UTC - 4th Place, 2 wrestlers in finals?

[cbg]

Though he didn't All American, Heath was a very successful D1 Collegiate wrestler under Brands. I believe he is very high on the list of most wins at UTC. As far as Tennessee kids, I'm not sure who you expected to set the world on fire. The most accomplished TN kids over the last decade didn't attend UTC (Duncan, Watson, Croy, etc.) and also didn't set the world on fire.

 

The problem may very well be the inability of the UTC coaching staff to land the top kids from Tennessee.  Recruiting is the life blood of college athletics and if you cannot recruit you will never be successful.  Great wrestlers make great coaches.

[cbg]

First off, anyone who "isn't concerned" about who they draw in the first round of the NCAA tournament will find themselves again in the first round - the first consolation round.

 

Secondly, there aren't very many D1 wrestling programs. UTC isn't going to get the first tier guys (at least until we get to a top tier program). That's a given. The key is to get the guys with the untapped potential. That means taking a chance on a great athlete that isn't a straight A student. Getting someone who started wrestling as a sophomore in high school that no one sees wrestle in Alabama. Someone from FL that came to UTC's camp and showed signs of being a scramble freak.

 

The straight A, clean nose kid that's a high school AA is going to Cornell, not UTC. Ethan Reeve knew this and he got guys to fit the style he wanted to wrestle. The question is what type of style does UTC want to wrestle.

 

Ethan Reeve was a real wrestling coach (2XAA) that wrestled under Gray Simons (University of Tennessee) who most consider the best technician ever and he coached under Tommy Chesbro at Oklahoma State.  He knew exactly what it took to win.  The sad part is that The McCallie School paid Ethan more to be an assistant wrestling coach than UTC paid him to be the head wrestling coach. 

[russianbear]

Ethan Reeve was a real wrestling coach (2XAA) that wrestled under Gray Simons (University of Tennessee) who most consider the best technician ever and he coached under Tommy Chesbro at Oklahoma State. He knew exactly what it took to win. The sad part is that The McCallie School paid Ethan more to be an assistant wrestling coach than UTC paid him to be the head wrestling coach.

I agree. He made 13K as the head coach in 1984. We slept in the cheapest hotels, drove 1 small van everywhere (and he was the driver) and actually slept in the bunks at Citadel and on the wrestling mats at VMI's wrestling room. With the money he saved from the budget he had a floor put in our wrestling room and put up chin up bars. The most dedicated person to any one thing that I've ever met. Very sad he left to coach weight lifting at a high school and made more money. If they actually paid him a salary he'd probably still be there today.

 

But, CBG, you pretty much contradict yourself in back to back posts. Ethan Reeve didn't exactly get top of the line recruits. He had 4.5 scholarships. Jeff Rufolo made it to the blood round and never even qualified to the State Tournament in NJ. Tom Herring was a 2 time Conference Champion and ranked his senior year. His best high school year he was 3rd in Georgia. Clarence Arrington was ranked in the top 10 and didn't start wrestling until his Junior year in Alabama. I can go on and on.

 

Again, there are different philosophies. Kevin Jackson recruits talent and sits in the room and blows the whistle. Other coaches recruit a specific kid that may fit a style. Some head coaches run practice and let the assistants do paperwork. Other head coaches allow the assistant/s run practice and do their own paperwork. But to just blindly go after guys from papered credentials doesn't work. To properly recruit (and coach) requires scouting. Lots of it. Of course that requires money and help - help from someone that knows what to look for and how to sell. Recruiting is one thing, but, again, the single most important thing to build and consistently win at any level is to develop the guys you've got. How do the guys progress from freshman to senior (if you're fortunate enough to retain them that long)? That's how you monitor the success.

 

When I was coaching at Ohio University, I can attribute our success at the NCAA's and in the MAC(5 AA's,a runner up and National Champion with the class I was there for) directly to developing the guys in the room. Eric Kimble was a 2-time AA and I don't believe he was a state champ (I may be wrong about that). Sean Enright was 4th (as a true freshman) and National Runnerup and never a State Champ. Dwight Gardner was a National Champion and he was from Florida. The other big factor was watching film. You better believe when we face a top 10 program at NCAA's our guys our scouted. And scouted thoroughly.

Edited March 15, 2017 by russianbear

[mat73557]

The problem may very well be the inability of the UTC coaching staff to land the top kids from Tennessee.  Recruiting is the life blood of college athletics and if you cannot recruit you will never be successful.  Great wrestlers make great coaches.

 

In order to recruit the top TN kids, you would first have to pursue them.

[takedowntech]

Alright, I guess I'll weigh in on the situation and give my honest opinion of everything. First off, I would like to start with recruiting. I personally can give a couple examples of where UTC dropped the ball with local kids and out of state kids as well. Maybe they were not the right fit, things didn't work out logistically, etc. I'm sure Bedard is happy Heath passed on Tucker Russo and went to someone else, even though tucker would definitely be the starter at 157 in my opinion from watching whom UTC has now. I have seen him past on kids here without giving them a chance as well as some studs doing well at other schools now. It starts with getting the best in Chattanooga and we have alot of good ones here just look at the national events they place in. Heath is a GOOD coach, not GREAT by no means, but very GOOD. I mean its not like UTC can pay its staff a combine 1 million a year like others, so you get what you pay for. The staff from what I seen could be better in my honest opinion, but is still probably the 2nd or 3rd best in the conference. I don't think UTC is falling in the SOCON, but I think others are catching up with the likes of APP State and Campbell. Its hard for kids whom are interested in the SOCON to pick Heath over Kolat and this makes it tougher on UTC. CHATTANOOGA WILL NEVER BE A TOP TEN TEAM, I will disagree with anyone whom says that it is possible. They simply don't and will never have the resources or backing needed like the top dogs. Although I'm not a fan of UTC even though being from the area and growing up in Chattanooga, I feel Heath has done a solid job at his Alma Mater and is a Good coach. His track record at a small division 1 university speaks for itself. Quit downgrading him as you could do no better. That's why he has the job and you are couch criticizing. Good luck to UTC at nationals along with Heath and his staff!  

