Badgers under Bono

[hornbuckleb]

But here's the rub. If we've decided to move on from Coach Bono now (and moi all warned you UW's wrestling problems were bigger than one coach and continuously hiring and firing coaches would not necessarily fix them) I guarantee you since Mr. Askren seems to be bound and determined to be "King of Wisconsin Wrestling", you're not going to get a lot of applications, certainly not from leaders of other D-I programs. Because no coach worth their salt would enter into a situation where one's success depended upon the whims of club director. No, being a head coach on the D-I level is fraught with challenges enough that one tries to avoid those that are avoidable.

Brian Smith might be a good candidate 

[buc65]

OC- I have had really high level success at everything I have tried, so I am sure I would do fine.  Don't really want to give up the freedom I have in my life to coach at a college.

A great example of a coach getting people better right now is Nick Becker at UW Parkside.  Look at his guys year over year results.  Pretty impressive how much better those guys have gotten in a really short window of time.

I think Ben would be a great hire and would have been a great hire 5 years ago.  Like he said he has had success at everything he's tried (except boxing).  I also think Bono is doing a better job now than Barry Davis did during the last 5 years or so that Davis ran the program.

I don't know if Ben will answer this, but would the handful of AWA wrestlers on the Badger roster be better / contributors if Nick Becker was the coach? or if Ben was the coach?

As an example, and not to single him out (even though I am), Aidan Medora was 135-6 with 2 state titles and 2 runner-up finishes in HS and was a Fargo runner-up, super 32 all-american,  and flo-nationals all-american but can't crack the badgers regular lineup and the couple chances he has had to wrestle in duals he has not performed well.

Josh Otto had similar accolades (better national rankings) coming out of HS too and he is in the starting lineup.

I know Medora didn't have a real HS team and has spent countless hours at AWA.  I'm sure he goes there to wrestle during holiday breaks and likely in the summer too.  Is the stall / slower progress in his development because of Bono / Reader / Gross or has he reached his potential?  If Ben or Nick Becker were the Badgers coach would they be able to get more out of a wrestler like Medora?

[littleguy301]

Bigoil(Mike), let me borrow your rose colored glasses and maybe ill see the same thing as you.

OC- I have had really high level success at everything I have tried, so I am sure I would do fine.  Don't really want to give up the freedom I have in my life to coach at a college.

A great example of a coach getting people better right now is Nick Becker at UW Parkside.  Look at his guys year over year results.  Pretty impressive how much better those guys have gotten in a really short window of time.

Parkside is done incredible! Won the NSIC, went into st cloud and handed them their first conference loss at home in like 12 years.

Nick has also become well known around the state to the wrestlers by getting involved in Fargo teams, communication and pimping up a program in the woods!

I had a chance to catch a dual at parkside this year. Nice place, fun environment and being a supporter of the other team in the dual, coach Becker wasnt above anything and said hi in passing. Supper cool and cannt say enough good things about what coach Becker is doing!

[Vir Fortis]

"Maybe he can get lucky and pillage the transfer portal this offseason."

He'll have to since you seem to discourage your club's top wrestlers from even considering attending Wisconsin.

Our erstwhile "bag of milk" has decided to chime in from the peanut gallery with his observations on another University of Wisconsin wrestling head coach. Now one may say well he would be no different than you are or I am, just a fan, right? Someone interested in the sport, maybe passionate about it. However, I would argue given the responsibility that he has in the lives of young men as a trainer, mentor and guide, to continuously put down others who do put themselves on the line and whose employment status does stand or fall on wins and losses regardless of whether a loss was due to a bad call, bad injury or sheer bad luck, I think requires a little more respect, tact and a smidgen of humility that most coaches generally adopt lest or of their colleagues attacks them. Apparently Mr. Askren feels he's bound by none of this. You cut down Barry Davis, you're doing the same thing to Bono and you'll do the same to any UW head wrestling coach unless they kiss your rings, your butt or perhaps some other part of your anatomy or unless they give you something you want, perhaps one of your toadies as head coach (why even mention Nick Becker at all?)

Actually I think you had what you wanted or should have wanted, if not a head coaching position in Madison (which I think is smart lest you violate so many NCAA rules you'd put the Badgers on probation again), at least running the RTC. Yet for some penny-anne reason you decided you could no longer work there. Which is sad in a way because you lost whatever chance to have the opportunity to help or have input with the Badger wrestlers to improve themselves over the course of a season. Now what's left, slinging brickbats? Is that all?

