How Penn State hired Cael Sanderson (Athletic Article $)

[Cytasticlone]

Really interesting but gutting read and I didn't really follow wrestling back then. It's The Athletic so $$$

How Penn State hired Cael Sanderson: Inside the origins of an NCAA wrestling dynasty

 

[stuclone]

Well, that was a depressing read

 

[cytor]

Meh, Only got to read the first paragraph. Got shut out.

 

[jsb]

Well, that was a depressing read

Actually it sort of makes me feel fine about things. He didn’t leave for any reason that was ISU based. He just left. Not anything we could have done. And like all former coaches I wish him lots of professional failure.

 

[Gorm]

The Athletic knows that if you open one of their articles and don't scroll down that all of the content can be viewed by switching to "reader view" right.

 

[cytor]

I'm too stupid (and old) to know how to read the article without buying a subscription. All I know is he left for more money AND and extra $250k per year from a booster/alum to lure him.

 

[Beernuts]

It is sad to think what two decisions would have made for ISU wrestling. Hiring Gable as the head coach...and retaining Sanderson. Two of the most successful head coaches in this history of the sport that are both ISU legends. In all honesty, could there be as many as 25 more national title banners hanging in Hilton today?

 

[DSMCy]

Maybe the most shocking line in the article

Pollard, the athletic director, declined an interview for this story.

 

[deadeyededric]

If someone offers to build you the best wrestling facility in the world in a state with the best H.S. wrestling in the country it's a no brainer to make that move.

 

[crablegs]

It is sad to think what two decisions would have made for ISU wrestling. Hiring Gable as the head coach...and retaining Sanderson. Two of the most successful head coaches in this history of the sport that are both ISU legends. In all honesty, could there be as many as 25 more national title banners hanging in Hilton today?

Cael wouldn’t have won near as many titles at ISU. Gable, maybe. Different times.

 

[Beernuts]

Cael wouldn’t have won near as many titles at ISU. Gable, maybe. Different times.

Ok...20 then...

 

[SCNCY]

Is there anything we don't already know in the article?

My understanding, Penn State was going to invest a lot of money in wrestling to build a new facility, and provide the wrestling program with a bigger budget, along with providing Cael a higher salary. At the time, Iowa State didn't have the funds/budget to compete as we just didn't have the money or funding available to invest in wrestling. Thus, he left.

 

[BCClone]

Cael wouldn’t have won near as many titles at ISU. Gable, maybe. Different times.

Did ISU do any of the scholarship stuff that Iowa did under gable? The calling everyone out of state?

 

[Marcelason78]

Maybe the most shocking line in the article

Don’t know JP could have added other than— “We didn’t have a deep pockets donor like Ped St. did.”

 

[Halincandenza]

Is there anything we don't already know in the article?

My understanding, Penn State was going to invest a lot of money in wrestling to build a new facility, and provide the wrestling program with a bigger budget, along with providing Cael a higher salary. At the time, Iowa State didn't have the funds/budget to compete as we just didn't have the money or funding available to invest in wrestling. Thus, he left.

I don't know if this has been said before but at the end of the meeting with PSU, him and his guys talked and decided to stay at ISU. Then he went home "prayed" about it all night and then changed his mind.

 

[ISU22CY]

I don't know if this has been said before but at the end of the meeting with PSU, him and his guys talked and decided to stay at ISU. Then he went home "prayed" about it all night and then changed his mind.

God had a pretty good cell phone back then

 

[cytor]

God had a pretty good cell phone back then

That, and a lot of Benjamins.

 

[Marcelason78]

Him and the guys probably didn’t like God’s “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s” message.

 

[SCNCY]

I don't know if this has been said before but at the end of the meeting with PSU, him and his guys talked and decided to stay at ISU. Then he went home "prayed" about it all night and then changed his mind.

So God told him to be greedy.

 

[ZRF]

Cael wouldn’t have won near as many titles at ISU. Gable, maybe. Different times.

Not true at all.

He would have been able to pull the EXACT same talent to Ames. Once they started winning titles the money and the support would have went through the roof and he would have been able to get literally anything he wanted.

The one thing we couldn't offer him was the Big 10 schedule. Save for OSU and arguably OU (though they haven't been for a while), most of the best programs are in the Big 10.

Kids aren't going to PSU to wrestle at PSU. They are going their to wrestle for Cael. The same would have held true here.