Rising Tide lifts all boats

[wrestler_73]

There are many great things happening in the sport of wrestling in our country and in our state.  This post is a call for action from our wrestling community to improve the sport of wrestling.  I believe it all starts with the person in charge of our Division I College wrestling program in the state.  I believe that a person with tremendous vision, time, energy and personality to carry out that vision is the most important first step.  Sometime soon this position will be opening up....I believe Ben Askren is the person to make this happen.  I believe his ability to teach, attract top talent as athletes and coaches, business sense and passion make him the best choice to take our state to higher levels than ever before.  He is fearless and will make some uncomfortable...but I see this as a critical step for positive change in our state.

I believe Ben would:
*Work closely with the WWF to support programming, coaches education and our young athletes
*Advocate for positive change with the WWCA and the WIAA
*Collaborate and connect with DII and DIII programs in our state
*Build Junior college programs in state with schools like MATC, etc
*Build a top level RTC program at UW Madison
*Build a top level coaching staff
*Would have strong connections with all in state blue chip talent
*Would have strong connections with blue chip talent around the country
*Rally alumni to support UW Wrestling
*In five years, Ben would have a top 5 team in the nation and a Big Ten championship

[1Iota]

There are many great things happening in the sport of wrestling in our country and in our state.  This post is a call for action from our wrestling community to improve the sport of wrestling.  I believe it all starts with the person in charge of our Division I College wrestling program in the state.  I believe that a person with tremendous vision, time, energy and personality to carry out that vision is the most important first step.  Sometime soon this position will be opening up....I believe Ben Askren is the person to make this happen.  I believe his ability to teach, attract top talent as athletes and coaches, business sense and passion make him the best choice to take our state to higher levels than ever before.  He is fearless and will make some uncomfortable...but I see this as a critical step for positive change in our state.

I believe Ben would:
*Work closely with the WWF to support programming, coaches education and our young athletes
*Advocate for positive change with the WWCA and the WIAA
*Collaborate and connect with DII and DIII programs in our state
*Build Junior college programs in state with schools like MATC, etc
*Build a top level RTC program at UW Madison
*Build a top level coaching staff
*Would have strong connections with all in state blue chip talent
*Would have strong connections with blue chip talent around the country
*Rally alumni to support UW Wrestling
*In five years, Ben would have a top 5 team in the nation and a Big Ten championship

Ben can't take the pay cut

[benaskren]

wrestler_73 I need to hire you as my director of strategic communications because you pretty much nailed the action steps of what needs to happen to make UW a winner!  I would order them slightly different but I think you really covered all of the bases. Here would be my order

- Create a fervent amount of support within the state by doing a huge amount of outreach and marketing
- Fundraise to create a level playing field with other super powers(RTC, extra coaches, etc.)
- Close off the borders! Wisconsin kids don't leave Wisconsin.  Too many have gotten away(Askren x2, Konrad, Dieringer just to get started)

If you really focused on those 3 things as well as putting passionate effort into developing whats in your room the program would be headed in the right direction in no time and you would attract the national attention necessary to get the bluechip kids nationally(that being said I think you could easily build a national title team with kids from exclusively IL, MN and WI). 

Now you got me fired up

[Harris]

You got my vote!

[Brett Favre - R.I.P.]

One could only hope that Barry will be gone, soon.
I think Ben would be a great addition to UW wrestling.

[wrestler6]

Yeah BD is definitely doing something wrong considering Bucky is only 1 of 2 teams to qualify all 10 from the team for the ncaa's.!! Terrible 😂

[bigG]

I think he's the person (Taylor)most would hate to wrestle right now. He's just cookin'.

Love to see Ben coach. They'd be in shape and smart.

[Micah]

Yeah BD is definitely doing something wrong considering Bucky is only 1 of 2 teams to qualify all 10 from the team for the ncaa's.!! Terrible 😂

As of right now only 6 have qualified.  They can get 7 if Stickley wins.  Crone, Ruschell and Jimenez need wild cards.  Either way earning 10 AQs and qualifying 6-7 guys is not great.

[wrestlemania]

Ben, if you really want the UW post you need to do two things before it opens up:

1). Come up with a detailed, specific plan of how to take the program from the middle of he pack of the B1G to the top. You need to show how this can be done in terms of recruiting, fundraising, marketing, the staff you intend to hire and style of coaching.  The plan needs to spell out how this is to be done within the structures of the program which are set i.e limited numbers in the wrestling room, the existing facilities and strict academic requirements, because these are things you cannot change until get there and have some success.

