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The Return of the King |
By
Illini Hawk
Posted
on 4/14/2006 - 11:11:31 AM
Gable has returned to the coaching ranks at Iowa as an assistant to Brands. It sounds like he understands his place, and won't let it become a distraction.
Zalesky to OSU (good fit - wouldn't you rather live in the Willamette Valley in Oregon than accept sloppy seconds from Brands in the Blue Ridge of 'Ginya?) and another Hawkeye to VT ('Ginya high school coaching legend and loves it there - another good fit).
Things are working out for everyone involved. Reply |
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REPLIES
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By
JLCHawk
Replied on 4/14/2006 - 1:12:15 PM
Illini
I hope you are right about Gable. It just seems to me that to have a guy who is literally bigger than life in the wrestling world anywhere in the back ground is a distraction. This has to become "Brands" team, and I hope it does. Reply |
By
MBIB
Replied on 4/14/2006 - 5:32:50 PM
I think that to most Oregonians, Corvallis is their Ames, Iowa City being the Eugene. I even know of a couple of Iowa profs who do offsite work out at Eugene. Two very different campuses, attitudes, etc. For that and other reasons, I'll always pull for the Ducks in that rivalry.
Interestingly, I believe Tom (or was it Terry?) lost out on the Oregon head coaching slot prior to his gig at Va Tech (or, if Terry, UT-Chatt.) Oregon had its first titlist this year.
Reply |
By
Earnest T. Bass
Replied on 4/14/2006 - 6:54:05 PM
Several things here:
First of all, I am now convinced that the Iowa Athletic Department (meaning Bowlsby) is serious about wrestling and restoring it to our previous heights. Notice I did not say "our rightful position" but I should have.
Second, I think Brands is a fabulous choice and it is now only a matter of time before we see how great he can make the program. It is now totally in his hands. And if he believes, as I do, that this is his destiny - this is what he was born to do - I am sure things will not only work out, we are looking at another two dozen titles during his tenure.
We have something like 20 national titles. Okie State has 35. He has a lot of work to do just to catch up. Let's wish him well.
And last, I am not smart enough to know whether or not Gable's presence in the wrestling room is a good thing or a bad thing, but I am glad he is there assuming both Brands and Gable know their roles and stick to them.
Here is a little story I remember from the 70's. If I remember right, it is from Digger Phelps and he was commenting on trying to recruit against John Wooden.
Phelps was frustrated and he described it this way ...
There we are recruiting some top kid, with all the credentials both academic and athletic. We get down to signing day, and "Jesus Christ" himself walks in the room and the kid ends up going to UCLA.
Guys, we now have "Jesus Christ" in the room (in terms of his name recognition nationally and around the world, reputation, recruiting ability etc etc etc).
Let's make sure we get the most from this unbelievable built-in advantage. For recruiting if nothing else.
This is a move which is so huge that it could, quite literally, cause other schools on the edge to drop their programs. This is a move which is shaking the college wrestling world.
And won't it be great to see 12,000 people at CHA again on a regular basis for wrestling?
I can hardly wait. Reply |
By
Illini Hawk
Replied on 4/15/2006 - 9:26:19 AM
Several thought here:
1. I think it is only a matter of time before Iowa is back on top. My gut tells me that Brands is strong enough to handle the situation with Gable.
2. Will Iowa dominate like they did in the 1970's and 1980's? No, but they will consistently be top 3, with many titles, Big 10 and national, to come.
3. 'Our rightful place'? LOL, ETB, you sound like a Michigan fan...
4. More colleges dropping wrestling is the last thing that Gable wants. I believe he sees his primary mission as to save college wrestling. It would be a shame to see wrestling go the way of men's gymnastics, where there are only 16 Division I teams left competing.
5. Oregon State may be a cow college, but it has a much longer and stronger history in wrestling than Oregon. I wish nothing but the best for Jimmy Zalesky, because he is and always will be a class act. Reply |
By
Earnest T. Bass
Replied on 4/15/2006 - 10:22:59 AM
But I did not say "our rightful place". I said I should have said it.
I wish Z well also, although i think he has a lot yet to prove. Winning national titles with someone else's wrestlers is still a national title, but I think he still must figure out a way to do it with his own people. Until he does that, I think he is suspect. He could not do it at Iowa City for the last four years or so. I don't know what makes people think he can elsewhere at a school with not as much going for it, in any category.
Saying Iowa will not be as dominate is already giving Brands an excuse to fail. Top 3 is OK, titles are better and should bve the goal and main focus.
