RUDIS Wrestling Podcast

On this special edition of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Jason Bryant is joined by 2x NCAA Champion at Oklahoma State and new Oregon State University head wrestling coach Chris Pendleton. Pendleton led Arizona State for the past six seasons as an assistant coach under Zeke Jones, and during that time he helped produce countless upper-weight All-Americans. Prior to ASU, Pendleton was an assistant coach at the University of Wyoming for four years. A three-time All-American at Oklahoma State, Pendleton was a member of a Cowboy team for three of the = four consecutive team national titles from 2003-2006. SHOW NOTES 0:00 Show Introduction 0:40 Virtual Job Interview 3:05 Going Against Former Teammates for Jobs 6:25 Oregon State's Tradition + Community 9:53 Finally Becoming a Head Coach 11:15 Administration Support + Vision 14:20 Regional Recruiting 22:07 Next Steps for Program 25:50 Learning from Previous Programs 33:10 Staying in the Pac12

On this special edition of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan is joined by new Campbell wrestling head coach Scotti Sentes. Sentes, a two-time NCAA All-American for Central Michigan University, served as head assistant coach at Cal Poly before spending five seasons at Campbell under then head coach Cary Kolat. Together, they brought the Campbell program back from the ashes, transforming the SoCon team into a regional powerhouse. Dernlan and Sentes discuss the transition from head assistant to head coach, how Sentes has been leading his team virtually and what the future looks like for the Camels. SHOW NOTES 0:00 Show Introduction 0:50 First Steps as Head Coach 4:36 Support from Athletic Department 5:55 Get to Know Scotti Sentes 9:40 How Career at Campbell Eased the Transition 11:15 Rebuilding the Program in Six Years

On this episode of On Deck, Ben Askren is joined by wrestling vigilante Canaan Bower and revered hall-of-fame wrestler and Superbowl Champion, Stephen Neal. Bower, a 16-year-old from Las Cruces, New Mexico recently went viral across the country for a video showing him storming into a gas station and physically taking down an alleged kidnapper, pinning him down until the police arrived. Bower is a district wrestling champion for Mayfield high school. Neal, a 2x NCAA Champion, 1999 Hodge Trophy Winner, World Champion, and 3x Superbowl champion, started his wrestling career relatively late, but that didn’t stop him from becoming one of the most revered athletes in the wrestling community. He and Askren discuss everything from the importance of participating in multiple sports to how he applied what he learned in wrestling to becoming an offensive lineman for the New England Patriots. Show Notes 0:00 Show Introduction 0:41 Canaan Bower 7:33 Stephen Neal 10:48 Specializing in More Than One Sport 14:54 California High School Career 16:18 Getting to Cal-State Bakersfield 17:17 Winter Sports Played in High School 19:28 Playing Football in College Too? 23:23 Reacting to Tom Brady’s Move 24:52 CSU-Bakersfield Contributing to Success 30:31 NCAA Titles 33:23 Freestyle Career 36:38 Goals for 1999 43:48 Lessons Learned in 2000 46:20 NFL Career

On this episode of On Deck, Ben Askren is joined by wrestling vigilante Canaan Bower and revered hall-of-fame wrestler and Superbowl Champion, Stephen Neal. Bower, a 16-year-old from Las Cruces, New Mexico recently went viral across the country for a video showing him storming into a gas station and physically taking down an alleged kidnapper, pinning him down until the police arrived. Bower is a district wrestling champion for Mayfield high school. Neal, a 2x NCAA Champion, 1999 Hodge Trophy Winner, World Champion, and 3x Superbowl champion, started his wrestling career relatively late, but that didn’t stop him from becoming one of the most revered athletes in the wrestling community. He and Askren discuss everything from the importance of participating in multiple sports to how he applied what he learned in wrestling to becoming an offensive lineman for the New England Patriots. Show Notes 0:00 Show Introduction 0:41 Canaan Bower 7:33 Stephen Neal 10:48 Specializing in More Than One Sport 14:54 California High School Career 16:18 Getting to Cal-State Bakersfield 17:17 Winter Sports Played in High School 19:28 Playing Football in College Too? 23:23 Reacting to Tom Brady’s Move 24:52 CSU-Bakersfield Contributing to Success 30:31 NCAA Titles 33:23 Freestyle Career 36:38 Goals for 1999 43:48 Lessons Learned in 2000 46:20 NFL Career

