Takedown Report

College Coaching News – # 8

TDR Editor’s Notes ; New Head coaches, new assistant coaches named and introduced in the articles below. Some interviews “On The Mat” podcasts are included. The notice of Hall of Fame coach Lars Jensen passing away is a notice listed at the end of this blog.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
1 } – Gamble Returns to Wrestling Staff
Ruschell adds former assistant to coaching staff
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga head wrestling coach Kyle Ruschell announced the hiring of Hunter Gamble as assistant coach today.  Gamble takes over for Mike Hatcher, who stepped down in October. Gamble was previously on Ruschell’s staff for his first season at UTC in 2018-19.  Together, they guided the Mocs to a share of the 2019 Southern Conference regular season title.  Gamble first came to Chattanooga as the volunteer assistant for Heath Eslinger’s final campaign in 2017-18. “This job attracted some quality candidates,” stated Ruschell.  “I am glad Hunter was looking to get back into coaching and we know he will be a great fit.  He knows the guys and built some strong recruiting ties while working with various clubs over the last year.” Prior to joining the staff at UTC in 2017, Gamble was a two-time NCAA Qualifier at Gardner-Webb.  He won the 2013 SoCon title at 174 pounds and was an All-SoCon pick and two-time finalist in his other three years with the Bulldogs. “I am very excited to get back to work with these young men,” said Gamble. “I am passionate about wrestling in the Southeast, focused on building on the work that Coach Ruschell has already done and look forward to building a premier program in the South.” Gamble earned his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from UTC in 2019. … rest of story at _{https://gomocs.com/news/2020/11/18/gamble-returns-to-wrestling-staff.aspx?mc_cid=d63f9879b6&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

2 } – Stanford head wrestling coach Jason Borrelli goes On The Mat
Jason Borrelli, the head wrestling coach at Stanford and an alum of Central Michigan, is the latest guest On The Mat. Borrelli will give us a breakdown on what’s going on to keep the program, as well as what they want to bring to The Farm. On The Mat. Presented by Cliff Keen Athletic, join Kyle Klingman and Andy Hamilton On The Mat, the flagship podcast of Trackwrestling.com. 
Show Segments
0:45 – Herbal Essences isn’t the title sponsor, Cliff Keen now is!
2:50 – Exploring the possibilities of preserving Stanford wrestling. … rest of story at _{https://www.trackwrestling.com/PortalPlayer.jsp?TIM=1606266170854&twSessionId=fyljkeogxe&videoId=879623135&mc_cid=1348aad4fc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

3 } – Talking Turkey with Tony Robie – VT100
It’s been a while since Tony Robie has addressed #HokieNation on Inside Virginia Tech Wrestling and what better time than Episode 100! It’s also mildly coincidental this will be the 100th season of Hokie wrestling.
On today’s show, Coach Robie talks about his contract extension, the 2020-21 schedule and what it looks like. The Southeast RTC also picked up World teamer, NCAA champion and four-time All-American Nahshon Garrett, so that’ll be a point of discussion as well. Finally, we wrap up with a competitive discussion on how the Hokie wrestlers fared at the USA Wrestling U23 and UWW Junior National Championships. … rest of story at _{https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/inside-vt-wrestling/talking-turkey-with-tony-robie-vt100/?mc_cid=1348aad4fc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

