Vince, I am fully aware of who all the coaches are and where they wrestled. I am speaking about the schools that have added wrestling as new sports at four year schools, Baker, Benedictine, and Bethany. I am pretty sure you know that I am speaking about them. They are new programs and they are the ones hiring new positions. Heck I coached against every one of them at one time or another. I will be much more excited when and if a non private four year school in this state adds wrestling. It will be more affordable and I think it will service more Kansas kids. Private schools are fine, but they are so much more expensive. I hope I live long enough to see Emporia or Pittsburg or in a perfect world, Wichita State. I don't think I will but it would sure be nice.

Coach Westfahl:

I really did not know that you were just referring to the private schools. Prior to this year there were only two private schools with wrestling programs in Kansas Newman and Baker. I believe Newman has had a Kansas native as their coach before. And I think that Newman's current coach was a college wrestler at maybe both Labette and Newman although I am not positive about that.

I think we both want to see Kansas colleges and universities wrestling programs increase and thrive, because that is the best way for both coaching and wrestling opportunities to grow for our Kansas wrestlers and coaches. Not every coach and athlete will be from Kansas in all these programs but right now six out the nine coaches competing next year are from Kansas which is a pretty good percentage and the wrestler percentages are probably somewhere in that range too. The more programs we have the more Kansas coaches and wrestlers that we will have.

I also want to see our public universities start some new programs both at the junior college and the four year institutions. I like you really want to see new programs at Pitt State, Washburn, Emporia State to name a few. I also want to see them at Ottawa, Mid America Nazarene, Kansas City Kansas Community College, Johnson County Community College and of course someday at Wichita State, Kansas State and KU. I hope we both get to see it in the near future.

Ryan Smith, Newman Head wrestling Coach is a native and grad of lawrence. He wrestled @ Labette under Jody Thompson and maybe Renfro? I believe he was one of Newmans first All-Americans. Could be wrong on a detail or 2, but I know he's a Kansas guy.

Hello Kansas wrestling community.
I just wanted to say thank you for kind words.
I also would like to add that it is a very exciting time for wrestling in Kansas. The NAIA programs are going to provide a great deal of opportunities for the wrestler in the area as well as the country. In a time where programs are getting cut, it is so important for the wrestling community to support what we do have. I am very thankful for Midland University and the support they have shown me as well as those associated with our program.
I am sure Benedictine will hire a great coach to put the program on the mat in the near future.
I personally hope that Washburn will someday decide to add a program to add all the great wrestling in Kansas.
Thanks again.
Beau

Ok so adding Coach Smith to the list that Ricky Bobby compiled for us that means 6 of the 8 Kansas colleges last year had Kansas natives as Head Coaches that is 75%. That is a very high percentage. 1 of the 2 or 50% private schools competing this year had a Kansas native head coach.

Next year with the addition of Jacob Marrs at Bethany College 7 of the 9 head coaches of the Kansas college wrestling teams will be Kansas natives that increases the percentage to almost 78% again a very high percentage. Two of the three private schools next year Bethany and Newman will have Kansas natives as coaches that is about 67% and that is pretty good for a private school percentage.

So even if Benedictine ended up hiring a non Kansas native for the 2012-2013 season and everyone else stays the same, we would end up with 7 of the 10 programs with Kansas natives for head coaches 70% and two of the four private schools with Kansas natives for head coaches or 50%.

I would think with potentially no worst than 70% of our ten Kansas college wrestling programs with Kansas head coaches that most of us would view this as pretty decent and that it shows that having more programs in Kansas has definitely provided great opportunity both for Kansas native coaches and wrestlers.

Surely by now they have got to have it narrowed down to at least 3-5 candidates. Any Info?

They do have a short list now and are bringing them on campus for interviews. We are getting close. Exciting times at Benedictine College for sure.

Ned

Cy Wainwright to lead the new Benedictine wrestling program.

http://www.intermatwrestle.com/articles/8409

Benedictine introduces Wainwright to lead program

4/20/2011
Benedictine College Sports Information
ATCHISON, Kan. -- Benedictine College Athletic Director Charlie Gartenmayer has announced the hiring of Cy Wainwright to lead the new Benedictine wrestling program.

Cy WainwrightWainwright comes to Benedictine from St. Cloud State University in St. Cloud, Minn., where he served as an assistant coach.

"I am very grateful for the opportunity to become the first head wrestling coach at Benedictine College," he said. "Benedictine College is a great place for students to achieve academic and athletic greatness.

"Building a great wrestling program requires a campus and community wide commitment of excellence. Benedictine College has exactly that. I am up to the challenge of continuing that excellence with the Benedictine College wrestling program."

Wainwright's duties at St. Cloud included aiding the head coach in the daily operations of the program along with monitoring student-athlete academic progress and eligibility criteria.

While at St. Cloud, he helped coach 16 NCAA Div. II national qualifiers, 10 All-Americans, two national semifinalists and one NCAA Div. II National Champion.

As an athlete, Wainwright wrestled at Newberry College in Newberry, S.C. During his senior season at Newberry, he went undefeated as a heavyweight to win the NCAA Div. II National Championship. He is also a two-time NCAA Div. II All-American.

Wainwright earned a B.S. in secondary education from Newberry and will graduate in May with a M.S. in Sports Management from St. Cloud State.

He will begin his duties as head coach in July and the inaugural season for Benedictine wrestling will be during the 2012-13 school year.

Founded in 1858, Benedictine College is a Catholic, liberal arts, residential college nestled on the bluffs of the Missouri River in Atchison, Kan. The Raven and Lady Ravens are members of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and compete as members of the Heart of America Athletic Conference (HAAC).

Congratulations to Coach Wainwright & Benedictine.

St Cloud gave UNO a very tight race for the DII Championship this past season. St. Cloud head coach Steve Costanzo was named DII Coach of the Year. I have to believe that Coach Wainwright was a big contributor to their success. It is exciting to have another college wrestling team in eastern Kansas.

I look forward to working with the Kansas Wrestling community. Please feel free to email me for any reason. cwainwright@benedictine.edu.

Cy W.

My son wrestled on the same team at Newberry the year Mr. Wainwright won the National Championship, we went down to South Carolina for the wrestleoff that year. Cy wrestled Keno Griffin(sp) as an exibition due to the difference in weight classes. If I remember right Cy won that match. That is saying something becuase if you have ever seen Keno he is an absolute stud!! We are happy and proud to have you in Kansas. Cy if you every get down toward Edgerton Kansas stop in and grab a sandwich at the Easy Double E Sandwich shop, the first Sandwich is on the House ( not sure if I could afford to fill that Big fella up). Welcome to the wheat fields of Kansas and we look forward to seeing you around the mat some were in the sands of wrestling time.
(Arron Sweazy I still owe you a sandwich if you are ever in this area.) : )

What will be the best choice?

nm