Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Athletor Podcast with Mike Mal

Alex Marinelli is back, this time to talk Iowa. Mike runs him through the numbers behind the Hawkeyes' No. 6 preseason ranking, and Alex explains why he thinks the gap to a team title comes down to one takedown at a time. He also shares what he's learned coaching 140 kids who all say they want to be elite.

Guest: Alex Marinelli, Iowa four-time All-American and four-time Big Ten champion, founder and head coach of the Hawkeye Wrestling Academy

Topics: Iowa's 2026-27 lineup, Ryder Block and Nasir Bailey, riding time and reversals, the jump from fourth to a team title, first-period aggression, motivating youth wrestlers, the Mount Rushmore of Iowa wrestling

📊 Iowa's full 2026-27 season preview: preview.athletorlive.com/teams/iowa

🔗 Recruitable: Your step-by-step playbook for today's recruiting process: athletorlive.com/product/recruitable

Sebastian Rivera won an Olympic bronze medal and a World silver, and then walked away from his coaching job at Columbia to go back to being a full-time athlete. In this episode, he explains the "find peace in suffering" mindset that keeps him improving at 27, breaks down the front head and crackdown positions with Mike, and talks about what it took to bring Big Ten intensity to an Ivy League wrestling room.

Guest: Sebastian Rivera, 2024 Olympic bronze medalist (65kg, Puerto Rico), 2023 World silver medalist, 5x NCAA All-American (Northwestern/Rutgers)

Topics: stepping down from coaching to compete, find peace in suffering, Buxton and Pritzlaff as coaches, front head and crackdown technique, Columbia wrestling culture, folkstyle push-out rule

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American head coach Jason Borrelli sees his program's AthletorIQ development score for the first time, and he's not satisfied being #4. We dig into what the data says about who's really developing wrestlers, the 86% first-takedown win rate at NCAAs, and what Borrelli looks for in recruits that numbers can't capture.

Guest: Jason Borrelli, Head Coach at American University, formerly Stanford's all-time winningest coach

Topics: development scoring, data-driven recruiting, the 85-150 recruit band, overperformer mindset, first-takedown data, growing the sport

🔗 Recruitable: Your step-by-step playbook for today's recruiting process, from first contact to signing day: athletorlive.com/product/recruitable

J Sebolt went 207-1 in high school, won four Iowa state titles, and then built one of the best youth wrestling programs in the country from scratch — starting with 4 kids in a two-mat room. He talks with Mike Mal about what it's really like coaching your own daughter at the international level, the moment he realized he'd pushed a kid too far, and why his wrestling room has world team boards but no state championship board.

Guest: TJ Sebolt, 4x Iowa state champion, founder/head coach of Sebolt Wrestling Academy

Topics: dad coaching, youth wrestling culture, building an elite club, state vs. national goals, discipline vs. fun, iron fist vs. velvet glove coaching

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Jeff Buxton built Blair Academy into a 30-time consecutive National Prep champion, produced 10 NCAA individual champs, and earned the National Wrestling Hall of Fame's Lifetime Service award. Now coaching at Columbia under Donnie Pritzlaff, he talks about what it really takes to rebuild a program, why he split his own team to develop younger wrestlers, and what Bruce Burnett taught him about ankle laces.

Guest: Jeff Buxton, Columbia University Assistant Wrestling Coach, Hall of Fame honoree, 30x National Prep Champion coach

Topics: Columbia wrestling rebuild, Blair Academy dynasty, coaching philosophy, iron fist vs velvet glove, freestyle technical evolution, matside weigh-ins

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Mike wears two hats, dad and coach. Matt Ciampa texted him to say that's wrong, and then came on to explain why. Thirty-five years into coaching, he's never found the seam between the two, and he'll tell you exactly what the one hat actually is.