I don't know about Gable saving college wrestling, but I do know his recruiting value. If he has to do so, he needs to get his butt on a plane and get it to Istanbul, and the Ukraine, and Belarus and anywhere else we have world-class wrestlers and get them here. If that is Waterloo, fine. But we have the name, let's put it to work. Reply |
By
LOKI
Replied on 4/15/2006 - 10:57:34 AM
I'm glad Z. found another job, and Oregon St. is a pretty good place, since they do have some wrestling tradition. However, the Beavers are not any more likely to win a national title in wrestling than in football. As for Gable, I hope it works out, but I'm not so confident it will. Gable is a great motivator and recruiter, but when 2 really strong personalities try to split duties, I can imagine trouble down the line. Is Gable going to be on the bench, or just in the practice room? I agree with Illini, that Gable's true interest is in keeping college wrestling from losing any more programs. I think he wants to do that PLUS get Iowa back where we all want it to be. ETB, we all hope for many more titles, and of course that's what Bowlsby and the admin. are hoping for, but the wrestling world has changed so much since the 70's/80's that expecting that kind of dominance isn't realistic. Again, I think Illini summed it up in his 2nd point. No doubt there will be more fans at CHA, and I'd love to see 12K every meet, but only time will tell. Slightly off the point, I started reading a history of the Whiskey Rebellion on the western frontier (1790's) and the intro. contained this line on George Washington: "The old general, with his wrenched and faulty back, would be leading troops again.." If you replace "back" with "hips", it sounds like the old Hawkeye! Just found that ironic. Reply |
By
Earnest T. Bass
Replied on 4/15/2006 - 11:45:34 AM
That is a funny line. Very appropriate. I always knew you were a "poet", Loki.
As far as the wrestling world "changing", I am not sure what you guys mean? Expand on that a little. I am not sure I "get it".
Are you saying that there are fewer and fewer wrestlers coming out of the high schools so the recruiting base of excellent competitors is down?
Again, not sure what you mean but you have both made reference to it. I am not sure how the world is changing.
I always assumed certain things - that the athletes are probably better than the ones in the seventies (conditioning science, nutrition, weight training etc ) but maybe not.
Please expand further. Reply |
By
LOKI
Replied on 4/15/2006 - 11:58:15 AM
There are fewer Div. 1 programs now, and the ones that remain try harder to compete with the traditional powers. That means trying to keep blue-chip recruits in-state, and getting the best coaches (including a lot of ex-Hawks!). Also, I believe the #'s of scholarships were reduced, meaning powerhouse schools were less likely to stockpile great talent, who were waiting their chance to start. A hot prospect might decide to compete with a "non-power" school straight out of HS, rather than spend a couple years as a work-out partner at Iowa, Ok. St., ISU, etc. Does that mean there won't still be "elite" schools for wrestling?--no. The Cowboys just won their fourth straight, after MN. won 2 and Iowa 3 before them. Sometimes the more things change, the more they stay the same. Iowa will have to work to get back close to where we used to be, but it's not impossible. Just in the Big 10, MN. is now a power team, and MI. and Ill. are not too far behind. I'll admit I'm more excited about this coming season than I've been for awhile--hoping to see not only the returning AA's, but the 3 IA. preps who are apparently "coming home." Reply |
By
hometownhawk
Replied on 4/16/2006 - 9:28:59 PM
BTW, who did VT hire to replace brands? Reply |
By
LOKI
Replied on 4/17/2006 - 7:03:57 AM
Hometown, they hired former Hawk Kevin Dresser, who has been a high school coach in VA. for a number of years. Someone else might know who his assistants will be, but I can't remember. Reply |
By
herky-all-over
Replied on 4/17/2006 - 10:23:03 AM
having a coaching/wrestling icon on the staff.................how will the "coaching flow chart" work?
Being,that it could be ez to slip into,"hey coach Gable,do think Brands is correct on this??".
Reply |
By
hawkNspit
Replied on 4/17/2006 - 1:07:52 PM
I wouldn't worry too much about Gable getting too involved in the day to day workings of Brands' coaching. Remember, had Gable's hips not gone to hell on him he may never have stepped down (or limped down in those days) in the first place. But the Iowa program is clearly big enough for Brands and Gable to rock and roll together in perfect unison to put the wheels back on. Looks bright for the future mat rats in IC....GO HAWKS!!! Reply |
By
Macwin
Replied on 5/1/2006 - 9:54:08 PM
I'm not sure if you knew but Z recruited for Gable. So not only did he win with his wrestlers, but Gable won with his wrestling recruits. Sure, it probably was easy to recruit at that time, but a lot of credit goes to Zalesky. When Jimmy took the Job, Gable was his shadow and he of course was going to be the guy who could never do what Gable did. They did not see eye to eye, & that was a distraction. Now on to Tom Brands. When Brands was looking at that Job at the same time Zalesky was he was young and a hot head. Since VT, I belive he has learned that many more things go into being a head coach than just being on the mat. I think he would even say that he grew up and has learned to work with & not against his peers. I do like his energy & am excited to see what he can as well. Here's to wishing Zalesky well at OSU, I'm cetain that now that he's out of the Shadow and in control he's going to build something big. Reply |
By
Illini Hawk
Replied on 5/2/2006 - 8:16:13 AM
I agree, Macwin. I wish nothing but the best for Z; he is a class individual. Reply |
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