I think it’s about 90-10, but there are some loud voices in the 10 group.
New coach or not?
- Thread starter RockySmith
- Start date
Better be sure the next coach is better than Tom.
The hill gets steeper if you get the decision wrong.
The hill gets steeper if you get the decision wrong.
I believe some of those 10 guys know Brands on a personal level and no one wants to see a friend fired, so I don’t blame them by continuing to defend them. However for those of us that don’t know them and have at least one good eye can see it’s time to move on. It’s clear they aren’t getting it done. And to the “well who do we get that’s better” group; there’s plenty of coaches out there that can do better than what the Brands are given the same resources. Outside of tonight, our guys can’t pin, can’t ride, can’t create angles, scared to shoot, constantly injured, can’t win individual titles. Our recruiting sucks. If the recruiting is as good as some want to claim then that just proves these coaches aren’t good when you look at the lack of individual titles. You can’t have it both ways; we either suck at recruiting or we suck at coaching. This is a stale *** product and its time for a change.
If you all want to speculate, have at it. But can we be a bit realistic please? People that openly **** talk Iowa are not realistic candidates. Do you think Beth is going to hire someone with a history of bad mouthing Iowa?
If Beth decides it's time, I hope they hire MSU to be a consultant on the coaching search.
Bad mouthing Iowa or the coaches who would no longer be at Iowa in such a scenario?
More importantly the **** talking is more specific to the way they’re currently wrestling and have been for the past couple of years. To be clear. No one endorses hiring Mineo.
You need to calm it down on the fb, PSU isn't exactly world beaters on that stage at this point. Little turmoil going on. I do think Cambell will do well with the resources he will have.
Wrestling, I don't want to talk about it!
What does it matter? The goal is a NC. It's not happening with the current staff. We fall to 6th, 8th, who cares. I want the Hawks to be seeking a NC. We aren't even competitive, crazy talk going on about Endene. The Brands have lost control of the team.
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No. PSU is where we were for a long long time. Many of you sound like Nebraska football fans.
Osborne retired, just like Gable did. T & T are not Tom Osborne. We are chasing it just like them.
It's time for a change.
I’m considering taking some of the cash I stiffed Endene out of and paying that MSU guy to quit posting. He’s fighting to keep brands in charge and I’m stuck funding this sh/t show.
We just lost 9 out of 10 matches at home.. what do we have to lose?
Dan Gable was not a guy who had a lot of nice things to say about Iowa before coaching here. He turned out to be decent.
If you don’t think some heavy hitters or up and comers would jump at the chance to coach Iowa you’re crazy.
Brands had two good runs, they can’t seem to find that spark though. Your two highest rated recruits shouldn’t have zero takedowns.
Brands had two good runs, they can’t seem to find that spark though. Your two highest rated recruits shouldn’t have zero takedowns.
Wonder how many schools will be banging down the doors to hire TnT if IOWA is stupid enough to consider a head coach change. I can think of several and one is just down the road. Maybe it will be fun being antiHAWK for a bit while they crumble out of the top 5 consistently.
You want real change then Iowa needs to take the cuffs off lets pony up and make the only changes that would really work!
Final note because Im sick of all the garbage fair weather fans that know nothing about how difficult this is: our guys will be ready for march.
You want real change then Iowa needs to take the cuffs off lets pony up and make the only changes that would really work!
Final note because Im sick of all the garbage fair weather fans that know nothing about how difficult this is: our guys will be ready for march.
I get that we have a money issue compared to PSU and OSU. I get that our compliance department isn’t doing us any favors. How does that affect the inability of our top ten PFP recruits to get takedowns?
Tom should have been let go 10 years ago.
You're acting like Iowa has stringent academic standards. Let's get real, it's a giant state school where you can major in sports or whatever nonsense you want. Compliance isn't an issue.
Compliance was an issue in the Bo Bassett situation. The rules have since been changed.
The same people always blame the lack of a billionaire and compliance on our struggles. At some point they need to look at what’s going on on the mat and realize there are deeper issues
This is exactly right.