Guest: Matt Ciampa, head coach of Eclipse Wrestling Club (NJ), assistant men's wrestling coach at East Stroudsburg University, 2013 New Jersey Freestyle and Greco-Roman Coach of the Year

Topics: coaching your own kid, the dad hat vs. coach hat debate, controlling behavior instead of feelings, wrestling as a sport of affluence, the disappearing middle-of-the-pack wrestler, the 0-4 heavyweight who became NCAA champ David Zabriskie, New Jersey's Mount Rushmore

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Nelson Brands wrestled at Iowa for his dad and his uncle, and says neither coached him until college. Now on staff at Cal Poly, he makes a specific case that beginners should learn to hand fight before they ever take a penetration step. Guest: Nelson Brands, former Iowa Hawkeye, son of Terry Brands and nephew of Tom Brands, assistant coach at Cal Poly. Topics: hand fighting before the penetration step, wrestling as an infinite puzzle, being raised by the principles of wrestling, identity versus winning, wrestling parents, clubs that gatekeep, out-of-season contact rules, getting rid of headgear.

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Coleman Scott won an NCAA title, an Olympic medal, and ran a D1 program. He'd rather do what he's doing now. Inside the Farm in Stillwater, and a blunt read on what NIL money is doing to recruiting and development.

Guest: Coleman Scott, 2008 NCAA champion at Oklahoma State, 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, former head coach at North Carolina, owner of the Farm in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Topics: running 77 straight days of camp, starting a state-accredited school, the three-pillar club model, what NIL did to development, chasing money versus chasing fit, the questions to ask a recruit, youth wrestling parents

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Barry Davis has three NCAA titles, an Olympic silver, and 24 years as a Big Ten head coach. He just took a club job, and this is his case for why the RTC seat is the best one in wrestling. Head coach John Stutzman joins to explain the rebuild at Bloomsburg.

Guest: Barry Davis, 3x NCAA champion at Iowa, 1984 Olympic silver medalist, head coach at Wisconsin 1993-2017, now RTC and club coach at Bloomsburg. With John Stutzman, head coach at Bloomsburg.

Topics: the RTC role and the recruiting loophole, the April-of-junior-year contact rule, what to look for in a recruit and his family, fundraising a Division I program, building a town's wrestling culture, why the parents are the problem

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We brought Doug Schwab the data on his own program: 13 of UNI's 19 NCAA qualifiers since 2021 were completely unranked high school recruits, and Parker Keckeisen carried up to 66% of the team's national tournament points. His answer: "I don't think we're overachieving at all." Then he explains exactly how UNI develops kids nobody ranked, how he recruited his own son, and why verbal commitments mean nothing in 2026.

Guest: Doug Schwab, head coach at the University of Northern Iowa, NCAA champion, 2008 U.S. Olympian

Topics: recruiting your own kids, the extra year decision, home visit red flags, developing unranked recruits, the Parker Keckeisen effect, NIL and the transfer portal

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Scott Green built Wyoming Seminary into the most feared prep program in the country, then helped put Army wrestling back on the map. Now he's rebuilding New York Military Academy from the keel up, with a four-year clock on winning Prep Nationals. This one is a masterclass in program building: why buy-in beats technique, how to recruit 8th graders honestly, and what happens to wrestlers who have nothing but wrestling.

Guest: Scott Green, two-time National Prep champion coach at Wyoming Seminary (208-9 in duals), former Army West Point associate head coach, now Chief of Staff at New York Military Academy and Executive Director of the West Point Wrestling Club

Topics: prep school recruiting, program building, institutional buy-in, beating Blair, life after wrestling, the riding time debate

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Wyoming Seminary sent 26 ranked recruits to D1 in six years and put 4.5% of this year's NCAA tournament field on the mat, all without handing out a single NIL deal. Head coach Will Weber explains how a Marine's standards, two wrestle-offs a season, and brutal honesty with blue-chip recruits built wrestling's best college prep pipeline.

Guest: Will Weber, Head Coach at Wyoming Seminary; 12 years with the Blue Knights program, Marine Corps veteran

Topics: D1 recruiting pipeline, wrestle-off culture, coaching entitled blue-chip recruits, program fundraising without NIL, building a club from scratch, Scott Green's legacy at Sem

🔗 Championship Fundraising Challenge

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Shane Sparks, the voice of Big Ten wrestling, joins Mike for the argument they've been having over drinks for years: should California's 22,000 wrestlers really compete for one state title? Shane's case is participation and community. Mike's case is data: every top recruit since 2020 mapped by state, and the budgets behind the programs that produce them. Two sides, real receipts, and a middle ground neither expected.