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant dive into the whirlwind of head coaching changes across college wrestling, highlighting two of Division I’s biggest hires: Cary Kolat and Chris Pendleton. Dernlan, who has an extensive history in serving on and leading Division I coaching staffs himself, breaks down what makes a head coach applicant attractive to athletic directors, and the crucial next steps of building a staff and recruiting athletes. The two then move on to discuss the NCAA’s recent decision to grant an extra year of eligibility to spring sport athletes, but take no action for athletes of winter sports, leaving many careers at their abrupt and unexpected end. SHOW NOTES 0:00 Show Introduction 1:03 Cary Kolat Hired as Navy Head Coach 4:20 Chris Pendleton Hired as Oregon State Head Coach 11:40 What Do Head Coaches Look For When Hiring Staff? 14:56 What Makes a Head Coach Candidate Desirable? 16:34 Oregon State Wrestling’s History and Tradition 21:10 Recruiting Challenges 23:35 Addressing the NCAA’s Eligibility Decision

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan gets an exclusive look into the factors that drove Cary Kolat to leave his post at Campbell to take the head coaching job at the U.S. Naval Academy. Kolat served as the head coach for the Campbell Camels for six seasons, leading his team to three SoCon Tournament titles and two regular-season SoCon Championships in the past four seasons alone. SHOW NOTES 0:00 Show Introduction 0:43 Why the Naval Academy? 3:20 What the Conversation with Navy’s A.D. Was Like 5:20 What Did You Learn About Running a Successful Program? 8:22 What Perspective Did You Gain Coaching at Campbell? 11:18 What Message Did You Have for You Team at Campbell?

On this special edition of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan is joined by three-time World and Olympic champion Kyle Snyder. The two discuss the postponement of the 2020 Games, his mindset during present adversity, Kyle’s decision to train at the Nittany Lion Wrestling Club and more. Show Notes 0:00 Show Introduction 0:50 Last Two Weeks 2:30 Performance at Pan-Am Qualifier 4:38 What’s Contributed to Kyle’s current state as a wrestler 8:01 Developing a Technical Mentality 10:43 Differing Mindset from Last Year 13:09 What’s the Threshold Each Match? 15:20 Goal for Your Opponents? 18:04 The Mind Controls the Body 21:32 Breaking Opponents 24:00 Turning Postponement Into a Positive 26:17 No End in Sight 28:15 Always Having a Student Mentality 32:11 Being Grateful for Rivals 33:25 Kyle’s Move to State College 37:00 Getting on the Same Page 39:15 Difference Penn State Has Made

On this special edition of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan is joined in studio by 1996 Olympian and University of Oklahoma head coach Lou Rosselli. A veteran coach of numerous powerhouse programs, Rosselli has served the sport of wrestling as a collegiate and freestyle coach for over a decade. Rosselli and Dernlan dive into a variety of topics including recruiting, his career at Oklahoma, international wrestling and the silver linings which come out of the cancellation of sports for the foreseeable future. Show Notes 1:46 Virtual Recruiting Realities 4:58 Virtual Academic Support 6:48 Missing Social Component 9:10 Silver Linings 16:54 Reflecting on OU Career 21:35 What Type of Wrestler is Right for OU? 26:37 Transition from Edinboro 31:15 Differences in Recruiting at Larger Schools 35:23 Education As a Priority 38:13 Differing Philosophies 41:40 Skills Needed to Transition to Freestyle 47:30 Tactical Execution 50:35 Growth of the Sport from RTCs 1:02:38 Qualifying 65kg for the Games 1:05:32 2021 Team Trials Procedure

