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Discussion Topic: Ohio's Best Collegiate Wrestling Coach
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on May 12, 2011

Good time of year for hypothetical discussions.

Who?

Why?



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Discussion Topic: Ohio's Best Collegiate Wrestling Coach
Gary Sommers added to this discussion on May 12, 2011

Quote from Hank Kornblut's post:

"Good time of year for hypothetical discussions.

Who?

Why?"



Who? Jim Andrassy

Why? Unlike Romano his team does not have an unlimited scholarship budget to bring in talent. Unlike Ryan, a great number of his guys seem to improve during their time with him.



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Discussion Topic: Ohio's Best Collegiate Wrestling Coach
Bob Preusse added to this discussion on May 12, 2011

Andrassy a good choice, but Kent has the full 9.9 schols that Ohio St has and that i believe Ohio U recently has.

would be a dull conversation if limited to just head coaches, we only have 4 that can offer athletic schols-- perhaps an asst is Ohio's best college coach ??

how about Lou Rosselli at Ohio St, has been USA World freestyle team head coach? s/BobP



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Discussion Topic: Ohio's Best Collegiate Wrestling Coach
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on May 12, 2011

Findlay and Ashland have scholarships to offer. So does NDC. Lake Erie also D2 so presumably they do as well.



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Discussion Topic: Ohio's Best Collegiate Wrestling Coach
Brendan Moody added to this discussion on May 12, 2011

I have not had the privilege to wrestle or be around many of the College Coaches in Ohio, but I have wrestled for two of the Head Coaches in Ohio and gotten to know a few; so my list will consist more of my favorites:

1a.) Jimmy Andrassy. I have gotten to be around him more than any of the other coaches so I am bias, but his raw attitude and honesty is what I like about him. He has said things to me that I did not like, but he never lied to me and I appreciate that.

1b.) Tommy Rowlands. While Tommy is not a college coach anymore, I feel that his genuine attitude and pure moral values makes a difference in people that he guides, not only in wrestling but in every aspect of that person’s life. Tommy makes you want to be better!

2.) Josh Moore. While I may be bias again, there is no denying that he has been a catolyst for the Golden Flashes since he went there. I think Josh is has a personality that drives his wrestlers to their limit. The mixture between him and Jimmy has been refreshing to witness.

3.) Lou Rosselli. While I do not personally know Lou, I can say that his demeanor as a wrestling coach seems fantastic. It is not a coincidence that his resume is so sparkling.

4.) Tom Ryan. Tom may be the best coach in Ohio, but I am a bit of a homer when it comes to my list. I do not know Tom, but I have noticed how his marketing strategy toward wrestling, Ohio State Wrestling, and the ORTC is something that cannot be replicated enough.

5.) Frank Ramano. If there is one thing that Frank is good at it is putting the right people in the right place. He has been around the sport so long that he knows exactly how to work the system to his advantage. The job he has done at Notre Dame has been remarkable.

6.) Joel Greenlee. I think that OU is a tough place to coach due to the culture of the campus, but Joel seems to be getting his kids committed to wrestling.

7.) (Surprise alert) Ross Thatcher. When I think of Ross I think of a person that would do ANYTHING to help a person, regardless of stature, age, or talent. I think he is responsible for more of OSU's upper weight success than people realize when he was at OSU.

There are many more fantastic college coaches in Ohio; this is just off the top of my head. I only threw it out there for discussion sake.



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Discussion Topic: Ohio's Best Collegiate Wrestling Coach
Bob Preusse added to this discussion on May 12, 2011

"Findlay and Ashland have scholarships to offer. So does NDC. Lake Erie also D2 so presumably they do as well.'
------------------
your right Hank, don't know what i was thinking, i overlooked a couple.

not only that but PERHAPS the best college coach in Ohio has NO athletic schols to offer, maybe a Div III coach is the best??? s/BobP



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Discussion Topic: Ohio's Best Collegiate Wrestling Coach
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on May 12, 2011

In the interest of getting honest responses, I probably should have asked: Who's the best coach you ever had?



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Discussion Topic: Ohio's Best Collegiate Wrestling Coach
Luke Moore added to this discussion on May 13, 2011

Best college coach: Greenlee- for his first 10 years in Athens, he had 4.4 scholarships and not one paid assistant coach. He was only able to bring in GA's that could stay for 2 years and were then gone. During that time, he did win a MAC title and coached the best wrestler to go through OU, Luke Moore, or possibly some would say Jake Percival!!!About 5 years ago, the program became fully funded and he got a couple paid assistant spots. They have shown marked improvement in that time and are continuing to bring in some solid recruiting classes. The Bobcats should be real tough next year. Of course, I'm also a bit biased.