Guest: Shane Sparks, play-by-play broadcaster for Big Ten Network, FloWrestling, ESPN, and the NCAA Championships

Topics: the state championship debate, big board recruiting data, program budgets and fundraising, Final X and Kyle Dake, Spencer Lee before Worlds, 11 weight classes, Shane's Mount Rushmore

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NC State All-American Tommy Gantt left wrestling for one amateur fight and never looked back. Now an undefeated UFC lightweight training with Daniel Cormier, he breaks down what actually transfers from the mat to the cage, plus the Pat Popolizio speech that still drives him.

Guest: Tommy Gantt, 2016 ACC champion and NCAA All-American at NC State, former Wolfpack assistant coach, undefeated UFC lightweight

Topics: wrestling-to-MMA transition, the cardio and length edge, building fight IQ, why MMA coaching lags wrestling, Pat Popolizio and NC State's rise, the mindset switch

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Navy assistant coach Blaize Cabell breaks down how the Midshipmen train, from SEAL-run summer camps to teaching the "feel" that turns good scramblers into great ones, and why heavyweight All-American Danny Wass is about to surprise people. A former three-time NCAA qualifier at Northern Iowa, Cabell coaches the Naval Academy's upper weights.🔗 Championship Fundraising Challenge - Raise your first $500 in 2 weeks or your money back: https://www.athletorlive.com/product/championship-fundraising-challenge🔗 Full Championship Fundraising Course: https://www.athletorlive.com/product/championship-fundraising-course

📋 ABOUT THIS EPISODEBlaize Cabell is an assistant coach at the U.S. Naval Academy, working primarily with the 184, 197, and 285 lb wrestlers, and a former three-time NCAA qualifier at heavyweight for Northern Iowa. In this conversation with host Mike Malinconico, he digs into how Navy structures its summer camps, what Cary Kolat's teaching unlocked for him as a coach, the mental edge wrestlers steal from Navy SEAL training, and the rise of heavyweight All-American Danny Wass. He closes with a sharp take on fixing college wrestling's stalling rules.🎙️ ABOUT ATHLETOR PODCASTThe Athletor Podcast brings you conversations with the coaches, athletes, and minds shaping wrestling. Subscribe for new episodes weekly.🔗 CONNECTYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXjsj-4x50ZVLOvSjaUEM9AInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/athletor.live/X: https://x.com/athletorFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/athletor.live/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@athletor

Damion Hahn helped pull five programs into a rebuilt Pac-12, and he is rebuilding South Dakota State at the same time. He sits down with Mike Malinconico to get into the conference move, developing wrestlers when you can't just plug in a transfer, and the case for building guys up in weight instead of cutting them down. He has the resume to back it: a worn-down 184-pounder who moved up and won two national titles at 197.Guest: Damion Hahn, head coach at South Dakota State, two-time NCAA champion, New Jersey wrestling legendTopics: SDSU's move to the Pac-12, rebuilding a program, wrestler development, going up a weight class vs cutting, leadership in the room, the one-semester college seasonChampionship Fundraising Challenge - Raise your first $500 in 2 weeks or your money back: athletorlive.com/product/championship-fundraising-challenge

Air Force wrestling doesn't buy transfers and doesn't play the NIL game — yet they're keeping pace with the top 5 programs in the country. Head coach Sam Barber sits down with Mike Malinconico to explain how.

Guest: Sam Barber, head wrestling coach at the United States Air Force Academy (12th season), former head coach at Upper Iowa and part of three NCAA DIII title teams at Augsburg.

Topics: building a developmental program, Carter Nogle's All-American run, the "Camp Bruiser" COVID experiment, the move to the Pac-12, NIL and the transfer portal, and why culture beats money in recruiting.

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Coach Bryan Snyder, associate head coach at Nebraska and the winningest wrestler in Husker history, joins Mike to go deep on the numbers behind Nebraska's riding game, how they evaluate recruits for top-game potential, and why their transfer portal picks keep turning into All-Americans.

Guest: Bryan Snyder, Associate Head Coach, Nebraska Wrestling. 4x All-American, Big 12 Champion, .925 career winning percentage

Topics: Nebraska's near-fall and riding time dominance, transfer portal recruiting strategy, Ridge Lovett's wrestling IQ, recruiting from non-traditional states, AthletorIQ data breakdowns, stall rule reform

🔗 Championship Fundraising Challenge - Raise your first $500 in 2 weeks or your money back: athletorlive.com/product/championship-fundraising-challenge

UPenn assistant coach Darian Cruz sits down with Mike to talk about what the data says about Ivy League wrestling at the NCAA tournament, why coaching at Penn means competing with Wall Street for your athletes' attention, and how a post-COVID conversation led him to represent Puerto Rico on the international stage.

