Wrestling - Pitt vs UNC ......
- Thread starter goalieman
- Start date
Looks like Tobacco Road is now wrestling territory as well as basketball territory. Hey Barnes, do what you need to do.
Who would be a coaching replacement who could take us to another level? Obviously Barnes has shown that a national search for an elite coach would be possible, given the soccer hire he made. I would think any top coach in the wrestling world would love the opportunity to come to pitt if the commitment was made by the athletic dept. with womens ball, SMS was local and he got it done. But are there any local possibilities in the wrestling world?
There are many assistant coaches out there that were multiple NCAA champs etc. these guys are on the staffs of PSU, Iowa, and OSU as well as other schools. That would improve recruiting immediately. There are two former Pitt wrestlers that would fit. Pat Santoro and Keith Gavin. Pat is a proven head coach who would have jumped at the Pitt job several years ago. I have no idea if he still has interest. I also do not know about Gavin as a coach, but he has the reputation that sure would help in recruiting. The key to big time recruiting is to have assistants and HC with a big time reputation that young studs want to be in the room and t rain with these guys.
Pat may or may not have come to Pitt when he left Maryland. He moved back home where his parents are. He's fairly settled in and Lehigh has spent some big money on upgrading the wrestling facilities there. I can tell you he is still very much a Pitt guy, but Bethlehem is his home for sure.
hunter asst coach from Illinois was a three time state champion from McGuffey and is highly thought of.
We would need a 3 time NCAA champion to come, not a state champion. Hunter could be a great coach, but he does not have that national reputation that will get a coach in the door of big time recruits.
My top choice would be the NC State coach. They hired him from Binghampton and in three years he has them ranked #3 nationally. But he is from the NE, he has to recognize the limitations there, and he must realize Pitt offers a much bigger upside. Plus, he is Italian and I'm assuming the Italian food in Raleigh isn't anywhere near what would be available in Pittsburgh. I actually would prefer the VT coach but I don't think he would leave.
Besides them, we have a Pitt wrestling alumni coaching at Lehigh. I am amazed how well Lehigh does every year considering their budget and academic requirements.
There likely is no sport that a great coach can turn around faster than wrestling because of the impact freshmen can make. PSU has two frosh ranked #1 nationally. tOSU won the national championship last year in large part due to 3 frosh. That is why Peters' excuse that "we are such a young team" is so hollow. He starts two seniors in Garbinsky and Bono each of whom has regressed in his three years of coaching them. Mikey hasn't improved a lick since he was a freshman. I thought he outwrestled PSU's Rutherford in the dual when both were freshmen. Now Rutherford is ranked #1 and dominating at 149 and Mikey is ranked #11 and erratic at 141. Lee and Bruce are dreadful, and they will be dreadful as seniors too if, Heaven forbid, they still are wrestling then.
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What about the assistant from Cornell. Four time national champion and an assistant that might be looking for his own team.
Kolat was an unbelievable wrestler but has he done well as a coach? I don't know anything about his record.
Agree with you Dallas. Great wrestler, but I have heard nothing about Kolat that makes me think he is a good coach. I have not heard anything about him as a coach at all. I would wonder why he is at Campbell and not at a bigger wrestling school. Does he have a degree? If not, then that would make a big difference.