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant react to the Summer Games being delayed to 2021. The two discuss the global impact of a sports-less 2020 summer, what the postponement means for the sport of wrestling, and what the future landscape looks like for athletes. Show Notes 0:00 Show Intro 6:20 Postponement of 2020 Games 11:42 Oly-Redshirt Eligibility 21:09 Benefits to the Games in 2021 25:05 RTCs Impact on Training Opportunity 27:06 Where Will Athletes Train? 28:50 Logistics + Global Impact of Delay 33:05 What Will Happen With NCAA Wrestling? 39:02 Why a Final Decision About NCAA Eligibility is Important 41:25 Details About Our Exclusive Interview with Cary Kolat

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant reflect on seasons past and remember the first NCAA Championships they attended or participated in. The two take a trip back in time to championships from the 90s and early 2000s and discuss unforgettable moments in wrestling history.

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan is joined by 2x NCAA Champion Gabe Dean. Dean, an assistant coach at his alma mater Cornell, talks how the past few weeks have changed his perspective as both a coach and fan of the sport. Dernlan and Dean dive into Gabe’s transition from athlete to coach, Cornell’s success on and off the mat, Olympic redshirts, and more. 0:00 Show Intro 2:23 Wrestling and Life Lessons 7:48 Transition From Athlete to Coach 11:58 Cornell’s Success This Year 15:41 Princeton-Cornell Beef 18:05 What Separates Cornell? 26:33 Finger Lakes RTC 30:24 Olympic Redshirts 34:27 Qualifying 65kg 40:35 Switching to Online Classes 47:07 Physical Activity During Quarantine

On this episode of The Way, Matt Dernlan and Cary Kolat react to the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics from this July to the summer of 2021. Kolat, an Olympian who competed at the Sydney Games in 2000, reflects on his own adversity at the Games and predicts what the prospective athletes representing the United States are thinking and feeling.

On this episode of The Way, Matt Dernlan and Cary Kolat react to the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics from this July to the summer of 2021. Kolat, an Olympian who competed at the Sydney Games in 2000, reflects on his own adversity at the Games and predicts what the prospective athletes representing the United States are thinking and feeling.

On this episode of On Deck, Ben Askren is joined by 4x All-American, 2x NCAA Champion, and co-founder of Young Guns Wrestling Club, Jody Strittmatter. Strittmatter, current assistant coach at University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown, has coached Division I prodigies including Penn State’s Jason Nolf and Vincenzo Joseph and Iowa’s Spencer Lee to name a few. Askren and Strittmatter discuss all things club wrestling from athlete development to how to get athletes and parents to buy in. Show Notes 0:00 Show Introduction 2:37 Coaching Influence 4:57 Recruitment Out of High School 7:16 Transferring to Iowa 11:20 Dan Gable 14:05 Tom + Terry Brands 15:42 Jim Zalesky 16:54 Young Guns Wrestling Club 20:31 Club + Development Morals 23:20 Tailoring Coaching to Athletes 27:05 The First Big Name From YGWC 28:10 Jason Nolf 33:10 Spencer Lee 35:49 Vincenzo Joseph 37:47 When Did You Go From Good to Great?

On this episode of On Deck, Ben Askren is joined by 4x All-American, 2x NCAA Champion, and co-founder of Young Guns Wrestling Club, Jody Strittmatter. Strittmatter, current assistant coach at University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown, has coached Division I prodigies including Penn State’s Jason Nolf and Vincenzo Joseph and Iowa’s Spencer Lee to name a few. Askren and Strittmatter discuss all things club wrestling from athlete development to how to get athletes and parents to buy in. Show Notes 0:00 Show Introduction 2:37 Coaching Influence 4:57 Recruitment Out of High School 7:16 Transferring to Iowa 11:20 Dan Gable 14:05 Tom + Terry Brands 15:42 Jim Zalesky 16:54 Young Guns Wrestling Club 20:31 Club + Development Morals 23:20 Tailoring Coaching to Athletes 27:05 The First Big Name From YGWC 28:10 Jason Nolf 33:10 Spencer Lee 35:49 Vincenzo Joseph 37:47 When Did You Go From Good to Great?