What do we want for the Badger program?

[PAUL]

Well I'm on nobody's bandwagon, and everyone has their opinions and often they are very passionate, which is awesome and a sign that all of us like (love?) this program in our own way, and want only what's best for it.  I think the probation comment was definitely out of line - not sure where that would have come from I guess.  NCAA athletics is changing in so many ways, and successful programs definitely need to adapt to that.  Know the rules, stick by them, but still be aggressive in your actions and efforts.  I'd say the communication things brought up (Monday updates, etc.) is concerning for sure - I can't imagine that those are all that difficult and time consuming, but they help keep folks engaged. 

[vsmf2010]

Ben Askren as head coach puts us top 5 in the next 5 years.

"No, he puts UW on probation for five years.  Unlike the club scene there are actual rules and regulations that college coaches have to follow and if you violate them, bad things can follow (as Andy Rein can attest to). Not that Ben would care "

I guess I have two questions from your reply. 

1. Why do you assume he would have us on probation? He has clearly competed at the highest level and never been in trouble for any allegations of illegal behavior.  To assume that about someone is a direct shot at their character and quite frankly, incorrect.

2. Why are you on the Bono bandwagon? What has he done so well that should convince other Badger wrestling fans to continue to support him?

Lastly, where did the Monday videos go, the posts, the press conferences? As soon as the badgers started to get worse, Bono quit promoting the team... just an observation.

Just not a true statement. The videos are now on Tuesdays via the badger den podcast. I actually like these much more because he goes much more in depth and provides a lot of the information people on this thread claim is not being communicated. Much more meaningful than the one minute jump around videos. For transparency, I am a badger fan with no ties to Bono. I want Bono to succeed because it means the badgers succeed. I have no insider knowledge but feel like I can answer many of the questions everyone is claiming is not transparent just by watching the many interviews that are out there. Bono and company are not going to individually call everyone up but they do invite you to ask questions and they generally answer them. Furthermore, do any coaches make a press release when a college student leaves the program and explain why a student leaves school?? Not going to happen!

Badgers pulled off a great win yesterday and here we go with the same topic, Bono vs Askren. This is getting pretty tired. This discussion has been had countless times.

I asked coach Bono on twitter about "Jump Around Mondays" and he answered back that they would be doing some different things but hoping to have more and better content and would agree that they have. I like the Badger Den podcasts. A lot more information.

On a side note he did specifically address the RTC and the direction. I do not recall where I saw it but it may have been on the Badger Den. If I come across it I will post it. He said the focus is on high school athletes and the senior level asperations of the current athletes and coaches. He commented that all the RTC's are different and that he would love to have several high level senior athletes and would welcome anyone. I cannot remember if he specifically mentioned the lack of funding but clearly the RTC does not have the type of funding to have top level senior athletes who are not part of the team or coaching staff. He did mention that they have HS RTC practices every week in the off season and the numbers of athletes participating was very high. 

[Wrestling Guru]

I will watch the Badger Den Podcasts, I have not seen them in the past. Are they free or do you need a Rokfin subscription?

[walden_hiker]

I will watch the Badger Den Podcasts, I have not seen them in the past. Are they free or do you need a Rokfin subscription?

They are free on Rokfin. You do not need a subscription.

[JacobRaschka]

I will watch the Badger Den Podcasts, I have not seen them in the past. Are they free or do you need a Rokfin subscription?

All the Badger Den Podcasts are free and are available on Rokfin or Facebook. Below are the links for the 6 episodes. We try to do an episode every week, if you follow WIwrestle on socials we will put out updates on new episodes and when we will be going live.

#1: https://rokfin.com/stream/41013/Badgers-Den-Podcast-Episode-1-w-Coach-Bono
#2: https://rokfin.com/stream/41378/Badgers-Den-Podcast-2-w-Coach-Bono
#3: https://rokfin.com/stream/41574/Badgers-Den-Podcast-Episode-3
#4: https://rokfin.com/stream/42048/Badgers-Den-Episode-4
#5: https://rokfin.com/stream/42442/Badgers-Den-5
#6: https://rokfin.com/stream/43610/Badgers-Den-Episode-6

[Harris]

I will watch the Badger Den Podcasts, I have not seen them in the past. Are they free or do you need a Rokfin subscription?

All the Badger Den Podcasts are free and are available on Rokfin or Facebook. Below are the links for the 6 episodes. We try to do an episode every week, if you follow WIwrestle on socials we will put out updates on new episodes and when we will be going live.