As for Bono's tenure as head coach, it's pretty much a wash right now in comparison to other UW coaches from a record standpoint. Although given the fact it's rare when a UW wrestling team gets close enough to Iowa to even tie the Hawkeyes at all, he should be given some credit for that. The fact it was the largest crowd ever to witness a UW wrestling meet, I think he should be given some credit for that too. While the record hasn't been great this season in particular given a healthy Gomez (oh what do you know, a transfer!) and one figures a Midlands team title and dual wins over Illinois, Northwestern and Minnesota. Such are the breaks and hopefully he'll be healthy soon.

But here's the rub. If we've decided to move on from Coach Bono now (and moi all warned you UW's wrestling problems were bigger than one coach and continuously hiring and firing coaches would not necessarily fix them) I guarantee you since Mr. Askren seems to be bound and determined to be "King of Wisconsin Wrestling", you're not going to get a lot of applications, certainly not from leaders of other D-I programs. Because no coach worth their salt would enter into a situation where one's success depended upon the whims of club director. No, being a head coach on the D-I level is fraught with challenges enough that one tries to avoid those that are avoidable.

And quite frankly Mr. Askren, what do you care? Your not a UW alumn. It's no skin off your nose what happens in Madison. So is it too much to ask you leave UW wrestling in peace and stop this ugly dispute even if you do hate the school and anything it seems connected to it? It benefits no one and simply divides fans in this state. For once just consider that silence sometimes is indeed gold.   

I have no doubt you'll get a "cry more" as another did when they suggested that MAYBE it was unfair to the teammates of the kids who moved weights so that AWA kids wouldn't have to Wrestle each other.

It's that type of response that makes me roll my eyes when I hear that BONO is the childish one or whatever.

[factfinder]

JMO,
The WI coaches are not just striking out at AWA but also at Pinnacle which has full instate reciprocity with Wisconsin and is considered a top 5 club in the nation (currently with 2 kids ranked #1 and #2 in D1). Wisconsin has 2 full states to recruit in with in-state tuition, so there are 5 or 6 clubs to recruit from that produce lots of Big10 wrestlers.
Ben Askren is always vilified on here but there seems to be a trend with most of the midwest clubs not just AWA, just saying. Maybe Ben and Max really do care about their kids and are truly putting the kids best interest's over the college the local fans root for??? Just a thought.
I am not saying Bono is a bad coach at all, but he is very intense and thats not a great fit for every kid. In Bono's defense he may realize that about himself and seek out the type of kid that fits his style the best as well (I would if I was him). And as a father of a kid that enjoyed AWA and Pinnacle they both run with a calm and efficient style that the kids at those clubs appreciate and respond to. 
I am shocked that coach Bono hasn't went to the Izzy club or Sebolt club that seem to have a similar coaching style?
You have to recruit kids that will respond to you, Eric B and Dean H both have an edge to them similar to Bono and it seems to be working well. The Badgers should have went hard after Rogotzke and Duchateau that wrestle with that same edge as Bono.
Lastly the Badgers need a big guy coach to attract the upper weights and a partner that Hilger and Braxton need. Hard to take a team seriously if you are a big guy that has no one to develop you.

[smitty71]

JMO,
The WI coaches are not just striking out at AWA but also at Pinnacle which has full instate reciprocity with Wisconsin and is considered a top 5 club in the nation (currently with 2 kids ranked #1 and #2 in D1). Wisconsin has 2 full states to recruit in with in-state tuition, so there are 5 or 6 clubs to recruit from that produce lots of Big10 wrestlers.
Ben Askren is always vilified on here but there seems to be a trend with most of the midwest clubs not just AWA, just saying. Maybe Ben and Max really do care about their kids and are truly putting the kids best interest's over the college the local fans root for??? Just a thought.
I am not saying Bono is a bad coach at all, but he is very intense and thats not a great fit for every kid. In Bono's defense he may realize that about himself and seek out the type of kid that fits his style the best as well (I would if I was him). And as a father of a kid that enjoyed AWA and Pinnacle they both run with a calm and efficient style that the kids at those clubs appreciate and respond to. 
I am shocked that coach Bono hasn't went to the Izzy club or Sebolt club that seem to have a similar coaching style?
You have to recruit kids that will respond to you, Eric B and Dean H both have an edge to them similar to Bono and it seems to be working well. The Badgers should have went hard after Rogotzke and Duchateau that wrestle with that same edge as Bono.
Lastly the Badgers need a big guy coach to attract the upper weights and a partner that Hilger and Braxton need. Hard to take a team seriously if you are a big guy that has no one to develop you.

