Food For Thought

Musky Hunter · March 29, 2015, 11:18:14 PM

Quote from: Brett Favre on March 27, 2015, 09:32:00 PM
No he wasn't the coach in waiting at Michigan.
And Woody, Donny doesn't do what Donny wants. He got lied to and screwed over by Barry Davis and Barry Alvarez at UW. Davis was supposed to be done when his contract was up and Donny was to be the head coach. Alvarez renewed Davis' contract and Donny interviewed at Michigan without permission.
Believe me, I was involved in Donny getting promoted to assoc. head coach.
We were sitting in the Las Vegas airport when Barry fired Donny.
If Alvarez would have kept his word that Donny was going to be named head coach when BD's contract was up, Donny would be the head coach at UW and UW would be in the top 5 in the country.
You guys that think you know so much about this situation are clueless

Top 5 in the country? How do you come up with this statement?

Brett Favre - R.I.P. · March 30, 2015, 01:06:29 AM

Musky, It's hard for a basketball person like yourself to understand much about wrestling.
It is called recruiting top prospects.

MNbadger · March 30, 2015, 06:27:59 AM

I have to say, I was going to post this earlier but I've got to back Musky on this. How do you come up with this? Donny has not proven himself (yet?) to the level you would predict.

bigG · March 30, 2015, 06:32:15 AM

Quote from: Musky Hunter on March 29, 2015, 11:18:14 PM
Quote from: Brett Favre on March 27, 2015, 09:32:00 PM
No he wasn't the coach in waiting at Michigan.
And Woody, Donny doesn't do what Donny wants. He got lied to and screwed over by Barry Davis and Barry Alvarez at UW. Davis was supposed to be done when his contract was up and Donny was to be the head coach. Alvarez renewed Davis' contract and Donny interviewed at Michigan without permission.
Believe me, I was involved in Donny getting promoted to assoc. head coach.
We were sitting in the Las Vegas airport when Barry fired Donny.
If Alvarez would have kept his word that Donny was going to be named head coach when BD's contract was up, Donny would be the head coach at UW and UW would be in the top 5 in the country.
You guys that think you know so much about this situation are clueless

Top 5 in the country? How do you come up with this statement?

Ramblings of a supposed insider.

Brett, you're the one sounding a bit clueless.

I'm doubting the simple switch to Donny P. makes us top 5.

empty99 · April 02, 2015, 08:45:28 PM

Some great posts! Maybe we will finally get to the root of the problem. When Donny came, Barry could still wrestle, and routinely put it to Donny. I think Donny would have had success whever he went, but it didn't hurt to have a world class partner to wrestle with. We have had the best assistants available come through and leave. Do you think JRob is wrestling, John S is going with Derringer? No. They have assistants that can make champs. If I was king, Barry could stay if was secure enough to build a great team.

Musky Hunter · April 02, 2015, 08:54:09 PM

Quote from: Brett Favre on March 30, 2015, 01:06:29 AM
Musky, It's hard for a basketball person like yourself to understand much about wrestling.
It is called recruiting top prospects.

Slammin the pumpkin pounder. I was waiting for this one. Hey it paid for my school and not a chance in heck I could of been a wrestler. Would of been a 6'4" heavy weight. Really don't understand how it plays into questioning your statement.

bigG · April 03, 2015, 10:22:23 AM

Yes, it is just logical that a basketball guy wouldn't understand recruiting top prospects.

wrestlemania · April 03, 2015, 11:18:36 AM

" Davis was supposed to be done when his contract was up and Donny was to be the head coach. Alvarez renewed Davis' contract and Donny interviewed at Michigan without permission.

If Barry was "done" that's because it was a Barry Davis decision on his own to step down. And since BD changed his mind and decided not to leave for whatever reason, BA decided to renew his contract because he wanted to come back. He's the head coach.

I suppose BA could have told BD "No, you said you're leaving. Donny is young, he's helped the program a lot. It's time to pass the torch." He could have done that.