#1: https://rokfin.com/stream/41013/Badgers-Den-Podcast-Episode-1-w-Coach-Bono
#2: https://rokfin.com/stream/41378/Badgers-Den-Podcast-2-w-Coach-Bono
#3: https://rokfin.com/stream/41574/Badgers-Den-Podcast-Episode-3
#4: https://rokfin.com/stream/42048/Badgers-Den-Episode-4
#5: https://rokfin.com/stream/42442/Badgers-Den-5
#6: https://rokfin.com/stream/43610/Badgers-Den-Episode-6

Can someone point me to the video or somewhere else online that addresses cutting the women's program or one that discusses what has happened to change 5 coaches/directors of the RTC in 5 years?  If I am wrong and this is public knowledge coming from the coaching staff (not an interview question), I will concede this point and admit I am wrong.  I just don't know where it is.  I receive emails directly from the RTC asking for donations but don't remember any emails explaining changes in leadership or dropping the women's program.  I may have forgotten.  If anyone can show me these, I would be grateful and stop beating a dead horse.  I also don't think I have received an email from the RTC saying to look at the Badger Den podcasts to find out more information.  Is this listed on the RTC website anywhere?  Did an email go out to donors describing the change in media sources during the season? 

If you tell me I should be tracking these things on Rokfin or social media (Insta/X etc.) I guess I would say that all personal fundraising requests have come via the official RTC email.  Are they not using that form of communication to make donors aware of things?  Do donors have to follow them closely on social media and watch these podcasts instead of receiving an email?  These are the types of things I am talking about.  If you can email everyone asking for money, you can email everyone and let them know when major changes happen.  Not a shot at Bono or the coaching staff.  Just pointing out the obvious.  If you tell me email is dead, then stop sending funding requests via this method and see how that works for you.

If you have been following my posts on this forum since Bono was hired, I am a Bono/Reader/Gross guy and still think they can get it done.  What I am talking about is the business side of things.  I only mentioned all the athlete names in my second post to shed light on the magnitude of changes with really no communication. 

If you say the coaching staff is too busy to send out a professional email describing major changes when asking for large donations and tell me I am lazy for not knowing that Jump Around Monday's are not a thing anymore, I think you are not paying attention to what I am saying.  The Jump Around Monday was not announced anywhere to donors.  It was asked on Twitter by a forum poster and then posted here.  In my opinion, this is the problem that I am trying to shine some light on.  Some donors are too busy to try and figure out a fragmented social media strategy and watch podcasts each week.

In addition, coach Bono called me personally two days ago asking to talk directly about this.  I am assuming this phone call will happen after their trip this weekend.  The issue I have with only talking one on one with him is that I would prefer him to address these big issues with the whole fan base and not just me.  I am just the messenger and many others have the same questions.  I think it will go a long way towards his success in fundraising and support.  I don't need to know anything he won't share with everyone else.  I also respect that he is taking the time to reach out to me personally but I am just the messenger.  As I have said before, he has never shied away from the tough questions when I ask them to his face.  I just want him to share his thoughts with everyone and especially his RTC donors and that is what I am going to talk about on the phone.  Everything I have shared in my posts is public knowledge.  If I am wrong, please let me know and I will edit my posts and say I was wrong. 

[Harris]

Man you've just got to love these kinds of threads 

We've been on the wrong track since they fired Andy Rein


Really? How many team titles did he coach, hmmm? I know he did help put UW on probation for a number of years that wrecked the program and had Barry Davis spend much of his early career cleaning up. But if Wisconsin ties are that important to you, perhaps Mitch Hull is available?

Actually, Mitch Hull did come back at the end of Barry Davis's tenure and worked with the RTC.  I know this because I talked with him at the Stevens Point open at the time 2018.  Great guy with a ton of WI wrestling history.

"Running a successful organization like this requires excellence in every area - fundraising, communications, PR, coaching, etc., etc. - and if stuff isn't getting done properly (or at all) the entire operation will suffer, there are no shortcuts"

Agreed but it also requires money too. Can't get around that. Excellence costs.

How many donors would have stepped up and donated more if Bono told them directly they are cutting the women's program and it was 100% a money thing?  I know I would have loved to have the chance to help save this program but it was never communicated that it was going to be cut.  Women's wrestling is a huge growth area for the sport and the RTC was actually having a lot of success here. 

[Army Ant]

I dont think hiring Askren will work out. Maybe hes a great coach, but he's been doing his own thing his entire life so I have a hard time seeing him wanting to navigate numerous school & NCAA regulations. Maybe initially, but there would probably eventually be a disagreement or violation that blows up.

