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Discussion Topic: Rob Koll on Flo
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on October 29, 2023
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Fascinating to listen to him discuss his approach to building a program. His primary focus isn't all about technique and training. It's fundraising. He engages alumni and gets them excited about his team. He does lunches, dinners, etc. He is constantly active in building an endowment from the moment he arrives so that the program will be stronger. He also makes sure his wrestlers have mentors for their post graduate interests so that they'll be successful. I'm summarizing here and undoubtedly leaving out too much. But suffice it to say he left Stanford in much better shape than he found it and will be very successful with UNC.
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Discussion Topic: Rob Koll on Flo
Ethan Moore added to this discussion on October 30, 2023
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Hank - quick story.
I have a friend who wrestled at Cornell. He was telling me about the hand written newsletter Koll would send out every week. I emailed him and asked to be included and he immediately added me. I still get the current version from Grey.
I also emailed Koll after an NCAA tournament. Forget the scenario but one of his wrestlers lost because of a horrific call. He emailed me back in like an hour.
My point - Koll takes fan engagement very seriously. He was engaging with me and I didn't attend Cornell, didn't have a son he was recruiting, and wasn't offering to donate.
Pretty cool.
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Discussion Topic: Rob Koll on Flo
Bob Preusse added to this discussion on October 30, 2023
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Quote from Hank Kornblut's post:
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"Fascinating to listen to him discuss his approach to building a program. His primary focus isn't all about technique and training. It's fundraising. He engages alumni and gets them excited about his team. He does lunches, dinners, etc. He is constantly active in building an endowment from the moment he arrives so that the program will be stronger. He also makes sure his wrestlers have mentors for their post graduate interests so that they'll be successful. I'm summarizing here and undoubtedly leaving out too much. But suffice it to say he left Stanford in much better shape than he found it and will be very successful with UNC."
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im very puzzled why he would leave Stanford, talk about being where he could fundraise !!!..i know i know, for his alma mater but so what when compared to a school ranked #3 best in the World ?? plus many other benefits, he has recruited well and the current class of signees are ranked high. (the rankings i saw: Harvard, MIT, Stanford
Cambridge, Oxford for what its worth)
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Discussion Topic: Rob Koll on Flo
Rob Wagner added to this discussion on October 30, 2023
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Pretty sweet!
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Quote from Ethan Moore's post:
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"Hank - quick story.
I have a friend who wrestled at Cornell. He was telling me about the hand written newsletter Koll would send out every week. I emailed him and asked to be included and he immediately added me. I still get the current version from Grey.
I also emailed Koll after an NCAA tournament. Forget the scenario but one of his wrestlers lost because of a horrific call. He emailed me back in like an hour.
My point - Koll takes fan engagement very seriously. He was engaging with me and I didn't attend Cornell, didn't have a son he was recruiting, and wasn't offering to donate.
Pretty cool."
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Discussion Topic: Rob Koll on Flo
Hank Kornblut added to this discussion on October 30, 2023
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Bob: In the Koll interview he says that he raised a lot of money at Stanford but that he didn't get anywhere near the cooperation from the administration that he has at UNC. He was recruiting well at Stanford and feels he left a good situation for Chris Pendleton...much better than the one he found when he arrived. But he said that Stanford is relatively small and doesn't have as much interest in athletics in general.
Evidently, UNC is all in on Koll and the wrestling program given how prodigiously he fundraises.
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Discussion Topic: Rob Koll on Flo
Bob Preusse added to this discussion on October 30, 2023
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Koll is savvy no doubt -- but u r aware Stanford has won more Sears Cups, whatever its called now, than other college, Given annually to the best all around sports program University, includes womens and Olympic sports.
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Discussion Topic: Rob Koll on Flo
John Joyce added to this discussion on October 31, 2023
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My understanding is that Rob’s college roommate is a more than significant portion of his bank roll and it’s something they’ve both wanted (return to UNC) combined with the cost of living difference and all the other perceived benefits of UNC/Chapel Hill.
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Discussion Topic: Rob Koll on Flo
Brian Mathews added to this discussion on November 1, 2023
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Quote from Bob Preusse's post:
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"Koll is savvy no doubt -- but u r aware Stanford has won more Sears Cups, whatever its called now, than other college, Given annually to the best all around sports program University, includes womens and Olympic sports."
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It's been less than 5 years since Stanford tried to scrap the entire program. They've had a lot of volatility in administration. The support for the wrestling program specifically just isn't there, despite the historical Olympic sport success across their athletics programs.
When you coach at Stanford you're basically operating on an island out there. Virtually every competition requires long travel, doubly so now that they're joining the ACC. Cost of living is nearly 2x, and Koll has no history in the area. I don't see how he could've passed up the UNC offer--you never know when or if the opportunity might open again, and Koll isn't on the front 9 of his career.
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