It’s far more likely that Tom Brands is the worst Iowa could do in 2026 than it is that they’re the best Iowa could do.
He has not lost control of the team though. I think he just never evolved to understand athletes today. He’s not in bad company in that regard. But it’s true nonetheless.
Sick of fair weather fans while also suggesting that it will be fun to be antiHAWK...
The program has to be the #1 priority, not the head coaches. What in the world are you seeing that thinks this team will be ready for March? Ang, Kueter, Gabe all elite level wrestlers that didn't come close to a takedown.
Psu is superior in every way. Its not just recruiting or money. Their offensive attacks, positioning, hand and wrist control, finishing technique, top riding, conditioning, etc.
TnT are awesome dudes, but the sport has evolved past them. Change needs to happen.
start out by replacing M• and Telford. Get someone who would replace Brands as head coach. Would go after a big name(s) who would attract quality recruits.
I’m assuming Beth will have to force Tom as I don’t see Tom doing it.
I’m assuming Beth will have to force Tom as I don’t see Tom doing it.
I bet half of those that voted to keep our coaches are PSU fans 
Problem is that people have been asking for a change in assistant coaches for YEARS..... Probably waited too long now.
If the AD sees recent drama as an unnecessary distraction (given wrestling is a non-revenue sport) then one of the following seems a prerequisite to new wrestling coaches:
1) The drama has to be grounds for a no contract buyout termination;
2) Getting rid of the drama has to be valued more than the contract buyout; or,
3) The Brands would have to voluntarily step down.
I think 3) is the most workable. Afterall, John Smith's voluntary resignation paved the way for DT's hire.
Do the Brands have it in them to do similar?
For whom might they be willing to step down?
1) The drama has to be grounds for a no contract buyout termination;
2) Getting rid of the drama has to be valued more than the contract buyout; or,
3) The Brands would have to voluntarily step down.
I think 3) is the most workable. Afterall, John Smith's voluntary resignation paved the way for DT's hire.
Do the Brands have it in them to do similar?
For whom might they be willing to step down?
Uhm... one more match(?)
Then those schools will have below average coaches who get zero out of their wrestlers....
I’m not a fair weather Hawkeye fan, more of a diehard realist.
re: “our guys will be ready for March”
“ready” is missing it’s twin brother ABLE.
ABLE competes for a title. IowA fans expect to legitimately compete for a title ….or at least progressing towards that goal. The ability gap is widening.
THAT - the inability to compete for an NCAA championship - is the source of frustration.
Not only that but observing the apparent abandonment of Iowa-style wrestling and taking note of continual recruiting failures is not “garbage”. It’s simply coming to terms with reality.
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Agree. Plus, how much leeway would a new assistant trained outside Iowa get to implement a way of teaching different from TnT's approach? When you're 57 years old you're not likely to turn over a new leaf. They seem set in their ways.
None. I'm thinking maybe a d3 or Juco but there is not another D1 in this state that would be hiring them. Illinois could work perhaps if Brands even had an interest. I'm thinking simple retirement is more likely. MSU loves Brands and quickly points this out every post, so sending this show out to Michigan State would benefit both Iowa and Michigan State. There are many places where Brands would instantly make the wrestling program way better, but Iowa isn't that place anymore.
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This will be controversial, but if a change does happen, give me Askren. I don't care if he is physically diminished; it's about his wrestling mind. He has been critical of Iowa (and not of other programs with worse versions of the same problems), but he hasn't really been wrong imo. Iowa just gets that heat from everyone because of its history and tradition. Recruiting pipeline would be a gold mine.
JB or Nolf would be on my short list too. And get Kemdawg back in IC as an assistant.
That said, I do not at all expect a coaching change between this season and next, though I'm getting closer to thinking it's time. I guess we'll see.
JB or Nolf would be on my short list too. And get Kemdawg back in IC as an assistant.
That said, I do not at all expect a coaching change between this season and next, though I'm getting closer to thinking it's time. I guess we'll see.