Guest: Darian Cruz — 2017 NCAA Champion (Lehigh), 2024 Paris Olympian (Puerto Rico), UPenn Assistant Coach

Topics: Ivy League vs EIWA NCAA performance, conference scoring data, student-athlete culture at UPenn, competing for Puerto Rico, overtime rule changes, Japan training trip

Stanford just had its best NCAA tournament ever — and then half the lineup walked into the transfer portal. Coach Chris Ayres breaks down how he kept his team together, what the data actually says about transfer performance, and why a Stanford degree might be the best NIL weapon in wrestling.Guest: Chris Ayres, Head Wrestling Coach at Stanford University (formerly 17 years at Princeton)Topics: NCAA tournament performance, transfer portal data and ROI, NIL in college wrestling, Stanford administration support, third-period finishing, recruiting at elite academic institutions🔗 Championship Fundraising Challenge — Raise $10K in 2 weeks or your money back: athletorlive.com/product/championship-fundraising-challenge

Mike Macchiavello just took his second US Open title at 92kg and punched his ticket to Final X — but the 2018 NCAA champ says pressure on the mat is "purely fabricated." In this one, Mock breaks down the mental game that most wrestlers don't figure out until it's too late: what an "honest 100%" really looks like, why getting teched in practice might be the best thing for you, and how parents can sabotage their kid's confidence without saying a word.

Guest: Mike Macchiavello, 2018 NCAA Champion (NC State), 2x US Open Champion (92kg), USA Wrestling Athlete Advisory & Executive Committee member

Topics: mental toughness, pressure management, Final X prep,

coaching young wrestlers, parent involvement, match strategy

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Iowa State's new head coach Brent Metcalf joins the show just four days into the job. He lays out his vision for building the Cyclone program the right way — no shortcuts, no one-year portal rentals — and reflects on what nine years alongside Kevin Dresser taught him about running a program that lasts.

Guest: Brent Metcalf, Head Coach – Iowa State Wrestling. Two-time NCAA champion, four-time U.S. World Team member.

Topics: head coaching transition, transfer portal philosophy, beating Iowa after 23 years, teaching feel in wrestling, sports science in training, building team culture

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Iowa's Gabe Arnold made All-American at 197 — a weight class two above his natural size — after stepping up when a teammate went down. Now he's going back to 174 with one goal: a national championship. He breaks down the text he sent Tom Brands, what the AthletorIQ data says about winning at 174, and the scoring target he's building his offseason around.

Guest: Gabe Arnold, 197-pound All-American at the University of Iowa, coached by Tom Brands

Topics: Making All-American at the wrong weight, weight management, AthletorIQ data analysis, scoring targets, national championship mindset, NCAA officiating

🔗 Championship Fundraising Challenge

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Rider head coach John Hangey on building a program with zero NIL money that still sends wrestlers to the podium. He breaks down the transfer portal strategy of taking "broken" Power 4 athletes, the tiered development system that produced six All-Americans, and why the David-and-Goliath identity inherited from Coach Gary Taylor is Rider's greatest recruiting tool.

Guest: John Hangey, Head Coach at Rider University Wrestling, 1993 NCAA All-American, Rider Athletics Hall of Fame

Topics: Zero NIL recruiting, developing homegrown wrestlers, portal transfers, small-school development, Gary Taylor's legacy, future of NCAA wrestling

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National Coach of the Year Donny Pritzlaff on how Columbia cracked the top 20 — without NIL, without a fancy facility, and without recruiting through the transfer portal. He breaks down the Cesar Alvan recruiting story, why he hired an "all iron fist" staff, and the recruiting philosophy that targets development over star power.

Guest: Donny Pritzlaff, Head Coach at Columbia Wrestling, 2026 NWCA Coach of the Year, two-time NCAA Champion at Wisconsin

Topics: Building a development program, recruiting without NIL, coaching to a wrestler's natural style, hiring assistant coaches, Cesar Alvan's All-American run, Ivy League wrestling

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Mike Van Brill went from 0-2 at States to three-time Big Ten medalist at Rutgers — and built one of college wrestling’s biggest brands along the way. He breaks down his upcoming RAF match against Jordan Oliver in Philly, the blood round mindset shift that saved his career, and why the business world is just another wrestling match.