Best coach I have ever had: Homer answer, got to go with my dad.

I think this is a great topic that can be extended to high school as well. Who would you consider as the best coach in Ohio, or possibly in your area in the high school ranks? I would go with DiGiovanni at Solon as one of the best in Ohio and truly underrated. It is very hard to find a year when Solon does not have a state finalist.

Sorry to change the topic.



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Discussion Topic: Ohio's Best Collegiate Wrestling Coach
Gary Sommers added to this discussion on May 13, 2011

Luke, I will show my bias. It is hard to imagine too many coaches who could do more on a consistent basis with the demographics he has to deal with than Jaime Milkovich.



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Discussion Topic: Ohio's Best Collegiate Wrestling Coach
Mark Niemann added to this discussion on May 13, 2011

Quote from Gary Sommers's post:

"Luke, I will show my bias. It is hard to imagine too many coaches who could do more on a consistent basis with the demographics he has to deal with than Jaime Milkovich."



+1. I've only heard stories, but they are all the same, and never too over the top. ("Over the top" being "Yeah they had one year when they had to practice outside because the school was being renovated. And then there was that time when all the kids left and he was forced to wrestle all first year kids that he pulled from the hallways in the first week of school...won the league that year and sent four to the state tournament. It would also be a Sylvester Stallone movie but that's another story.)



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Discussion Topic: Ohio's Best Collegiate Wrestling Coach
Rex Holman added to this discussion on May 13, 2011

This is an interesting yet subjective topic.

You could set up objective criteria for the matter along the lines of: (I did so in no particular order but rather as they came to me)

1) respect amongst athletes, other coaches and media
2) ability to get athletes to perform
3) helpfulness to athletes
4) willingness to engage athletes
5) comprehensive knowledge of the sport
6) ability to teach different types of athletes
7) understanding the athlete and their particular needs
8) being a role model
9) developing athletes
10) developing win-win relationships with the athlete

Actually in a discussion with a friend and teammate from high school yesterday. At UA in the mid to late 80s, we had some very good teams by standards of the day. During the span of '84-'90, there were 2 state championships. There could have been 8.

Shoulda, coulda and woulda brothers. I know, whatever.

But it is my nature to reflect and analyze why things went the way they did. The guys who lost in the finals were very capable of winning championships. My brother in '84-'85, Dave Walter in '86, Tim McClellan in '87, Matt Stout in'89-'90. What they did lack was some highly detailed coaching which supplants mistakes and indecision.

My brother's losses in the finals were the biggest motivating forces to me( besides my dad). I was so distraught and inconsolable by them that my dad had to spend a considerable amount of time with me talking me out of my funk. I was hurt. I won state title because my dad supported me and I prepared by standards which back in the day were less common. I wrestled 365 days figuratively.
I was the kid who called up Chris Kolly (4th) in '84 the summer before to go workout constantly (I was in eighth grade) We had a move-in from IL the next year by the name of Dave Walters who I hounded the next summer.

I guess my point being if you are lucky enough to get the opportunity to train under a Jeff Jordan, A Jamie Milkovich, a John Heffernan, a Tony DiGiovanni (all Ohio Icons) These guys understand developing kids as well as anyone, and thereby will always produce great wrestlers.

Granted these guys start with kids that are ahead of the developmental curve. A wrestler that is ahead of the curve and continues to develop at a substantial rate is likely to be state finalist material.

At the next level, there is a paradigm shift. The level of difficulty goes up exponentially. The physical strength and mental wherewithal increase dramatically from the previous level. It can be an overwhelming gap, rather chasm. Without proper instruction and guidance, it is a extremely difficult to nearly impossible task.

I am rambling at this point and have to get other stuff done.



Last edited by Rex Holman on May 13, 2011; edited 2 times in total

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Discussion Topic: Ohio's Best Collegiate Wrestling Coach
Mark Niemann added to this discussion on May 13, 2011

Quote from Rex Holman's post:

"...
I am rambling at this point and have to get other stuff done."



Damn those pesky responsibilities! Could have read all day! Hopefully you'll return...



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Discussion Topic: Ohio's Best Collegiate Wrestling Coach
Fred Feeney added to this discussion on May 14, 2011

I like them all lol



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