Takedown Report

‘John Smith is the sole reason’: Coleman Scott speaks on decision to return to OSU

An eight-year stint at North Carolina was enough to consider a permanent stay.

But after a phone call from a Stillwater phone number, one Scott wished to leaved unspecified in an interview with The O’Colly, leaving North Carolina crossed his mind.

About 30 minutes later, his mind was made up. After 124 duals coached for the Tar Heels, Scott is returning to Stillwater to be an associate coach alongside his former coach John Smith.

“John Smith is the sole reason I made this decision,” Scott said. “If, like, Iowa or somewhere had come calling, I probably wouldn’t have gone.

“When you’re offered an opportunity to coach with arguably the greatest wrestler of all time, that’s something you just can’t turn down.”

Scott built a program from the ground up in Chapel Hill and made it a national contender. And he created a legacy there.  

“By about Year 5, I was thinking, ‘This might be it.’” Scott said. “We were winning, and I was enjoying every bit of it.” 

Scott, a former OSU wrestler, led the Tar Heels to a 12th-place finish in nationals this year – their best postseason finish since 1995 – and watched UNC 157-pounder Austin O’Connor attain his second individual national title. 

The decision to exit a program Scott put on the college wrestling map wasn’t easy. Moving away from the relationships built at UNC was perhaps the most stressful thought.

But, as Scott explained, life is built off choices. He said he made the right life decision returning to OSU.

“I’m not gonna give you the coach speak and say, ‘Oh it was best for my family and I.’” Scott said. “But the opportunity to show my wife and family where I began my career, it’s also something I couldn’t pass on. I love Stillwater. I love (Gallagher-Iba Arena). I love everything about that campus.”

And the timing was right. Former associate head coach Zack Esposito departed for a position with USA Wrestling as its National Freestyle development and resident coach. 

“Coleman is a champion and one of the brightest young coaching minds in our sport,” Smith said in a statement regarding Scott’s hiring. “Success has followed him wherever he’s gone, and we’re excited to have him and his family back home with us at Oklahoma State.”

The Cowboys reeled in former All-American transfers in Sammy Alvarez (Rutgers) and Izzak Olejnik (Northern Illinois), and they return three-time 133-pound national runner up Daton Fix. Perhaps new blood could be what OSU wrestling was lacking in its long-awaited return to national prominence. … rest of the story at … Ocolly.com/john-smith-is-the-sole-reason-coleman-scott-speaks-on-decision-to-return-to-osu

September 9, 2023 - Posted by The TakeDown Report | Uncategorized