Guest: Mike Van Brill, 3x Big Ten medalist, 3x NCAA qualifier (Rutgers), RAF featherweight competitor

Topics: RAF vs Jordan Oliver game plan, weight class management, flow state and gratitude in competition, building a wrestling brand, ClickFunnels and entrepreneurship, push-out rule debate

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On episode #164 of the Athletor Podcast, James Green joins the show to talk about his return to competition, life after injury, and what fuels his decision to keep wrestling at the highest level. As Assistant Coach at Nebraska and an active athlete, James opens up about balancing coaching responsibilities with his own training cycle, how his body has responded after hip surgery, and why he is still motivated to compete. He shares what this second chapter in his wrestling career means to him and why he is taking it one year at a time.

The conversation also dives into the technical side of the sport, with James offering sharp insight into freestyle trends, par terre scoring, edge wrestling, and how the international game continues to evolve. From strategy and data-driven decision-making to the day-to-day realities of coaching in one of the nation’s top rooms, this episode gives listeners a thoughtful look into the mind of one of wrestling’s most respected competitors and coaches.

In this episode, Ryan LeBlanc shares what it takes to lead and build a program at Binghamton. He breaks down the transition from his previous coaching stops and what stood out when stepping into a new environment. He explains how the university’s academic strength shapes recruiting and why bringing in the right student-athletes impacts culture, development, and long-term success.

LeBlanc also speaks on the day-to-day realities of running a program. He highlights the balance between competition, academics, and personal growth. He gives insight into how he evaluates talent, builds relationships, and sets expectations for his team. This conversation gives a clear look at how a head coach builds a strong foundation and develops athletes on and off the mat.

In Episode 162 of the Athletor Podcast, wrestling pundit Brock Hite breaks down how data, probability, and decision-making shape the sport. He explains how concepts like expected value and risk apply to wrestling, and why understanding these factors gives athletes and coaches an edge. The conversation builds on earlier discussions and gives a clear look at how strategy goes beyond effort and instinct.

Brock also shares how he views wrestling through a different lens, comparing fixed and dynamic variables across sports and competition. You will hear how this mindset applies to match strategy, in-match decisions, and long-term development. This episode gives you a practical way to think about wrestling with more clarity and purpose.

On this week's episode, we sit down with Franklin & Marshall College wrestler James Conway — one of the most compelling upper-weight stories in the country. James opens up about his late start in the sport, getting his footing through a steep learning curve as a freshman, and how a pivotal post-tournament conversation with his coach sparked a total mindset shift that launched him from a .500 record to one of the best in his weight class.

James gets real about the difference between chasing outcomes versus chasing growth — and how deliberately "brainwashing" himself to focus on process over results, applying to med school during his redshirt year, and building an ironclad daily routine all came together to fuel a breakout senior season. If you're a wrestler, a coach, or anyone trying to get out of their own way and compete at the next level, this one is for you.

Episode 160 of the Athletor Podcast features Hayden Hidlay, Assistant Coach at Stanford. Hidlay discusses the progress of the Stanford wrestling program and the momentum the team carries into the ACC Championships this season. He breaks down lessons learned from last year’s conference tournament, how preparation and travel adjustments affect performance, and why the ACC tournament brings a unique level of intensity due to frequent rematches and familiarity among competitors.

Hidlay also shares insight into building a competitive culture at Stanford, helping athletes handle the mental grind of postseason wrestling, and positioning the program to compete at a higher level nationally. The conversation covers strategy, preparation, and the details that separate a good tournament from a great one.

Episode 159 of the Athletor Podcast features Dom Santoli, Head Coach of Bergen Catholic. In this conversation, Dom shares what changed when he moved from assistant coach to head coach and how the role demands far more than match preparation. He explains the daily operational challenges, from managing parents and assistant coaches to handling school issues, recruiting, and the details behind the scenes that most people never see.

Dom also talks about putting kids first. He breaks down why development, accountability, and community matter more than wins alone. From building strong relationships with alumni and families to fostering a year-round wrestling culture, he gives insight into how Bergen Catholic continues to compete at a high level while keeping perspective on what high school sports are truly about.