Does Reader not qualify, in your estimation?

[factfinder]

JMO,
The WI coaches are not just striking out at AWA but also at Pinnacle which has full instate reciprocity with Wisconsin and is considered a top 5 club in the nation (currently with 2 kids ranked #1 and #2 in D1). Wisconsin has 2 full states to recruit in with in-state tuition, so there are 5 or 6 clubs to recruit from that produce lots of Big10 wrestlers.
Ben Askren is always vilified on here but there seems to be a trend with most of the midwest clubs not just AWA, just saying. Maybe Ben and Max really do care about their kids and are truly putting the kids best interest's over the college the local fans root for??? Just a thought.
I am not saying Bono is a bad coach at all, but he is very intense and thats not a great fit for every kid. In Bono's defense he may realize that about himself and seek out the type of kid that fits his style the best as well (I would if I was him). And as a father of a kid that enjoyed AWA and Pinnacle they both run with a calm and efficient style that the kids at those clubs appreciate and respond to. 
I am shocked that coach Bono hasn't went to the Izzy club or Sebolt club that seem to have a similar coaching style?
You have to recruit kids that will respond to you, Eric B and Dean H both have an edge to them similar to Bono and it seems to be working well. The Badgers should have went hard after Rogotzke and Duchateau that wrestle with that same edge as Bono.
Lastly the Badgers need a big guy coach to attract the upper weights and a partner that Hilger and Braxton need. Hard to take a team seriously if you are a big guy that has no one to develop you.

Does Reader not qualify, in your estimation?

As what? a 184-285 pound coach? Not really, not saying he isn't a good coach but he isn't big enough to wrestle hard with those guys. I would assume he is great with 149-174 on the mat, he can clearly coach any weight.
Also coming into any program there is a likelihood that a good Assistant Coach will move on for a great opportunity, making the head coach the most important factor.
The Badgers need to add an additional high caliber big guy coach to match what they have with Gross or pull in some paid RTC athletes.
As a side note you would think Gross would be crushing the recruiting in his native of state of MN? He was also a member of MN Elite along with Hall, Gable, P. Kennedy, King, and many other current hammers.

[bigoil]

Newton Smerchek is the Heavyweight Coach.

[Harris]

It's been a tough year for the Badgers.  Hope they finish strong and healthy.

[factfinder]

Newton Smerchek is the Heavyweight Coach.

Would you say he is a draw the way Gross is at the light weights? I like Gross's Big10 experience between Iowa and WI personally, and i think most Blue Chippers look at those types of factors.

[bigoil]

Newton Smerchek is the Heavyweight Coach.

Would you say he is a draw the way Gross is at the light weights? I like Gross's Big10 experience between Iowa and WI personally, and i think most Blue Chippers look at those types of factors.

Not many assistants with Gross's resume, maybe when the BIG allows for a 4th coach that will change.

[factfinder]

Newton Smerchek is the Heavyweight Coach.

Would you say he is a draw the way Gross is at the light weights? I like Gross's Big10 experience between Iowa and WI personally, and i think most Blue Chippers look at those types of factors.

Not many assistants with Gross's resume, maybe when the BIG allows for a 4th coach that will change.

I would say in the Big 10 most have a similar resume and most schools have several RTC coaches that fill the void.

[mkm13]

It certainly puts Bono and Reader in a tough spot when both AWA and Pinnacle don't want anything to do with you.  This is not placing blame on anyone specifically, as I have no idea the details that got to this point, just stating a fact.  It will be an uphill battle for UW to have a deep team when we are severe recruiting disadvantages to both AWA and Pinnacle.

[bigoil]

Haven't heard back from Ben on my rose colored glasses, which wrestlers I described haven't improved.

Also, Missouri has quite a few more transfers than the Badgers.

[1Iota]

I personally feel like the UW program is in a better place under Bono.  While the wins haven't been at a level many of us hoped, there is an excitement surrounding the program that I don't remember existing under Davis.  As many posters have already stated, we are not Iowa or Penn St.  Nor is any other program in the Country.  I still believe there is a good chance that we have at least 3 or 4 wrestlers on the podium at the NCAAs.

You will never compete with the top teams recruiting primarily Wisconsin talent, but it does hurst when the largest elite clug actively works against the program.  Askren will never embrace UW and that goes back years in my opinion. His loyalty will always be with Missouri.  That doesn't mean however that UW has no chance at AWA kids.  There will be kids that were raised Wisconsin fans that no matter how much they respect Ben, will follow their hearts.