2009 D1CW Coaches Poll Results
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After years of reading wrestling message boards and forums, I have noticed some of the same topics posted again and again. "Who's the Best Wrester Pound for Pound", "What Freshman is going to have the Best Career", and "Who's the Best Head Coach in the Nation" are all questions that pop up time and again. Pages and pages worth of arguments can be presented, but when it is all said and done there are no definitive answers. While D1CW can't settle these arguments, we have decided to ask the same questions to our country's finest assistant and head coaches. Who better to answer these questions than the men who coach our fine sport at the DI level? With that the D1CW Coaches Poll was born....
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Before we start a few ground rules...
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-This was limited to only DI Wrestlers
-Current wrestlers only
-Coaches were allowed to vote for their own wrestlers; if applicable
-Coaches were asked not to vote for coaches on their own staff
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Best Double Leg Takedown
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1. Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) 92% of the votes
2. Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) 4%
3. Craig Brester (Nebraska) 4%
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Let's start off with the most lopsided voting of the entire poll. 2009 NCAA Champion Jordan Burroughs was a near unanimous choice for Best Double Leg, receiving 92% of the vote. Here is what Jordan said to D1CW earlier in the year about his Blast Double skills: "Well, I have long arms and big hands, so I think that helps. It was pretty good when I got here (Nebraska), but it has improved over the years working with my coaches. Now, it's pretty difficult to stop". Mr. Burroughs may be a bit modest.......
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Most Improved Wrestler
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1. Jarrod King (Edinboro) 17% of the votes
2. Mark Ellis (Missouri) 13%
2. Konrad Dudziak (Duke) 13%
2. Mike Miller (Central Michigan) 13%
5. Josh Patterson (Binghamton) 8%
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First a disclaimer! Coaches were told that the improvement could be over the course of a career, or from on season to the next, whichever they felt was appropriate.
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2009 NCAA Champion Jarrod King spent three injury plagued seasons wrestling for Oklahoma before transferring to Edinboro prior to the 2007-08 season. Later that year, King won the first of his two EWL titles, and appeared in his first NCAA Tournament. In 2008-09 King entered the NCAA Championships as the #12 seed and won his title by defeating the number 4, 8 and 2 seeds.
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Best "Funk"
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1. Max Askren (Missouri) 22% of the votes
2. Reece Humphrey (Ohio State) 17%
3. Hudson Taylor (Maryland) 13%
4. Darrion Caldwell (NC State) 9%
4. Kellen Russell (Michigan) 9%
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Imagine that, an Askren being thought to have the best funk! Max used funk and scrambling ability en route to earning his second All-American honor in 2009 (5th place). In three years of competition for the Tigers, Askren has managed to win 84 bouts and two Big 12 Championships.
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Most Physical
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1. Brent Metcalf (Iowa) 63% of the votes
2. Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) 17%
3. Mike Pucillo (Ohio State) 7%
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Brent Metcalf won the most physical wrestler category in a landslide. Very fitting for a Iowa wrestler. In 2009 Metcalf beat and battered his way to a second NCAA Finals appearance in as many years. The 2008 Hodge Trophy Winner has made a habit of wearing down his opponents, as only 15 of his 76 career victories have come by regular decisions.
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Toughest On Top
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1. Anthony Robles (Arizona State) 46% of the votes
2. Jayson Ness (Minnesota) 17%
3. Lance Palmer (Ohio State) 8%
3. Josh Patterson (Binghamton) 8%
3. Hudson Taylor (Maryland) 8%
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Anthony Robles, used his superior upper-body strength and a variety of tilts to reak havoc on 125lber's in 2009. Robles toughness from the top position allows him to rack up points in a hurry. Ten of Anthony's 29 victories came by Technical Fall and nine were by pin. A nine point major decision over Northwestern All-American Brandon Precin elevated Robles into the NCAA Semi-Finals. Although he lost that Semi-Final match, Robles rebounded to take fourth place.