4 } – Jones, Jr. named head assistant wrestling coach at Olivet College
OLIVET, Mich. – Anthony Jones, Jr. has been named the head assistant wrestling coach at Olivet College, according to an announcement by Head Wrestling Coach Brandon Brissette. “First and foremost, I want to thank Athletic Directory Ryan Shockey and Head Coach Brandon Brissette for this opportunity,” said Jones, Jr. “I am beyond excited to step into this role and help Olivet wrestling grow to the next level. “Coach Brissette, the staff and the administration have laid a solid foundation for this program with endless opportunities for the athletes to grow and accomplish their goals. I am most excited to engrain myself into the Olivet College community and share my knowledge of the sport and doing my due diligence with ensuring the growth and success of each student-athlete.” Most recently, Jones served as an assistant coach and assistant director of wrestling operations at Michigan State University (MSU). In his time at MSU, he helped the Spartans go from scoring negative points at the NCAA Championships to being preseason ranked No. 11. Jones also coached multiple NCAA All-Americans. Prior to that, Jones was the head assistant wrestling coach at Adrian College during the 2015-16 season. While there, he mentored the Bulldogs’ first NCAA All-American.
Jones is also an international freestyle wrestling coach. … rest of story at _{https://olivet.prestosports.com/sports/wrest/2020-21/releases/20201124mc7bzi?mc_cid=de5a36abdc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

5 } – Tremont wrestling coach T.J. Williams finds blessings in health crisis
There may be a pandemic going on, but T.J. Williams has plenty to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. The Tremont wrestling coach and owner of TJ Trained club in Morton is a two-time NCAA champion and three-time all-American at Iowa. He’s usually the healthiest guy in any room — even at 43 years old. That is, until this August when he started to develop a sore throat after mowing lawns. “I thought maybe I’ve been around all this grass and it made my mouth sore,” said Williams, who won four high school wrestling state championships for Chicago Mount Carmel.
Related:T.J. Williams taking Tremont wrestling to new levels
But the throat kept getting worse and worse, to the point where he could barely talk or drink anything. A trip to a prompt care resulted in a step test, which came back negative. He was told it might be an ear infection, but he didn’t have any ear pain. A COVID-19 test was suggested. … rest of story at _{https://www.pjstar.com/story/sports/2020/11/26/tremont-wrestling-coach-recovering-chest-tumor/6384793002/?mc_cid=de5a36abdc&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

6 } – New Women’s Collegiate Head Coaches for 2020-21
The women’s college wrestling season is upon us! Though there are still plenty of areas in the country where wrestling has been delayed, a handful of women’s programs have hit the mats for competitions. With a new season comes a wave of coaching changes, which is certainly the case on the women’s side. Unfortunately, there are still plenty of women’s programs that regularly deal with turnover from the head coaching position. Below we’ll discuss seven teams that will be under new leadership for the 2020-21. 
This does not include brand-new programs that will compete for the first time this season. We have already mentioned those squads and their respective head coaches here. 
Brewton-Parker College – Devane Dodgens
The administration at Brewton-Parker College didn’t have to look very far to find their latest head coach in Devane Dodgens. Devane was coaching in-state for Life University’s men’s team and will assist in that capacity at BPC, as well. Life was also where Dodgens competed collegiately and he finished as a two-time NAIA All-American, taking seventh and third. Before returning to Life to coach, Devane was heavily involved in Georgia’s club scene and was an assistant at the high school level. Dodgens is the fourth head coach in as many years for the Barons, so hopefully, he’ll bring some stability to the program.
Eastern Oregon – Carlene Sluberski
Carlene Sluberski takes over at Eastern Oregon … rest of story at _{https://news.theopenmat.com/womens-wrestling/new-womens-collegiate-head-coaches-for-2020-21/79525?mc_cid=580d0bc2a3&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

7 } – Drexel Announces Addition of Scott Parker to Wrestling Staff
PHILADELPHIA – Mert ’67 and Joanne ’69 Hill Head Coach of Wrestling Matt Azevedo announced today the addition of two-time All-American Scott Parker as an assistant coach. A native of Greater Philadelphia and a 2019 graduate of Lehigh University, Parker brings an abundance of knowledge as well as a commitment to academic and athletic excellence to the Dragons’ wrestling room.
 “Scott brings valuable experience and success as an athlete, student and professional,” Azevedo said. “As a collegiate wrestler, Scott embodied everything we look for in our student-athletes, and I am excited for him to bring his winning attitude to Drexel Wrestling. I also believe Scott’s experience working on Wall Street gives him a skill set that will translate well for recruiting and alumni development. I can’t wait for Scott to Bring the HEAT.” Parker was a member of the Mountain Hawks wrestling program from 2014 until 2019 and was a two-time NCAA All-American, a two-time EIWA champion, and a three-time NCAA qualifier. In addition, he received Academic All-American recognition from the National Wrestling Coaches Association on two occasions. … rest of story at _{https://drexeldragons.com/news/2020/12/7/drexel-announces-addition-of-scott-parker-to-wrestling-staff.aspx?mc_cid=c2c44a5110&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

