Congrats to Chas Thompson becoming the new wrestling coach at FHSU. Now build this program up into a national powerhouse, and fast!!!


Sincerely, Eric Luedke
(785) 443-3001
ericlued@hotmail.com

“AT THE END OF THE DAY YOU ARE DEFINED BY WINNING AND LOSING”

Congrats to Chas - but that kind of sucks for the kids that signed because of Chas being at Pratt.

The Asst. Coach is a good guy - I hope everything works out for him and the Pratt team.

Chas - Put out your list of asst. coaches the minute you decide and they accept - take your time and make it worthwile. Forget the "buddy" system and commit yourself to providing the assistents that will build FHSU. YOU ARE AS ONLY SUCCESSFUL AS THE PEOPLE YOU SURROUND YOURSELF WITH. It's your job on the line, you owe no-one from the past. Hire the best people available and grow the program, if not Luedke is right in asking what you had to offer over other available candidates.

What does hiring assistants have to do with what Coach Thompson can bring to the table, especially if your not an advocate of the buddy system?

There is no paid assitant at FHSU other than a graduate assistant! So, it is currently more of a "take what you can get" situation. Currently he has a pretty good situation...Brandon Jobe works at the school and is an assistant that he would not otherwise have available.

I agree that having a good group of assistants helps any head coach...it's too bad they currently don't have the budget.

Let's change the tune of this thread...it has been about everything but welcoming Coach Thompson. I know he is in the process of developing a fund raising campaign...I encourage everyone to get on board. I will spread the word once I hear anything.

Jeez Ike, pull your pantys out and quit looking for something to argue about!! Nothing in my post is derogartory. I live 104 miles from Hays and would love nothing more than to see my son attend there, whether its for Chas or whoever. Chas has asssited my son at several Southern Plains camps, I've congrat'd Chad on his position at Pratt, every time I see him I visit with him and it is always positive, dont jump on my butt about my post and then support me with a comment that you agree that a good group of assistants helps the head coach - my point exactly. And your most STUPID COMMENT IS: "LETS CHANGE THE TUNE OF THIS THREAD". There are only 3 posts and they all seem best wishes and supportive suggestion to me. Read and infer whatever you want, but I'm comfortable in what I posted, and I'm comfortable that when I see Chas next he'll know exactly what I meant from my post. Your negative, trouble initiating opinion means nothing to me and I hope the other followers of the forum realize my post was a POSITIVE suggestion for Chas's success which you supported with your own comments.

I'm pretty sure that is western Kansas speak for "welcome to the hood".

SportO-no-name what in the heck does your copy of my comments compounded with your post supposed to mean? I dont claim to be Eisnstein, but feel fairly educated (by Bethany College and FHSU by the way)and am having a hard time figuring it out. Can you help explain "the hood" comment, you have completely lost me on that...??? I'd be more than happy to respond if I had any idea what you were even trying to imply.

Moeder,

Not sure how I "jumped on your butt" by stating the facts.

Your quote is as follows: "...Hire the best people available and grow the program, if not Luedke is right in asking what you had to offer over other available candidates." I think most people would think that is a negative comment. From that statement you are questioning the hiring of Coach Thompson over other candidates based on who he hires as assistants...break down what you wrote and it's hard to see it any other way.

It appeared you were also trying to be somewhat supportive...so I didn't try to "jump your butt". Paid assistants are a great tool for a coach and I wish he had them. I agreed with that point but I don't agree with your initial comments.

This same topic is also on the high school forum and it is not the most congratulating...it has a lot of reference to other perceived candidates and questions about this hire.

I think if you read all of my posts on this topic (other than this one) you will not find any negative posts. There are only posts in which I stand up for Coach Thompson, a close friend. His family is not going to post on here about this (for obvious reasons) so I made the choice to defend his hiring from the ney sayers. I think "Pull your pantys out and MOST STUPID" would be considered the trouble initiating comments...jackass.