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Hardest to Takedown
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1. Jake Varner (Iowa State) 48% of the votes
2. Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota) 15%
3. Mike Pucillo (Ohio State) 7%
After spending the first two years of his collegiate career at 184, Jake Varner bulked up to win an NCAA Title in 2009 at 197. Varner was better than ever at 197 and remained a brick wall for his opponents to shoot on. At the National Championships in 2009, Jake went through the entire tournament without surrendering a takedown, a feat that he was also able to accomplish in 2008.
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Best Athlete
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1. Darrion Caldwell (NC State) 69% of the votes
2. Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) 27%
3. Reece Humphrey (Ohio State) 4%
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If any other 149lber in the nation said he was going to play DI College Football, you could write it off as a joke. When Darrion Caldwell says it (he has thrown around the idea) you can almost see it being a possibility. In addition to winning three New Jersey High School Wrestling Titles, Darrion was also a All-State Caliber football player. On the mat, he uses his athleticism to wrestle an entertaining, high-flying style which in 2009 led him to an NCAA Championship. This summer, Caldwell decided to give freestyle a try (for the first time since HS) and placed 3rd at the US World Team Trials, defeating 2008 Olympian Doug Schwab in the process.
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Best Pinner
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1. Josh Patterson (Binghamton) 26% of the votes
2. Jayson Ness (Minnesota) 22%
3. Darrion Caldwell (NC State) 17%
4. Brent Metcalf (Iowa) 13%
5. Hudson Taylor (Maryland) 9%
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Josh Patterson had a 2008-09 season in which he rewrote the Binghamton wrestling record books. His 7th Place finish at the NCAA Championships made him the the first DI All-American in BU Wrestling history. Josh led the nation with 46 wins and 22 falls. For his pinning prowess, Patterson was named WIN Magazine's Schalles Award Winner for 2009. The award is given to the nation's top pinner.
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Best Leg Rider
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1. Lance Palmer (Ohio State) 24% of the votes
2. Jayson Ness (Minnesota) 19%
3. Troy Nickerson (Cornell) 14%
4. Hudson Taylor (Maryland) 10%
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In a tight vote the Buckeyes Lance Palmer was named the Best Leg Rider. Palmer, a 3x All-American, made the NCAA Semi-Finals and finished fourth in the nation for the second time in his career. The OSU 149lber used his punishing mat wrestling skills to hold 11 opponents scoreless during his 31 victories in 2009. In his first three seasons, Palmer has won 91 matches overall.
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Most Intelligent
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1. Troy Nickerson (Cornell) 39% of the votes
2. Franklin Gomez (Michigan State) 13%
3. Konrad Dudziak (Duke) 9%
3. Nick Amuchastegui (Stanford) 9%
3. Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota) 9%
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It is very appropriate that an Ivy League wrestler was thought to the the Most Intelligent. Troy Nickerson frequently had to rely on his high wrestling IQ, in addition to outstanding skills, during his 2009 NCAA Title run. In order to win his championship, Nickerson was victorious via 2-1 decisions over the past two NCAA Champions in the National Semi-Finals and Final. Nickerson has accumulated a remarkable 78-5 record in three seasons wrestling for the Big Red, finishing no lower than 3rd each year.
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Incoming Freshman Who Will Have the Best Career
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1. David Taylor (Penn State) 44% of the votes
2. Chris Perry (Oklahoma State) 25%
3. Eric Grajales (Michigan) 13%
4. Trent Weatherman (Iowa State) 6%
4. Caleb Kolb (Nebraska) 6%
4. Jon Fausey (Virginia) 6%
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Another disclaimer! This question was intended to just include wrestlers who will be entering their "true" freshman season. Many coaches voted for a redshirt freshman Jordan Oliver of Oklahoma State. These votes were not counted, however, if the votes were counted Oliver would have won.
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Ohio native David Taylor is the incoming freshman who our coaches thought would have the best career. Taylor was a double champ in Freestyle and Greco Roman at both the Junior and Cadet levels. In addition to winning four Ohio DII State Championships, Taylor also is the only wrestler ever to win four Walsh Ironman Titles.
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Best Assistant Coach
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1. Lou Rosselli (Ohio State) 26% of the votes
2. Donny Pritzlaff (Wisconsin) 11%
3. Lee Pritts (Missouri) 7%
3. Drew Pariano (Northwestern) 7%
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In a competiton where many assistant coaches received votes, Lou Rosselli prevailed over the competition. Rosselli was also named the NWCA Assistant Coach of the Year prior to the NCAA Championships. For the second consecutive season, Ohio State finished as National Runners-Up to Iowa. In 2009, Rosselli working primarily with the OSU lightweights, coached 141lber J Jaggers to his second NCAA Title and 133lber Reece Humphrey to the NCAA Finals.
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Biggest "Gas Tank"
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1. Brent Metcalf (Iowa) 59% of the votes
2. Andrew Howe (Wisconsin) 15%
3. Dan Dennis (Iowa) 7%
4. Jon Bonilla-Bowman (Hofstra) 7%
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Once again, a poll winner that makes sense. Brent Metcalf embodies the Iowa-Style of wrestling (Constant Pressure, moving forward and attacking). His "Gas Tank" allows him to wear down opponents and still be effective late into matches. Metcalf will enter his senior season with only two career losses and two trips to the NCAA Finals (2008 Champ).
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Best Variety of Takedowns
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1. Darrion Caldwell (NC State) 33% of the votes
2. Franklin Gomez (Michigan State) 25%
3. Brent Metcalf (Iowa) 17%
4. Zach Sanders (Minnesota) 8%
4. Reece Humphrey (Ohio State) 8%
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The "Kitchen Sink" award goes to Darrion Caldwell, as in he can hit you with everything but the Kitchen Sink. This could not have been more evident than in his NCAA Finals victory over Brent Metcalf, where Caldwell scored takedowns on a low leg attack, a headlock and in two scrambles. Not to mention, countless throw-by attempts.
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Best Head Coach
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1. Tom Brands (Iowa)/Tom Borrelli (Central Michigan) 25% of the votes
3. Tim Flynn (Edinboro) 14%
4. J Robinson (Minnesota) 7%
4. Rob Koll (Cornell) 7%
4. Mark Cody (American) 7%
7. Pat Santoro (Lehigh) 4%
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It's a tie atop the poll for Best Coach between the two Tom B's. Both coaches are stark contrasts of each other. Tom Borrelli has been leading overachieving Central Michigan for the past seventeen seasons. During that time he has coached the Chippewas to 8 consecutive MAC Tournament Championships, coached one National Champion and 28 All-Americans. In the 2009 season, CMU defeated Oklahoma State in a dual meet for the first time in school history en route to a Virginia Duals Championship. Coach Borrelli has put a wrestler into the NCAA Finals in each of the past two seasons.
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Tom Brands has been faced with sky high expectations at Iowa, yet he managed to exceed them winning two National Titles, two Big Ten Titles, two Midlands Championships and coaching two National Champion wrestlers. All of this in only three seasons on the job. In that three year span, Coach Brands has accumulated a dual record of 59-6 (45-1 during the two championship seasons). The past two Hawkeye recruiting classes were ranked #5 and #6 overall by D1CW.
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Best Wrestler Pound for Pound
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1. Jordan Burroughs (Nebraska) 40% of the votes
2. Dustin Schlatter (Minnesota) 20%
3. Darrion Caldwell (NC State) 12%
3. Brent Metcalf (Iowa) 12%
5. Jake Varner (Iowa State) 8%
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In 2009, Jordan Burroughs was an undefeated NCAA Champ at perhaps the deepest weight class in the country. Of the course of the season, Burroughs recorded victories over three former NCAA Champions, one being a 12-4 major decision over Gregor Gillespie in the National Semi-Finals. Only 12 of Jordan's 35 victories came by regular decisions. Burroughs' NCAA Finals opponent Mike Poeta was previously undefeated and also a returning NCAA Runner-Up. Jordan will enter 2010 trying to become the first two-time NCAA Champion in Nebraska Cornhusker history.