As a dad/coach with a kid who is starting to look where he might wrestle in college...I want Benedictine and all programs to hire the BEST COACH they can find and get to agree to their terms. I really don't care if that is a KS native or not. I guess I do care and if all things are tied then go with the KS native but this is the real world. The best candidates get the job period. There are several factors that go into what is the best candidate. The type of situation, do they know and care and can recruit the type of kid that fit that school, do the have ties in the area the school is in (that would favor a KS guy), what experience do they have. Why did they leave the previous places they were at?

I personally think there are some awesome HS coaches that could coach at a college like Benedictine. Beau Vest a KS guy but one with college experience at a similar school would be on my short list. I would look at a guy like Charbonneau or similiar. College wrestling experience and has build and maintained a program over a long period. I would also look to someone outside the area that has college coaching experience and experience building a program. And then I would turn to younger guys that were college wrestlers. My only question of them would be do they have the business experience to build a program. I would not doubt the wrestling part, but that is a small portion these days. But again I want the best candidate regardless of where they are from. Coach Denney of UNO for example would be a better candidate than a KS guy just because of his connections and proven experience. If you can't get him you move down the line.

Bottom line is I think you try to hire a KS guy if he is the best you feel for the position, but if a guy comes along from somewhere else that blows you aware, hire him and worry about hurt feelings later. 4 years from now people won't care where the coach was from only is he building a program and mentoring their kids.