[wrestlemania]

"Maybe hes a great coach, but he's been doing his own thing his entire life so I have a hard time seeing him wanting to navigate numerous school & NCAA regulations. Maybe initially, but there would probably eventually be a disagreement or violation that blows up."

Exactly. The last thing he wants to do is to have to crack open the massive NCAA rule book and try to follow it (most coaches certainly don't). And can you just imagine how he would react is some flunkie from UWAD compliance office tells him he can't do this or that. That's why, I strongly believe, he's content with where he's at and not about to entertain offers to be college coach at any level, at Wisconsin or anywhere else. He certainly hasn't up til now.

Not only is funding a problem but as I've said before (and UW alumns can back me up and maybe even Askren too) compliance is a big problem with UW wrestling because the department has been very wary to almost unwelcoming of alumns or other post-college athletes looking to train in Madison for fear of committing the same violations that put UW on a devastating probation in the mid-1990s. Kind of hard to have a functioning RTC if the school itself isn't very enamored of it (and I can imagine it must a doozy just to get it going). Not a great place to either train or pass that training onto the college wrestlers themselves if everyone has to worry about following such picaune rules all the time. So is it any surprise it goes through lots of directors and has a hard time raising money?

[MNbadger]

"Maybe hes a great coach, but he's been doing his own thing his entire life so I have a hard time seeing him wanting to navigate numerous school & NCAA regulations. Maybe initially, but there would probably eventually be a disagreement or violation that blows up."

Exactly. The last thing he wants to do is to have to crack open the massive NCAA rule book and try to follow it (most coaches certainly don't). And can you just imagine how he would react is some flunkie from UWAD compliance office tells him he can't do this or that. That's why, I strongly believe, he's content with where he's at and not about to entertain offers to be college coach at any level, at Wisconsin or anywhere else. He certainly hasn't up til now.

Not only is funding a problem but as I've said before (and UW alumns can back me up and maybe even Askren too) compliance is a big problem with UW wrestling because the department has been very wary to almost unwelcoming of alumns or other post-college athletes looking to train in Madison for fear of committing the same violations that put UW on a devastating probation in the mid-1990s. Kind of hard to have a functioning RTC if the school itself isn't very enamored of it (and I can imagine it must a doozy just to get it going). Not a great place to either train or pass that training onto the college wrestlers themselves if everyone has to worry about following such picaune rules all the time. So is it any surprise it goes through lots of directors and has a hard time raising money?

Do you think UW is different in regard to NCAA rules from other NCAA schools?
Also, if Ben Askren was interested in coaching he would have likely been doing so already.

[wrestlemania]

Do you think UW is different in regard to NCAA rules from other NCAA schools?

It may well be its own internal rules or perhaps the UWAD is more sensitive, more anal, more bureauracratic about such things than other schools.

[Army Ant]

I would simply never hire somebody to be an NCAA D1 head coach with zero experience working within a school administration or for anybody at all for that matter. Owning a top tier wrestling academy is a great experience but very different from being an NCAA head coach. Nothing to do with Ben's coaching ability or what type of person he is. It's just a very different animal.

[npope]

I would simply never hire somebody to be an NCAA D1 head coach with zero experience working within a school administration or for anybody at all for that matter. Owning a top tier wrestling academy is a great experience but very different from being an NCAA head coach. Nothing to do with Ben's coaching ability or what type of person he is. It's just a very different animal.

I could be wrong, but didn't Askren serve as the MO assistant for a year or two after graduation?

[harley25]

I would simply never hire somebody to be an NCAA D1 head coach with zero experience working within a school administration or for anybody at all for that matter. Owning a top tier wrestling academy is a great experience but very different from being an NCAA head coach. Nothing to do with Ben's coaching ability or what type of person he is. It's just a very different animal.

I could be wrong, but didn't Askren serve as the MO assistant for a year or two after graduation?

Yes and pretty sure he coached at ASU for some period of time

[DocWrestling]

Pretty easy for Askren to hire an experienced older head coach to help steer the administrative side and do the boring stuff.

I have no clue if hiring him will work but right now I am at the "Why not?"stage.  If it doesn't work out the program is really no worse than where it is now.  At least UW tried something unconventional.  Is Deion going to work in Colorado?  Nobody knows but the took a chance.

He is the ONLY candidate in the entire country that could create an immediate buzz nationally and also bring almost the entire state together on one page.