Also..."the hood" means "the neighborHOOD"

Well Ike, If you will go to the other forum, you will notice I have added ZERO COMMENTS AND ZERO POSTS. My comments are on THIS thread which I did not see to be negative towards him at all, my comments inclusive. Again, I will state that I visit with Chas EVERY SINGLE TIME I SEE HIM, AND EVERY SIGNLE TIME I SUPPORT HIM. I WILL CONFIDENTLY VISIT WITH HIM THE VERY NEXT TIME I SEE HIM, WISH HIM THE BEST, AND SAY TO HIM:
"GET THE BEST ASSISTANT'S YOU CAN AND IT WILL HELP YOU BE SUCCESSFUL IN YOUR POSITION AT FHSU." If you are as supportive as you imply, you will approach it the same way.
I'm not trying to be "somewhat" supportive, I'll be 100%supportive.
I hate to say this but the way you have inferred and described my commments makes me think YOU doubt his hiring and thats sad. I dont doubt it, but would love to see him bring in top notch asst's to build the program. I dont think he should be held accountable for making EVERY wrestler in the room a competitor--thats what the asst's are for - get good ones. I'll stand by my original comments as NOT being negative or unsuppotive, your comment calling me a jack ass, whatever.. I'm comfortable and would love to meet you, and since you sound like Roy D. Mercer, feel comfortable, I'm NOT a "big-ole-boy"!!

I STILL DONT GET THE "HOOD" COMMENT, even with your neighborHOOD suggestion - duh. Let me help, you've refered to the OTHER posts, they mention the "region". Pretty much states -"HAYS DON'T HAVE NO HOOD!"

Ike , I started feeling bad about this, so got out of bed to apologize. After reading what I said, I have no idea what to say that I would apologize for. Your quoting is as follows: "...Hire the best people available and grow the program, if not Luedke is right in asking what you had to offer over other available candidates." Then ...I think most people would think that is a negative comment. From that statement you are questioning the hiring of Coach Thompson over other candidates based on who he hires as assistants...break down what you wrote and it's hard to see it any other way.
How in the heck does the hiring of assistants even remotely come out of that statement/quote? Again, was it NEGATIVE TO CHAS PERSONALLY -- NO!!!Whatever, should Coach be evaluated by his hiring of assistants - YES, and I would bet he does a fine job, unless he listens to you and deciedes it's not a factor. Good god, support him but dont give bad advise just to be argumentitive with people that actually share the same opinion as you do.

I think everyone really wishes Chas Thompson well and wants to see him really succeed. I believe that everyone who has posted would like to see FHSU and Newman both rise to the top of the Division II ranks and challenge the University of Nebraska-Omaha and Kearney on an annual basis. I am sure that the FHSU administration wants that too. I believe that no one has higher or quicker expectations for success at FHSU than Chas Thompson. I stated this yesterday on the other thread along with my congratulations to him and my best wishes for his success.

I am not going to get too critical of those who are making somewhat challenging remarks concerning the general idea of hiring the best for FHSU. I believe that it is a genuine desire for our two highest level Kansas wrestling colleges to keep our best talent in-state and for the schools to achieve at the highest level. I think Will Cokeley stated in another topic that it is commonplace in other sports for the fans to question these type of decisions. At least it shows that fans are interested and want the programs to succeed. I know at my favorite football school there was plenty of questioning when Nebraska fired Frank Solich years ago and hired Bill Callahan. Many wanted Solich fired and lot of people including myself thought he should not have been fired in the midst of a successful season. A lot of people questioned the hiring of Callahan and would have preferred Pellini to have been hired initially. Once Callahan was hired though I believe most of the fans were on board to give him a chance and remained supportive of Big Red football. They still are today with Pellini being hired as is evidenced by the near sellout of their recent Spring football game. My point is that there still is that passion for Big Red football even though there will always be questioning of some of the decisions being made by the administration and coaches. We have to expect that type of questioning as the Kansas college wrestling fan base and expectations grow. In some ways it is good to see the interest and passion for Kansas college wrestling success.

Good luck to Coach Chas and the FHSU wrestlers!

I think this probably the forgotten bunch of young men! I know for fact that the majority of these guys signed because of Coach Thompson. I know in the game of Coaching that tough decisions have to be made for all parties involved. Everyone is happy for Chas... But I would like to know what the plans are for Pratt this late in the game? Will the job be posted? Has anybody pursued the position? Or will this be buy default to the existing staff? Coach Medrano is a good guy as stated, is he the official replacement?

If everyone that they signed comes, they will have a good team next year. I'm sure they are dissapointed Chas will not be there, but Coach Medrano is a good guy and a good Coach. I haven't heard if he will move in as the Head Coach yet. Pratt really need to be fair with the new guys & the team and let it be know their intentions asap. I'm looking forward to a exciting season.