working-out at WVU (just a stone-throw from Jefferson-Morgan High School), and the extra workout took a toll on him.

I think the first rumor is accurate; the second one I can't comment on, since I don't know.

For me, Kolat was the best high school wrestler that I've ever seen, and growing-up in Western PA has enabled me to see some great ones. Ty Moore....John Chatman...Kevin Love...Ted Bouyoucas...Mark Angle...Ray Brinzer....the list might be endless. ;)
 
The fact that Kolat didn't crush Bono (sarcasm intended) initiated a lot of rumors. One rumor was that Bono was heavier - and in fairness to Kolat, Bono certainly looked like it.

The other rumor was that Kolat had spent part of the day working-out at WVU (just a stone-throw from Jefferson-Morgan High School), and the extra workout took a toll on him.

I think the first rumor is accurate; the second one I can't comment on, since I don't know.

For me, Kolat was the best high school wrestler that I've ever seen, and growing-up in Western PA has enabled me to see some great ones. Ty Moore....John Chatman...Kevin Love...Ted Bouyoucas...Mark Angle...Ray Brinzer....the list might be endless. ;)
Hunter was something else. So many great wrestlers over the years in WPa.
 
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Joey Wildasin. I grew up with him and he was an absolute nightmare to wrestle against. Everyone always thought a Wildasin/Kolat match would be FIRE.
 
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Joey Wildasin. I grew up with him and he was an absolute nightmare to wrestle against. Everyone always thought a Wildasin/Kolat match would be FIRE.
I could've listed Jeremy Hunter, too. He was a tough, tough kid, and a great technician. Wildasin was like the Tasmanian Devil; so much energy. Kinda like Nico Megaludis, who came along much later.
 
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I could've listed Jeremy Hunter, too. He was a tough, tough kid, and a great technician. Wildasin was like the Tasmanian Devil; so much energy. Kinda like Nico Megaludis, who came along much later.

And mean. He and I were a weight apart as kids and it was always a huge relief to see his name in another weight. As we got older I grew a bit more so didn't have to worry as much about it.
 
Hunter was something else. So many great wrestlers over the years in WPa.
I wrestled at Wash High. Our coach taught at MGFY and I had to practice with Jeremy Hunter a few times. UGH...it was not very fun. Toyed with is being kind to me.
 
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Joey Wildasin. I grew up with him and he was an absolute nightmare to wrestle against. Everyone always thought a Wildasin/Kolat match would be FIRE.
Wildasin was a non-stop scoring machine, definitely a PA all-timer. Watching him light kids up was unreal. Not making a direct comparison but DeSanto torches kids in similar fashion.
 
Wildasin was a non-stop scoring machine, definitely a PA all-timer. Watching him light kids up was unreal. Not making a direct comparison but DeSanto torches kids in similar fashion.

His bar arm was a thing of legends. And he was like a cat - always landing with his base down...
 
Didn't they wrestle a "catch weight"? My recollection is Bono was a bit of a natural heavier weight. It was a really fun night. Can't wait to start taking my kids to the Classic.

For me, Kolat was the best high school wrestler that I've ever seen, and growing-up in Western PA has enabled me to see some great ones. Ty Moore....John Chatman...Kevin Love...Ted Bouyoucas...Mark Angle...Ray Brinzer....the list might be endless. ;)
Ray Brinzer...that name brings back some nightmares.
 
Hunter was something else. So many great wrestlers over the years in WPa.

I could've listed Jeremy Hunter, too. He was a tough, tough kid, and a great technician. Wildasin was like the Tasmanian Devil; so much energy. Kinda like Nico Megaludis, who came along much later.

And mean. He and I were a weight apart as kids and it was always a huge relief to see his name in another weight. As we got older I grew a bit more so didn't have to worry as much about it.

I got my a$$ whooped by Hunter as a kid. I was the same weight but a year younger and he tech falled me in the finals of a Junior Olympics qualifier. He was a cold, emotionless machine that would just toy with people until he was ready to be done.
Thankfully I never had to face him in HS.

I was always surprised that he didnt win a national title in college, as best as I can remember. I think second or third was his best finish.

The matches between Hunter and Teague Moore in the WPIAL finals were just incredible.

Hunter (as a kid) and Jody Strittmatter (in college) were the best wrestlers Ive ever faced, by far.
 
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I got my a$$ whooped by Hunter as a kid. I was the same weight but a year younger and he tech falled me in the finals of a Junior Olympics qualifier. He was a cold, emotionless machine that would just toy with people until he was ready to be done.
Thankfully I never had to face him in HS.

I was always surprised that he didnt win a national title in college, as best as I can remember. I think second or third was his best finish.

The matches between Hunter and Teague Moore in the WPIAL finals were just incredible.

Hunter (as a kid) and Jody Strittmatter (in college) were the best wrestlers Ive ever faced, by far.

Ouch....
 
I got my a$$ whooped by Hunter as a kid. I was the same weight but a year younger and he tech falled me in the finals of a Junior Olympics qualifier. He was a cold, emotionless machine that would just toy with people until he was ready to be done.
Thankfully I never had to face him in HS.

I was always surprised that he didnt win a national title in college, as best as I can remember. I think second or third was his best finish.

The matches between Hunter and Teague Moore in the WPIAL finals were just incredible.

Hunter (as a kid) and Jody Strittmatter (in college) were the best wrestlers Ive ever faced, by far.
Hunter won 125 college title in 2000 and was a three time All-American. http://www.fightingillini.com/coaches.aspx?rc=78

The emotionless comment is spot on.

I went to look up Hunter's bio and found this--

http://intermatwrestle.com/articles/179

Side note--Luke Fickell was quite a wrestler.

Check out this classic matchup, Hunter versus Teague Moore for 1993 PIAA 103 championship--

http://www.flowrestling.org/video/718977-1993-piaa-103-lbs-aaa-state-championship#.WOga9zz3aaM
 
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I got a piece of Jimmy Martin from Danville...Well he got me I should say! He was very impressive and won a Natl title too
 
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