Edited March 15, 2017 by takedowntech

[Newestguy]

" CHATTANOOGA WILL NEVER"

 

The single greatest motivating statement ever. Especially for a wrestler.

[Ummmno]

 CHATTANOOGA WILL NEVER BE A TOP TEN TEAM, I will disagree with anyone whom says that it is possible. They simply don't and will never have the resources or backing needed like the top dogs.

Then why even have a program if we're not striving to win a national championship. Thats exactly like looking a hs team in the face and saying sorry guys, we're never going to make it on the medal stand at the state tournament. Wont happen. If that's the philosophy of the program, just to be good enough, but not care to win a national championship, then just do us all a favor and drop the program. Id rather there not be a program than someone accept mediocrity.

[Newestguy]

 

"CHATTANOOGA WILL NEVER BE A TOP TEN TEAM, I will disagree with anyone whom says that it is possible. They simply don't and will never have the resources or backing needed like the top dogs."

 

Obviously you're entitled to your opinion. However, if you're going to make a statement like that let's see if you know what you are talking about:

 

1) Do you know what the wrestling budget is?

2) Do you know how that budget compares with.... let's say Lehigh (they're consistently top 10)?

3) Do you know how much money the alumni donates?

4) Do you know how many scholarships they provide?

5) Can you name the assistant coaches and their credentials?

6) Do you know if money made off the camps goes toward the wrestling budget? If so, how much?

7) Do you know the current NCAA rules? For example the maximum number of scholarships, roster slots, GPA requirements, contact restrictions for recruiting,etc.

 

I suggest if you don't know these answers, then you don't know what you're talking about.

 

Let me also ask:

1) How many of the UTC matches have you watched over the last 2 or 3 years?

2) How many of their practices have you been to?

3) Which of the top ten teams have you seen practice?

Edited March 15, 2017 by Newestguy

[JSamson7]

Shoulda, woulda, coulda, but he didn't. Stop making excuses for him

Did you?? Have you even set foot in a D1 practice room outside of just visiting?? Ummmmmno, I highly doubt it.... Your obvious lack of knowledge on this subject as well as the consistent bashing of one of the program's good young coaches pretty much renders your opinion null to me. Look at his record, his personal character, his team's character, and a whole bunch of positives he has going there. 

 

Is he as technically talented as Brands, Bono, or some others that have been at Chattanooga? Definitely not, but to say he is mediocre is plain stupid. He was a 3x SoCon champ with only 2 losses in conference matches and beat multiple AA's from big boy schools like Okie State and others. He even has a win over an Olympic medalist from Cuba who just happens to be one of the very few wrestlers t ever beat the great John Smith. Mediocre.....

[Ummmno]

Did you?? Have you even set foot in a D1 practice room outside of just visiting?? Ummmmmno, I highly doubt it.... Your obvious lack of knowledge on this subject as well as the consistent bashing of one of the program's good young coaches pretty much renders your opinion null to me. Look at his record, his personal character, his team's character, and a whole bunch of positives he has going there. 

 

Is he as technically talented as Brands, Bono, or some others that have been at Chattanooga? Definitely not, but to say he is mediocre is plain stupid. He was a 3x SoCon champ with only 2 losses in conference matches and beat multiple AA's from big boy schools like Okie State and others. He even has a win over an Olympic medalist from Cuba who just happens to be one of the very few wrestlers t ever beat the great John Smith. Mediocre.....

Yeah, a whole bunch of positives. His record? They used to dominate the SoCon, now we cant win it. Kids leave the team because they don't like him, kids getting kicked off the team for getting in trouble. Yeah, tons of positives.

 

He may have all those wins but did he ever AA himself? No. As long as he is there the team will continue to live up to his legacy. They may have some good wins, exp. Sean Boyle over Thomas Gilman, but they won't produce any all americans.

[Newestguy]

Yeah, a whole bunch of positives. His record? They used to dominate the SoCon, now we cant win it. Kids leave the team because they don't like him, kids getting kicked off the team for getting in trouble. Yeah, tons of positives.

 

He may have all those wins but did he ever AA himself? No. As long as he is there the team will continue to live up to his legacy. They may have some good wins, exp. Sean Boyle over Thomas Gilman, but they won't produce any all americans.

Ummmno, this is just silly. To argue he won't produce AA's because he didn't AA himself is just stupid. There are plenty of coaches producing AA's that didn't AA. I could see a much better point if your arguing his coaching formula. Or his attention being on other things instead of 100% devotion to producing AA's. Or him focusing too much on character and not technique. But to saw he won't produce AA's because of his 25 year ago career fails.

[Ummmno]

Ummmno, this is just silly. To argue he won't produce AA's because he didn't AA himself is just stupid. There are plenty of coaches producing AA's that didn't AA. I could see a much better point if your arguing his coaching formula. Or his attention being on other things instead of 100% devotion to producing AA's. Or him focusing too much on character and not technique. But to saw he won't produce AA's because of his 25 year ago career fails.

Well, he has yet to prove that theory wrong.