8 } – Penn head wrestling coach Roger Reina goes On The Mat– OTM621
Roger Reina, in his second stint as the head wrestling coach at Penn, joins the show to talk about the state of his program, Ivy League wrestling and topics relevant to the Pennsylvania RTC (and more). On The Mat is presented by Cliff Keen Athletic. Join Kyle Klingman and Andy Hamilton as they talk about the world of wrestling on the flagship podcast of Trackwrestling.com.
Show Segments
0:50 – Shimmy Shamrock Shake, Please.
1:30 – Kyle Klingman’s addendum regarding Sacred Heart. … rest of story at _{https://www.mattalkonline.com/podcast/trackwrestling/on-the-mat/penn-head-wrestling-coach-roger-reina-otm621/?mc_cid=c2c44a5110&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

9} – Matt Atwood to take reins of fledgling Lady Argos wrestling squad
The University of Providence athletic department announced the hiring of Matt Atwood as the head coach of the women’s wrestling program Wednesday afternoon. Atwood joins the program from Midland University in Fremont, Neb., where he served as the head coach of the women’s program. Atwood takes over the program from Carlene Sluberski, who was hired as the head coach of the women’s wrestling team at Eastern Oregon. “We’re really excited to welcome Matt to the University of Providence,” athletic director Doug Hashley said. “He has all the right attributes we want for the head coach of our program, and we’re excited to see where he can take us.” … rest of story at _{https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/sports/2020/12/09/up-names-matt-atwood-new-womens-wrestling-mentor/3869302001/?mc_cid=372ecbefe1&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

10 } – Gators Hall of Famer and National Champion Coach Lars Jensen Passes Away
SAN FRANCISCO — San Francisco State wrestling legend Lars Jensen passed away on Tuesday, surrounded by family. One of the most decorated Gators in history, Coach Jensen led the first-ever NCAA Division II national championship team at SF State in 1997. He was inducted into six different halls of fame. In 2004, he was inducted into the San Francisco State Athletics Hall of fame; in 2009, Jensen was inducted into the California Wrestling Hall of Fame; and in 2013, he was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame. “The great impact of the loss of Coach Jensen goes far and wide. His contributions and dedication to Gator Athletics, the wrestling world, and the countless lives of students, professors, and staff in the SF State community and beyond is immeasurable,” said Director of Athletics Stephanie Shrieve-Hawkins. “Gator Athletics sends sincere condolences to his wife Chanda, their two children Brendan and Lara, and his family and friends. Rest peacefully to a legendary man.”
Jensen began as a student-athlete and finished as a coach at San Francisco State. He took the reins of SF State wrestling prior to the 1983-84 season and concluded his head coaching career in 2016-17. He coached three Division I national qualifiers. Under Jensen, the Gators had a wrestler qualify for the National Championships 122 times and produced 62 All-Americans. In 2012-13, Naveed Bagheri made his fourth appearance to the tournament and went on to grab the national championship title at 141 pounds, becoming Jensen’s tenth individual national champion.  Jensen had 55 conference champions and 67 NWCA All-Academic team members. … rest of story at _{https://sfstategators.com/news/2020/12/10/wrestling-wre-gators-hall-of-famer-and-national-champion-coach-lars-jensen-passes-away.aspx?mc_cid=d179f0f753&mc_eid=2ef7cbca4b}

December 19, 2020 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized