Joe Dexter
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Logan Stieber to Join Ohio State Coaching Staff
Joe Dexter via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Some organizations don’t fire a coach that has their team sitting in first place. Instead, they hire a four-time champion to coach alongside an already championship staff.
With the departure of Ross Thatcher from the program, head coach Tom Ryan announced Friday that Logan Stieber will officially join the Ohio State coaching staff after the U.S. Olympic Trials in early April.
Stieber, who finished second in the 65 kg division at the U.S. Senior Nationals in December, has continued to grow his freestyle wrestling acumen, after a very successful folkstyle career that led to 8 individual titles, 303 victories, and two team titles between his high school and collegiate wrestling career.
Thatcher, who had two stints as an assistant at Ohio State, was paramount in the growth of upper weights in the program. He first entered the program as a volunteer assistant in 2005 and helped work with the likes of Mike Pucillo and J.D. Bergman on their run to the NCAA finals in 2008.
After leaving the program in 2009 to coach at Oklahoma, Thatcher returned prior to the 2011-12 season and has since helped mold the careers of many high level wrestlers, including 2014 runner up Nick Heflin and 2015 runner up Kyle Snyder, who took the world by storm with a World championship in the same year.
He will leave the program to create a high level wrestling academy for young up and comers in the sport.
Stieber has been spending his time in the Ohio State wrestling room as he competes at the international level — splitting time between the Ohio RTC and Titan Mercury Wrestling Club in San Marino, California.
In today’s wrestling world, it’s not uncommon for active Olympic-level wrestlers to coach inside a wrestling program. 2012 Olympian Coleman Scott, who is currently ranked 7th nationally in the 56 kg freestyle weight class, was named the head coach of North Carolina this summer, after serving as an assistant since 2014. Jordan Oliver, who is ranked 2nd in the latest U.S. rankings in Stieber’s 65 kg weight class, coaches as an assistant under Zeke Jones at Arizona State. Former Buckeye Colt Sponseller, who is ranked 3rd in the 74 kg division, coaches in Athens as an assistant coach at Ohio Univeristy.
Beyond the obvious championship pedigree, Stieber brings a lot to the mat as an assistant coach. Instantly, he has a familiarity with the captains and veteran wrestlers inside the program. He’ll also provide a lot of experience and a high-level of coaching ability to the middleweights in the program, like Micah Jordan, Ke-Shawn Hayes, Jake Ryan, Cody Burcher, and others. It hasn’t been tested yet, but his recruiting ability as a four-time national champion and Ohio wrestling legend will very much play a role in his success.
Young wrestlers have flocked to appearances he’s made at local tournaments in the past to get a picture or autograph. There’s no doubt that certain grapplers will make their way to Ohio State knowing that they will be able to practice with the likes of Stieber daily.
Of course, it’s a norm to battle with the best in the Ohio State wrestling room. It’s the only collective at the collegiate level that features a World champion, Olympian, and four-time collegiate champion.
The post Logan Stieber to Join Ohio State Coaching Staff appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
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Joe Dexter via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Some organizations don’t fire a coach that has their team sitting in first place. Instead, they hire a four-time champion to coach alongside an already championship staff.
With the departure of Ross Thatcher from the program, head coach Tom Ryan announced Friday that Logan Stieber will officially join the Ohio State coaching staff after the U.S. Olympic Trials in early April.
Stieber, who finished second in the 65 kg division at the U.S. Senior Nationals in December, has continued to grow his freestyle wrestling acumen, after a very successful folkstyle career that led to 8 individual titles, 303 victories, and two team titles between his high school and collegiate wrestling career.
Thatcher, who had two stints as an assistant at Ohio State, was paramount in the growth of upper weights in the program. He first entered the program as a volunteer assistant in 2005 and helped work with the likes of Mike Pucillo and J.D. Bergman on their run to the NCAA finals in 2008.
After leaving the program in 2009 to coach at Oklahoma, Thatcher returned prior to the 2011-12 season and has since helped mold the careers of many high level wrestlers, including 2014 runner up Nick Heflin and 2015 runner up Kyle Snyder, who took the world by storm with a World championship in the same year.
He will leave the program to create a high level wrestling academy for young up and comers in the sport.
Stieber has been spending his time in the Ohio State wrestling room as he competes at the international level — splitting time between the Ohio RTC and Titan Mercury Wrestling Club in San Marino, California.
In today’s wrestling world, it’s not uncommon for active Olympic-level wrestlers to coach inside a wrestling program. 2012 Olympian Coleman Scott, who is currently ranked 7th nationally in the 56 kg freestyle weight class, was named the head coach of North Carolina this summer, after serving as an assistant since 2014. Jordan Oliver, who is ranked 2nd in the latest U.S. rankings in Stieber’s 65 kg weight class, coaches as an assistant under Zeke Jones at Arizona State. Former Buckeye Colt Sponseller, who is ranked 3rd in the 74 kg division, coaches in Athens as an assistant coach at Ohio Univeristy.
Beyond the obvious championship pedigree, Stieber brings a lot to the mat as an assistant coach. Instantly, he has a familiarity with the captains and veteran wrestlers inside the program. He’ll also provide a lot of experience and a high-level of coaching ability to the middleweights in the program, like Micah Jordan, Ke-Shawn Hayes, Jake Ryan, Cody Burcher, and others. It hasn’t been tested yet, but his recruiting ability as a four-time national champion and Ohio wrestling legend will very much play a role in his success.
Young wrestlers have flocked to appearances he’s made at local tournaments in the past to get a picture or autograph. There’s no doubt that certain grapplers will make their way to Ohio State knowing that they will be able to practice with the likes of Stieber daily.
Of course, it’s a norm to battle with the best in the Ohio State wrestling room. It’s the only collective at the collegiate level that features a World champion, Olympian, and four-time collegiate champion.
The post Logan Stieber to Join Ohio State Coaching Staff appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...