In Episode 158 of the Athletor Podcast, we sit down with Jamil Kelly, Assistant Coach at NC State and Olympic silver medalist, to talk about his evolution from elite athlete to program leader. While his competitive résumé speaks for itself, this conversation centers on his growth as a coach and the mindset shift required when you move from controlling your own performance to guiding the development of others.

Kelly shares insight on building culture in today’s era of NIL and the transfer portal, and how those changes impact recruiting, roster stability, and long-term program vision. He breaks down the challenge of finding athletes who align with a program’s philosophy and why culture still matters inside the Wolfpack room. This episode is a candid look at leadership, development, and what it takes to sustain success in modern college wrestling.

Episode 157 of the Athletor Podcast features a conversation with Luke Stanich of Lehigh University. Luke shares his journey through college wrestling and what daily life looks like inside a demanding program. He talks about preparation, discipline, and the standards required to compete at a high level.

This episode focuses on mindset, consistency, and growth. Luke breaks down lessons learned through training, competition, and team culture. You hear practical insight for wrestlers who want to improve and for fans who want a clear view of what shapes success at the Division I level.

Jason Welch joins Episode 156 of the Athletor Podcast to share a clear look at leadership, culture, and the state of college wrestling. As Head Coach at San Francisco State, Welch talks through building programs with limited resources, leading athletes with purpose, and staying committed to development beyond wins and losses.

The conversation centers on accountability, opportunity, and what coaches owe athletes inside and outside the room. Welch breaks down real challenges facing programs today and explains how wrestling continues to shape discipline, resilience, and long-term growth for those involved.

Episode 155 features Nolan Kistler and the movement behind #KeepCBUWrestling. You hear a clear look at CBU Wrestling during the Division I transition. Nolan explains what the program stands for, why support matters, and how the community plays a role. You get context on funding, visibility, and the work required to sustain a growing program.

This conversation speaks to you as a coach, athlete, parent, or fan. You learn how leadership shows up during change and what commitment looks like off the mat. If you care about college wrestling and program survival, this episode gives you a grounded view from someone inside the fight.

Episode 154 of the Athletor Podcast features Peyton Hall, a 3x NCAA Division I All-American. You hear how elite performance forms through daily habits, discipline, and mindset. Peyton shares lessons from competing at the highest level and what separates consistent winners from the rest.

You gain insight on preparation, pressure, and growth inside and outside competition. Peyton breaks down accountability, training standards, and staying locked in when expectations rise. This episode speaks to athletes, coaches, and anyone who values sustained excellence.

Episode 153 features Scott Moore, Head Coach at Lock Haven. Scott breaks down how he builds competitive teams through consistency, accountability, and daily standards. He shares how culture shows up in practice, preparation, and performance long before match day.

The conversation also covers recruiting the right athletes, developing confidence, and sustaining momentum inside a historic program. Scott explains how leadership, trust, and clear expectations shape long-term success for wrestlers and staff alike.

Episode 152 of the Athletor Podcast features JohnMark Bently, Head Coach at Appalachian State, for an honest conversation about building a program the right way. Bently shares how leadership, culture, and consistency shape long-term success, along with the daily standards required to develop wrestlers on and off the mat.

The episode dives into recruiting with intention, earning buy-in from athletes, and balancing performance with personal growth. Bently also reflects on lessons learned as a head coach, navigating challenges, and what it takes to sustain momentum in a competitive college wrestling environment.

Episode 151 of the Athletor Podcast features Bryan Hazard, wrestling broadcast announcer and coach. Bryan breaks down the sport from the booth and the mat, sharing how he prepares to call matches, study athletes, and tell the story of wrestling in a way fans and families understand. He talks about the responsibility of commentary and how strong broadcasting adds value to the sport.

The conversation also covers coaching, athlete development, and how perspective shifts when you see wrestling through multiple lenses. Bryan shares insight on growth in the sport, connecting with audiences, and why clear communication matters for athletes, coaches, and fans. This episode gives a behind-the-scenes look at how wrestling is presented, taught, and experienced at every level.

