Penn State Wrestling – The Lost Season of 1978
Penn States’ Rec Hall is home to the nation’s number one wrestling program and also acts as a shrine to the program’s rich history, with pictures lining the halls depicting over 100 years of history. Only one year’s team picture is not present on the wall, it’s the team of 1978. Forty years ago, It was the year that Coach Rich Lorenzo was handed the reigns of leadership from legendary Hall of Fame wrestler and coach, Bill Koll. I was an incoming freshman and in all respects; preseason polls, incoming recruits, returning All Americans and veterans seemingly on the verge of break-out seasons – I was joining the perennial top rated eastern wrestling team.
We got off to a good start, I won my spot as the starter at 158 and won the first tournament on the schedule our team and my collegiate career seemed to be off to a good start. Then it began, suddenly our two returning All Americans were out for the season one with a medical issue the other with academic issues. Then it seemed a plague of injuries and issues began to hit us throughout the lineup. We lost our December dual meets took the long van ride to the Midlands over the holidays where we were clearly outmatched, I lost to former Iowa national champ and 1980 Olympian Chuck Yagla, my fellow teammates also failed to place.
Our conference duals began and things got worse, first year Coach Rich Lorenzo was being tested in every way imaginable. Just the fact that he had passed on the opportunity of Bruce Baumgartner as our heavyweight might have broken a lesser man.
Embarrassing losses began to snowball. None worse than the shellacking and the hands of Bloomsburg where Penn State failed to win a single match in the dual. The van ride home was silent and when coach Lorenzo turned on the radio it was a local Bloomsburg Radio-jock laughing and taunting us saying that PSU looked like Pee Yew tonight as the Husky’s dominated. Coach turned off the radio as we sat in silence for the duration of the ride.
Two of us qualified for NCAAs myself and our senior 190 lber Sam Salit. We ended up as the 40th place team. I won over 20 matches and was named as AWN’s top Freshman All American Team. There was one stretch of that season where I lost 5 straight matches and felt as if I was in a hole that seemed impossible to dig out of. I learned firsthand how a drought can break a man and that the only way out was hard work and persistence. Coach Lorenzo emulated integrity, loyalty and an unwavering commitment to character.
We weathered the storm and just two years later we finished as a top 6 Team at nationals with only a four man contingent, our performance earned Coach Lorenzo, the prestigious National Coach of the Year Award. 1978 was a pivotal point as to which direction PSU wrestling would turn out of a year of adversity and Papa Bear Lorenzo stayed steady at the helm.
When I heard new of the missing 1978 Team picture I wondered if the fact that the only Team picture in Rec Hall that is missing is that of the worst team in PSU’s history. But I am here to shine a light on that team as a pivotal moment in the program’s history, a time where we were lucky to have Coach Lorenzo and his steady leadership at the helm. Fortunately I have found a copy of the 1978 Team picture and will post it here for all to see, and also send it up to Rec Hall where it belongs.
See you all in Cleveland at the upcoming NCAAs.
The missing team pic is posted at this link
Http://www.facebook.com/JohnMHanrahan/posts/10156110174034291
Penn States’ Rec Hall is home to the nation’s number one wrestling program and also acts as a shrine to the program’s rich history, with pictures lining the halls depicting over 100 years of history. Only one year’s team picture is not present on the wall, it’s the team of 1978. Forty years ago, It was the year that Coach Rich Lorenzo was handed the reigns of leadership from legendary Hall of Fame wrestler and coach, Bill Koll. I was an incoming freshman and in all respects; preseason polls, incoming recruits, returning All Americans and veterans seemingly on the verge of break-out seasons – I was joining the perennial top rated eastern wrestling team.
We got off to a good start, I won my spot as the starter at 158 and won the first tournament on the schedule our team and my collegiate career seemed to be off to a good start. Then it began, suddenly our two returning All Americans were out for the season one with a medical issue the other with academic issues. Then it seemed a plague of injuries and issues began to hit us throughout the lineup. We lost our December dual meets took the long van ride to the Midlands over the holidays where we were clearly outmatched, I lost to former Iowa national champ and 1980 Olympian Chuck Yagla, my fellow teammates also failed to place.
Our conference duals began and things got worse, first year Coach Rich Lorenzo was being tested in every way imaginable. Just the fact that he had passed on the opportunity of Bruce Baumgartner as our heavyweight might have broken a lesser man.
Embarrassing losses began to snowball. None worse than the shellacking and the hands of Bloomsburg where Penn State failed to win a single match in the dual. The van ride home was silent and when coach Lorenzo turned on the radio it was a local Bloomsburg Radio-jock laughing and taunting us saying that PSU looked like Pee Yew tonight as the Husky’s dominated. Coach turned off the radio as we sat in silence for the duration of the ride.
Two of us qualified for NCAAs myself and our senior 190 lber Sam Salit. We ended up as the 40th place team. I won over 20 matches and was named as AWN’s top Freshman All American Team. There was one stretch of that season where I lost 5 straight matches and felt as if I was in a hole that seemed impossible to dig out of. I learned firsthand how a drought can break a man and that the only way out was hard work and persistence. Coach Lorenzo emulated integrity, loyalty and an unwavering commitment to character.
We weathered the storm and just two years later we finished as a top 6 Team at nationals with only a four man contingent, our performance earned Coach Lorenzo, the prestigious National Coach of the Year Award. 1978 was a pivotal point as to which direction PSU wrestling would turn out of a year of adversity and Papa Bear Lorenzo stayed steady at the helm.
When I heard new of the missing 1978 Team picture I wondered if the fact that the only Team picture in Rec Hall that is missing is that of the worst team in PSU’s history. But I am here to shine a light on that team as a pivotal moment in the program’s history, a time where we were lucky to have Coach Lorenzo and his steady leadership at the helm. Fortunately I have found a copy of the 1978 Team picture and will post it here for all to see, and also send it up to Rec Hall where it belongs.
See you all in Cleveland at the upcoming NCAAs.
The missing team pic is posted at this link
Http://www.facebook.com/JohnMHanrahan/posts/10156110174034291
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