I have heard good things about Stovall...the Hays Open is a pretty tough tourney...but come on..."a great tournament"! It looks like an overall record of 12-17 for the team. I would think they would all have higher expectations (even with young guys and a young program) than to win 41% of their matches.

You can't expect us to be competing at the highest level this year. With us being on probation it was very hard to recruit for this year. How many of the best high school wrestlers want to step into a collegiate program that won't be able to compete for nationals for a couple years? And that's not even mentioning the fact we only have 12 guys in the wrestling room. Overall we did have a great tourney. It's the best we've wrestled all year. Sure, to some program's standards we didn't do well at all. But we're making steps in the right direction. That's all we can ask for at this point in our growing process. Give us a couple years, and then hold us to a higher standard.

Without even reading anything but this reply, I will say this, there were teams that finished worse. Keep in mind Newman is going to have trouble getting guys coming there because of the probation year for transitioning.

I am not trying to be overly negative here. I wish the best for the Newman program, it is exciting to have another 4 year Kansas school making the transition into the NCAA. My expectations for Newman’s competitive level are irrelevant. That would be great if they had every guy in the finals.

It was a one time comment by coach Stovall, I don’t think it is something that should be held against him. The quote could be inaccurate for all we know (it is a newspaper after). It could have been said because he was excited that progress was being made…whatever. I probably shouldn’t draw conclusions from a one time comment, it just struck me as the wrong attitude to lead a team with.

What I am saying is that I think it is counterproductive to the short term as well as long term aspirations and goals of any program for a team leader or coach to say a 12-17 record is “overall a great tournament”. “We wrestled well”, “We are making steps in the right direction”, “It was the best we have competed all year”… those are all positive comments that don’t undercut your long term goals. I feel very strongly that you shouldn’t sell yourself or those you lead short. I think that if you expect the best you will see that in yourself, as well as those that you lead. To sell yourself or your team short because of the talent level, or the recruiting damper (probation), or the lack of numbers is detrimental to both the short and long term goals of the individual wrestlers, the team, and the program. I think the truly great coaches that start from scratch trying to build a national championship contending team don’t change their philosophy based on factors out of their control from year to year. A small amount of wrestlers in the room is tough, but that doesn’t mean that you lower your standard because of it. A small amount of wrestlers in the room actually allows a coach to spend considerably more one on one time with individual wrestlers (to help them get better), many coaches aren’t so fortunate. Talent is a great thing, but most of us weren’t so lucky. Their have been a lot of high school underachievers (without much true talent) that went on to be very successful at the college level. They went on to be successful (even dominate) because they and the people around them learned to believe in themselves. They learned to believe that the top was a real possibility and that is where they should aim. Young men are easily influenced in both positive and negative directions, I think that as a leader you have to expect and encourage everyone around you to perform at the highest level. It is college wrestling after all…you must expect more or you won’t ever get to the top (or near it). Some guys won’t ever get there, but they will be closer than if no one believed in them. The most inspirational ones sometimes are just those type of guys…The ones with no talent, but all heart…always believing they have a fighting chance. What is the use of doing something if you don’t expect to win. I guess I’m not much for spinning my wheels trying not to finish last. I didn’t finish last…great job me! That doesn’t mean I didn’t finish close to last a few times, but I damn sure wasn’t happy with that. That is my philosophy, but my coaching experience is very limited. New thread...coaching philosophy

... and that response is an excellent lead in toward a new thread! Right on Ike!

I can take a hint....to be continued