This is not a fire KJ or sign him to 10 year extension thread as we have enough of them.
For the first several years, ISU has had a different staff annually which makes it very difficult for continuity in recruiting or development. (For non-wrestling posters, the assistant coaches set up the recruiting board and handle most of the preliminary work and are crucial in the development in room. The head coach can only do so much.) Each coach brings something different to the table and sometime new coaches don't mesh with the current wrestlers. I think this staff if trying to find the right wrestler and not just the highest ranked wrestler or whoever they can get. Remember the current RS Sophomores where Troy's recruits. Nothing against Troy and he may have been able to bring more out of these kids but that class had the talent to be real good but there doesn't seem the commitment needed to be successful at the D1 level. The current staff has had issues with Boston, Dante, RSR and Harrington. I want these guys to succeed and they have time but the clock is ticking. The current staff is in their third year. Yes, Travis has been on the staff longer but he did little recruiting as that was Troy's main duty.
Who are performing the best right now considering their ability and age? Simmons, Straw and DiBlasi and then you have Vega, Parker and Storr who are have as good of RS seasons as we have seen here for some time. The two outliers are Colbray (real head scratcher to this pt) and Gremmel (minor off mat issue and injury). I really like Baptista, too, but he will take a little longer like Straw and DiBlasi. I don't know the GPA and social status of all these kids but my understanding is most are very strong in the classroom and good leaders in the wrestling room and that is what you need to change a program.
The one thing that has been fairly consistent during KJ's coaching career is he can take the very good wrestler and make them great if they buy in. Z, Reader, Kyven. M. Moreno and Downey. Even Varner improved his Sr. year. The problem has been in development of so-so talent into very good talent. When you are building a program, you have to be able to do this. Sorenson comes to mind as one of the few exceptions. Still hurts thinking about how a freak injury ended his Sr. season. Maybe this development had more to do with not having the right kids in the room. We are seeing it with Simmons, Straw and DiBlasi. You can't make someone better unless they are willing to make the sacrifices to get better. I think we are starting to get the right kids in the room that are willing to make the sacrifices.
I have talked to several former wrestlers and they have almost all pointed out that you need well rounded kids to have lasting success. It appears the current staff is being in place long enough to incorporate this strategy. Yes, you will take some outliers and riskier recruits as they can pay off big but when they are your main recruits and don't pan out that is when your program fulls apart. You look at the last few recruiting classes they are not putting all their marbles in 1 or 2 guys which should allow them to reach success and maintain it.
Lastly, everyone will agree that KJ caused a lot of the coaching changes but he appears to have learned and now has a staff that he trust and they seem to be working well together. I am not happy at all with how this season has gone (or many since KJ has been here) but maybe the development in younger guys we have seen early in this season may give us a glimmer of what we can expect moving forward. Fire away!
For the first several years, ISU has had a different staff annually which makes it very difficult for continuity in recruiting or development. (For non-wrestling posters, the assistant coaches set up the recruiting board and handle most of the preliminary work and are crucial in the development in room. The head coach can only do so much.) Each coach brings something different to the table and sometime new coaches don't mesh with the current wrestlers. I think this staff if trying to find the right wrestler and not just the highest ranked wrestler or whoever they can get. Remember the current RS Sophomores where Troy's recruits. Nothing against Troy and he may have been able to bring more out of these kids but that class had the talent to be real good but there doesn't seem the commitment needed to be successful at the D1 level. The current staff has had issues with Boston, Dante, RSR and Harrington. I want these guys to succeed and they have time but the clock is ticking. The current staff is in their third year. Yes, Travis has been on the staff longer but he did little recruiting as that was Troy's main duty.
Who are performing the best right now considering their ability and age? Simmons, Straw and DiBlasi and then you have Vega, Parker and Storr who are have as good of RS seasons as we have seen here for some time. The two outliers are Colbray (real head scratcher to this pt) and Gremmel (minor off mat issue and injury). I really like Baptista, too, but he will take a little longer like Straw and DiBlasi. I don't know the GPA and social status of all these kids but my understanding is most are very strong in the classroom and good leaders in the wrestling room and that is what you need to change a program.
The one thing that has been fairly consistent during KJ's coaching career is he can take the very good wrestler and make them great if they buy in. Z, Reader, Kyven. M. Moreno and Downey. Even Varner improved his Sr. year. The problem has been in development of so-so talent into very good talent. When you are building a program, you have to be able to do this. Sorenson comes to mind as one of the few exceptions. Still hurts thinking about how a freak injury ended his Sr. season. Maybe this development had more to do with not having the right kids in the room. We are seeing it with Simmons, Straw and DiBlasi. You can't make someone better unless they are willing to make the sacrifices to get better. I think we are starting to get the right kids in the room that are willing to make the sacrifices.
I have talked to several former wrestlers and they have almost all pointed out that you need well rounded kids to have lasting success. It appears the current staff is being in place long enough to incorporate this strategy. Yes, you will take some outliers and riskier recruits as they can pay off big but when they are your main recruits and don't pan out that is when your program fulls apart. You look at the last few recruiting classes they are not putting all their marbles in 1 or 2 guys which should allow them to reach success and maintain it.
Lastly, everyone will agree that KJ caused a lot of the coaching changes but he appears to have learned and now has a staff that he trust and they seem to be working well together. I am not happy at all with how this season has gone (or many since KJ has been here) but maybe the development in younger guys we have seen early in this season may give us a glimmer of what we can expect moving forward. Fire away!
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