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Mitchell Mesenbrink

Tom Brands (with Terry as his main assistant) is the second most successful NCAA wrestling coach of the last 15 years or so. But you don't think he's a good coach?
Their act is running thin. They seem to be losing their minds with their paranoid ramblings about PSU paying people to say bad things about them or claiming other wrestlers are "oiled-up." A couple years ago they had the upper hand with over PSU with Eierman and Kemerer and their lack of coaching ability was shown at the national tournament.

Also, can you name any coach/team that couldn't have had Spencer Lee winning multiple titles? He literally could have gone to any D1 school and been just as successful. That means they haven't contributed to a national champ since Cory Clark. If you're a top-5 guy and want to be a champ your 100% best chance to win a title is by going to PSU.
 
Of course he’s a good coach.

Question comes down to, all else equal, does he provide anything that several others do not? Not that he’s good or not, but whether the value add is there sans a different nudge (like NIL exceeding other places).

I think he does provide that value in 2007. I don’t know that he does now.
Back to my initial comment, Tom Brands (and the rest of the staff) is one reason. That fanbase is another. Iowa's overall history as a program, wanting to lead them back to glory, or yes even NIL...these are all reasons why someone could choose to wrestle in Iowa City.

I don't know anything about Nagao's decision or process (and, really, neither does anyone else here). I just think it's very "HR-y" to simply blame anything that doesn't go our way on money/NIL. There are a number of reasons an individual could conceivably prefer Iowa to PSU.
 
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Also, can you name any coach/team that couldn't have had Spencer Lee winning multiple titles? He literally could have gone to any D1 school and been just as successful. That means they haven't contributed to a national champ since Cory Clark. If you're a top-5 guy and want to be a champ your 100% best chance to win a title is by going to PSU.
It's true that Lee would've won multiple titles just about anywhere.

It's also patently unfair to give Brands no credit for Lee's freshman run at nationals -- pinning Tomasello after losing to him at B10s, and then controlling the finals match vs Cruiseliner Nick.
 
It's also patently unfair to give Brands no credit for Lee's freshman run at nationals -- pinning Tomasello after losing to him at B10s, and then controlling the finals match vs Cruiseliner Nick.
Rose Mciver Reaction GIF by CBS
 
Tom Brands (with Terry as his main assistant) is the second most successful NCAA wrestling coach of the last 15 years or so. But you don't think he's a good coach?
I used one example of what I considered questionable coaching, you take that however you like honey.


Oops, thought I was texting the wife.
 
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Back to my initial comment, Tom Brands (and the rest of the staff) is one reason. That fanbase is another. Iowa's overall history as a program, wanting to lead them back to glory, or yes even NIL...these are all reasons why someone could choose to wrestle in Iowa City.

I don't know anything about Nagao's decision or process (and, really, neither does anyone else here). I just think it's very "HR-y" to simply blame anything that doesn't go our way on money/NIL. There are a number of reasons an individual could conceivably prefer Iowa to PSU.
NIL is legal, and a big part of college athletics now. Having a good NIL program is a big advantage in college athletics. HR is known for ridiculous conspiracy theories. No idea how it’s HR-y to point out NIL may be the deciding factor here considering the reports that came out about other offers they made.
 
It's true that Lee would've won multiple titles just about anywhere.

It's also patently unfair to give Brands no credit for Lee's freshman run at nationals -- pinning Tomasello after losing to him at B10s, and then controlling the finals match vs Cruiseliner Nick.
Yes, they deserve credit,but...NATO got caught like Lee was apparently caught by Ramos and Suriano that year was coming off a staff infection in his leg and barely wrestled in February, right?
 
It's true that Lee would've won multiple titles just about anywhere.

It's also patently unfair to give Brands no credit for Lee's freshman run at nationals -- pinning Tomasello after losing to him at B10s, and then controlling the finals match vs Cruiseliner Nick.
A Suriano who had a bad infection and had been hospitalized for several weeks before nationals - hampering his training?

Oh wait, that sounds like one of those excuses the Lee camp would never countenance
 
NIL is legal, and a big part of college athletics now. Having a good NIL program is a big advantage in college athletics. HR is known for ridiculous conspiracy theories. No idea how it’s HR-y to point out NIL may be the deciding factor here considering the reports that came out about other offers they made.
It's "HR-y-ness" isn't about conspiracy. It's about explaining away any bad result or short coming by just saying that someone took more money (which, even though it's now legal, is still typically mentioned derisively).

Specific to recruiting/talent, that's exactly what HR generally says about PSU. That we pay wrestlers. That they can't (or couldn't until everyone's favorite predatory landlord stepped up) compete financially. That guys just come to PSU because of money. I think it's shitty, as well as inaccurate, when they do it and I pretty feel the same when I read similar comments here.

I agree that NIL may have had something to do with it, even if I am pretty skeptical about what has been reported and what has not. The one guy doing most of that "reporting" has the subtlety of a bulldozer. As I've already said (probably too many times now), there are plenty of reasons a guy could choose Iowa over PSU. NIL is one, but there are plenty of others.

Although, maybe I was just bored on a Friday and looking for something to do other than my work. Probably that.
 
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Back to my initial comment, Tom Brands (and the rest of the staff) is one reason. That fanbase is another. Iowa's overall history as a program, wanting to lead them back to glory, or yes even NIL...these are all reasons why someone could choose to wrestle in Iowa City.

I don't know anything about Nagao's decision or process (and, really, neither does anyone else here). I just think it's very "HR-y" to simply blame anything that doesn't go our way on money/NIL. There are a number of reasons an individual could conceivably prefer Iowa to PSU.
There are multiple reasons for picking Iowa over PSU, winning championships is not one of those reasons. As long as winning national titles or Olympic/World medals is not a priority, Iowa has a lot to offer.
 
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