But as I said on another post, BA thinks BD is a hero, so he's pretty much going to let him have the job.

I'm sure Donny probably did feel screwed. He should have resigned there and then if he felt that way.

But then he did something really, really stupid, and now, four years later, he's still an assistant. You think that's a conincidence?

Maybe he'll get the Michigan job eventually or maybe he'll become head coach at Rutgers someday, who knows?

But he'll never come back to UW and the feeling is mutual.

easytopin · April 03, 2015, 12:35:21 PM

However at the end of the day it is still about results....If my classroom state test scores sit in the bottom half of the state on a consistent basis, the admin is going to be on my fat butt. I have sat in on teacher meetings where we are reminded that our test scores can and will be connected to our employment. Last year our 3 school district had two teachers non-renewed for teacher ineffectiveness (poor test scores two years in a row).

If it can happen here why not expect it at the collegiate level...and before anybody comments on Coach Davis's integrity, it has nothing to do with his impecible personal life, but rather just the results.

Look what Tony Bennett has done at doormat Virginia...new blood is not evil.

wrestlemania · April 03, 2015, 04:00:26 PM

"rather judging the end results. "

But my argument is the end results are similar to that of previous UW coaches. So why is Davis being held to a higher standard? I don't recall Andy Rein being criticized to the same extent (but then again, of course, the internet was that extensive back then).

I think lot of the animosity thrown at Davis goes back to the whole Pritzlaff fiasco. There is a belief UW was on the cusp of greatness four years ago and maybe so. It's too bad Donny didn't want to be a part of it.

As for Davis' relations with the state's high school coaches, I think it's probably somewhere in the middle between loving and hugging and outright hosility (to which no UW coach could survive if that was the case). I think they're better than they were a decade or more ago. For every Deringer that's gotten away, if you look at the Badgers' roster, the bulk of the state's best high school wrestlers over the past four years is on the team for the most part, including two four-time state champions. Having Trevor Branvold on staff has really helped a lot and hopefully he start getting the in-state to do more for this program. I don't think there's any doubt he's being groomed for the top job someday. If you're looking for your next head coach, you're not going to have to look far. One thing Barry does do well is hire good assistants.

I have no doubt Kemp was magnet for good wrestlers to come to UW, especially from Ohio. I think having a national champion from Wisconsin on the UW squad could have the same effect. But as I said, somebody got to step up for that to happen.

dad 2 5 · April 03, 2015, 04:30:17 PM

Quote from: wrestlemania on April 03, 2015, 04:00:26 PM
"rather judging the end results. "

But my argument is the end results are similar to that of previous UW coaches. So why is Davis being held to a higher standard? I don't recall Andy Rein being criticized to the same extent (but then again, of course, the internet was that extensive back then).

I think lot of the animosity thrown at Davis goes back to the whole Pritzlaff fiasco. There is a belief UW was on the cusp of greatness four years ago and maybe so. It's too bad Donny didn't want to be a part of it.

As for Davis' relations with the state's high school coaches, I think it's probably somewhere in the middle between loving and hugging and outright hosility (to which no UW coach could survive if that was the case). I think they're better than they were a decade or more ago. For every Deringer that's gotten away, if you look at the Badgers' roster, the bulk of the state's best high school wrestlers over the past four years is on the team for the most part, including two four-time state champions. Having Trevor Branvold on staff has really helped a lot and hopefully he start getting the in-state to do more for this program. I don't think there's any doubt he's being groomed for the top job someday. If you're looking for your next head coach, you're not going to have to look far. One thing Barry does do well is hire good assistants.

I have no doubt Kemp was magnet for good wrestlers to come to UW, especially from Ohio. I think having a national champion from Wisconsin on the UW squad could have the same effect. But as I said, somebody got to step up for that to happen.

So you are saying when RT and Zeke win titles next year we should have a dominate recruiting class in 2016?