I am too young to remember the great Rex Peery teams, but I do remember seeing the pictures of the NCAA champions he produced, including his sons Hugh and Ed, on the walls at the Fitz when I started attending BB games there. I also remember Boo Conner telling me that if Rex had had one more son, Pitt would have won the NCAAs the year they finished second.
Finishing in the top ten was a bigger accomplishment then that it is now. In excess of 100 colleges have dropped wrestling due to Title IX. Back in those days, there were many more really good programs. With so much HS wrestling talent in PA, eastern Ohio, NJ and to a lesser extent upstate NY, Pitt should be able to field a perennial top ten team, a frequent top 5 team and an occasional national championship team. Support from the AD and good coaching are all that it takes. Assistants are critical in college wrestling. John Rizzo mentioned that having assistant Matt Wilps to wrestle against in practice was a big draw for him. Having him and Matt Kotcher should help Pitt recruit well from 149 through Hwt.