2). Get overwhelming grassroots support from the state's wrestling community i.e. high school coaches, club coaches, retired coaches and wrestlers and Hall of Fame members etc. A large groundswell in your favor may convince the powers that be at 1440 Monroe St. to give you a chance.   

[wrestler_73]

Ben knows what needs to be done and when it needs to happen.  The grass roots will be important.

As far as NCAA violations...Ben will play within the rules, but most importantly he will engage with many in our state to see the program become a top 5 team in the nation on a yearly basis. 

It will happen if given a chance.

[woody53]

The UW Sports is unique. The Football is the Cash Cow. Basketball next. Everything else is because they have to. Plain and simple. No more will be put into any other program until they can bring results. UW will not put anymore money into wrestling than what they need. We can not hire a top coach because the system will not invest that scale of money. We need dark horse that surprises.

[wrestlemania]

Exactly! Ben Askren is worth the gamble because I doubt you're going to attract a broad and deep pool of coaches, particularly head coaches with track records of success, interested in the UW job. So why not take a chance who will immediately attract attention, perhaps even some good recruits which can be start of a foundation of success.

My advice is based largely on the knowledge of who will be making this decision and that's Barry Alvarez. He will more than likely give great deference to whomever Barry Davis will designate as his successor (which most people feel will be Trevor Brandvold). To overcome this will require two things 1). an impressive interview which will wow BA with its attention to detail and planning and 2). as I said, a grassroots upswelling of support from the state's wrestling community which is designed to impress Alvarez and influence his decision-making process.

Basically what Ben has to do is say: "I can coach UW to a Big Ten title and here's how I plan to do so."  And with so many people wanting to see hime get that chance, my hope is Alvarez will say "So many people in the state want him and he seems to know what he's talking about and has the connections which can help boost the program, what there's to lose? There may well be a lot to gain."

[woody53]

My problem is that so many are getting on Ben's Bandwagon right now and there is no opening. A change isn't going to happen for a few years yet and I do believe his bandwagon could go some place where they want him now.

[npope]

Alvarez will say "So many people in the state want him and he seems to know what he's talking about and has the connections which can help boost the program, what there's to lose? There may well be a lot to gain."

But you assume that BA actually cares about the success or mediocrity of the wrestling program. Maybe - maybe not. Maybe wrestling is not even on the map of BA? Maybe all he wants (is satisfied with) is a team/coach that doesn't demand his attention (it would detract from the cash cows). If that is the reality, Askren might be the "worst" hire for BA - Ben is going to shake things up - no doubt about it. I don't know how things will come down, but if I am BA, I would not be convinced at all that Askren is the guy I want in that drivers seat - doesn't matter what the outcome might be. If it is great, okay, minimal kudos to the athletic program. If is it a disaster and requires BA's attention, not good at all. I love Askren's approach to the sport, just sayin' that if I were BA, I might not love it as much.

[Brett Favre - R.I.P.]

Exactly! Ben Askren is worth the gamble because I doubt you're going to attract a broad and deep pool of coaches, particularly head coaches with track records of success, interested in the UW job. So why not take a chance who will immediately attract attention, perhaps even some good recruits which can be start of a foundation of success.

My advice is based largely on the knowledge of who will be making this decision and that's Barry Alvarez. He will more than likely give great deference to whomever Barry Davis will designate as his successor (which most people feel will be Trevor Brandvold). To overcome this will require two things 1). an impressive interview which will wow BA with its attention to detail and planning and 2). as I said, a grassroots upswelling of support from the state's wrestling community which is designed to impress Alvarez and influence his decision-making process.

Basically what Ben has to do is say: "I can coach UW to a Big Ten title and here's how I plan to do so."  And with so many people wanting to see hime get that chance, my hope is Alvarez will say "So many people in the state want him and he seems to know what he's talking about and has the connections which can help boost the program, what there's to lose? There may well be a lot to gain."

I would be totally surprised if Alvarez would do anything before Barry's contract is up other than give him another extension. In my mind, UW wrestling isn't going to be important to  anyone until Alvarez is gone. That's the only chance of Davis being gone. Remember what Barry said, His favorite time of the year was when he gets a contract extension