There is a difference between "demanding" and "meddling". My boss is demanding, but he gets me what I need to do my job and then stays out of the way. He doesn't micro-manage.
If Pollard is demanding and meddling, then that's a problem.
Gable Interview. This deserves its own thread.
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There is a difference between "demanding" and "meddling". My boss is demanding, but he gets me what I need to do my job and then stays out of the way. He doesn't micro-manage.
If Pollard is demanding and meddling, then that's a problem.
Combination of things. Something that doesn't really get mentioned too much is the following:
Iowa was really dominant under Gable obviously. So dominant that attendance would drop because they would just assume that Iowa would win. Iowa had such a monopoly for a while on wrestling success. Schools were starting to seriously cut wrestling and wrestling was struggling as a sport.
I personally believe that part of the reason why Gable stepped down was to help the competitive balance of wrestling. He figured that if several schools were in the hunt year in and year out, the sport would do better than if 1 school was flat out dominating every year.
This is why you never have heard him say he doesn't want to coach anymore. IMO he would want to, but he'd rather see the sport do well, then to just pile on championships.
That said, I think it would be cool to have him come back. I just won't get too excited unless we hear he interviews for it.
I put this nugget in another thread and thought I'd add it here as well since it's oh so pertinent. Per my source, a close family friend, DG might be intrigued by the idea but there's no way his WIFE will allow him to indulge himself at the expense of the family. Never underestimate the power of the female in such matters...
I think Gable wanted to win every dual meet, every Big 10 title and every National title his team competed in. He is that competitive.
I don't think he cared if other people "weren't following wrestling because it was a forgone conclusion Iowa would win". I think his attitude was and always will be "I'm the king of the mountain until you knock me off or I get down off of this hill."
I'm not saying that's a bad thing. In fact, that's what I like about Gable. I was never one who boo-hooed all the time Iowa was winning those titles under Gable. My attitude was, "well, ISU simply needs to get better instead of Iowa lowering the bar."
John Wooden won a lot of titles at UCLA and it didn't hurt college MBB.
Once, at a ISU-Iowa dual, Gable's team was winning and he was just walking around in front of the crowd at Hilton.
His wrestler on the mat had the ISU guy face down on the mat. The Iowa guy was taking his forearm and was pressing down hard and raking it across the back of this guy's head and neck.
A spectator didn't like what was going on and yelled at Gable, "Is this what you teach your wrestlers to do?"
Gable looked back and said, "Yep, pretty much."
There was equal speculation that he and Brands had some issues. He may or MAY NOT have left because he couldn't handle the grind.
Not sure where you guys are getting that he "wants" this job. IMO, he distanced himself several times from it.
Look at it no further than his being a rather loyal ISU alum who cares for the program. But I still think he's become a hawk at heart - even at the expense of ISU. However, it IS in iowa's best interest to have a strong Iowa State program, IMO. If the epi-center of colleigate wrestling shifts east to Ohio/Pennsylvania, that will only make things harder in getting kids from those fertile grounds to head west. Even for a powerhouse like iowa.
Not saying that it can't or won't happen. I simply don't see much in that interview suggesting he's eager to be the coach at ISU.
Look at it no further than his being a rather loyal ISU alum who cares for the program. But I still think he's become a hawk at heart - even at the expense of ISU. However, it IS in iowa's best interest to have a strong Iowa State program, IMO. If the epi-center of colleigate wrestling shifts east to Ohio/Pennsylvania, that will only make things harder in getting kids from those fertile grounds to head west. Even for a powerhouse like iowa.
Not saying that it can't or won't happen. I simply don't see much in that interview suggesting he's eager to be the coach at ISU.
MBB wasn't getting cut left and right though. The future of college wrestling is uncertain. Gable would RATHER see a more competitive college wrestling field, then for Iowa to win in a landslide every year. No doubt he was going to coach with less fire, so he stepped away. Now, Iowa, ISU, tOSU, Missouri, Nebraska, etc., are all competitve.
If Iowa kept winning and winning, more schools would've cut wrestling. 1 school dominating for 15-20 years isn't good for a sport that already has money and fan issues...
I really do see your point. Maybe I just feel like arguing today. :smile:
However, Title IX had -- and still has -- a lot to do with colleges cutting back wrestling. Drake was one example of that.
I may disagree with you on the reasons why Gable left the sport, but I think we both agree that this guy was and is the greatest wrestling legend of our time.
Just for the record, Gable wanted to stay and coach at Iowa State. At the time, I thought Coach Nicols should retire and make room, but he wasn't ready and instead of threatening or whining, Dan took the job at Iowa. The rest is history. I don't hold this against him at all. Iowa State had it chance, they knew it, and choose not to go that way. Nichols was a Hall of Fame Coach, hard to push him out the door.
(Dan would have won at any school, he was that dominate)
My good friends and relatives, almost all of them rabid IA fans, have never mentioned this to me. I'll check into it.
I think if Gable would come back (I doubt he will) he would give the mental toughness that I think the teams under Cael lacked his 3 years as head coach. Don't get me wrong I thought then and still do believe that Cael was a great hire at ISU. Do feel he did a injustice to ISU the way he left, but can't blame him for going because of the money, you have to think of your family first. The idea he thinks it will be easier to win at Penn State, I don't buy.
Started reading this thread, I thought pure speculation and no possibility that Gable would come back. Or come back entirely welcomed, for that matter. But after reading some of the ideas on here, I could see it happening and think it would be a good thing. Bolded above drives it home for me.
I heard it from insiders and these sources are pretty deep inside the program. There was some talk of it on the HR boards as well at the time.
I have said it, he is 60 and will be 61 later in the year, however I don't think we need to worry about him getting on the mat or being able to teach the kids that much more physically, he will also have younger assistants to do that. Cael has probably taught them enough-except one thing-mental toughness. Dan can get into their heads and probably that is all he needs to do. Cael built the machines, Dan needs to tune them.
Seriously, what else are you going to teach Varner? Nothing except don't slip up. That kid should be undefeated next year.
Seriously, what else are you going to teach Varner? Nothing except don't slip up. That kid should be undefeated next year.
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I would consider buying season tickets for wrestling if this happened, my wife would complain but having Gable return wearing the cardinal and gold makes we want to pee my pants.
Someone mentioned film worthy, movie worthy...damn.....so true.