Episode 150 features Matty Singleton from NC State. You hear a clear breakdown of how his staff evaluates recruits, builds trust with athletes, and sets daily standards inside the room. He shares how consistency in culture drives performance over a full season. He also explains how staff communication shapes development from day one.

You gain insight into what coaches track beyond wins and losses. Matty walks through practice habits, accountability systems, and mindset work used at NC State. This conversation gives you takeaways for coaching, leadership, and growth at any level.

Episode 149 of the Athletor Podcast features a conversation with Chris Chionuma, Associate Head Coach at Cal Poly. Chris shares insight into his coaching journey, the standards inside the Cal Poly wrestling room, and how he approaches athlete development at the Division I level. He speaks on building trust, staying consistent as a coach, and setting clear expectations for growth on and off the mat.

The episode also dives into leadership, program culture, and what matters most when preparing athletes for long-term success. Chris explains how daily habits, accountability, and communication shape competitive teams and resilient wrestlers. This episode gives coaches, athletes, and parents a clear look at how strong programs think and operate behind the scenes.

Episode 148 brings Eric Morrill to the Athletor Podcast. He shares lessons from his coaching journey and the standards he sets inside the California Baptist room. He breaks down how he approaches development, preparation, and daily habits that shape strong performers.

He also talks about building trust with athletes, adjusting training to support growth, and the mindset he pushes during tough moments. His insight gives listeners a clear look at how he guides wrestlers toward consistent progress and higher expectations.

Episode 147 features a direct look into coaching, development, and performance with J Jaggers, Associate Head Coach at Ohio State. He shares how he evaluates athletes, how he approaches growth, and what he expects from wrestlers who want to rise in a tough room. You hear clear points on discipline, habits, and the standard he sets for his program.

The conversation covers recruiting, daily structure, and the mindset needed to stay consistent under pressure. You get insight into how he pushes athletes to improve, how he builds trust, and how he supports long-term progress inside a Big Ten environment.

Episode 146 features Kevin Ward, Assistant Coach, Oklahoma State University. He shares insight on athlete development, daily standards, and the mindset you need to push through pressure. He speaks on building strong room culture and how consistency shapes performance at every level.

Kevin also talks about leadership, personal growth, and habits that help wrestlers stay sharp through long seasons. You get direct, practical lessons you can apply in your own training, coaching, or daily life.

Episode 145 features A.J. Schopp, Head Assistant Coach at Edinboro University, as he walks through the mindset and technical approach that shaped his career on the mat and in the corner. Schopp shares how he developed one of the most respected top games in college wrestling and how he now teaches athletes to build discipline, confidence, and clarity in every position.

He also talks through the growth of Edinboro’s program, the challenges of developing athletes in today’s landscape, and the habits he believes separate consistent winners from everyone else. This episode gives a direct look into Schopp’s coaching philosophy and the lessons he carries forward from his own competitive journey.

Episode 144 of the Athletor Podcast features Tom Houck, founder of CLAW Wrestling, who discusses building what could become wrestling’s first true professional league. Tom shares the three-year journey behind CLAW’s creation, from its detailed business plan to the new rules and structure designed to make wrestling more exciting and accessible to broader audiences.

He breaks down how fan psychology, team dynamics, and innovative scoring systems like pylons and attack rate statistics are changing the way people experience wrestling. Tom also shares the league’s vision for the future, including local team ownership, expanded schedules, and CLAW events nationwide.

On Episode #143 of the Athletor Podcast, South Dakota State assistant coach Cam Simaz sits down with Mike Malinconico for a candid look at the evolving world of college wrestling—on and off the mat. They kick off with recovery tech and why SDSU invested in tools like a hyperbaric chamber, how athletes actually use it, and why the benefits come from consistency, not one-off sessions . From there, Cam unpacks the bigger picture: the growing tension between amateurism and professionalism, what NIL, transfers, and potential contracts could mean for non-revenue sports, and how programs like SDSU are responding with smart facilities, community buy-in, and efficiency across time and budget .

Simaz also dives into recruiting and culture—why character and multi-sport backgrounds matter, how “performance” is really about daily standards across training, academics, and life, and the small, consistent actions that keep a fan base engaged in a small market. He closes with a practical fix for the spectator experience: time-limited video challenges to keep matches moving and audiences locked in . It’s a sharp, real-time snapshot of where college wrestling is headed—and what it will take to thrive there.

In this episode, Nebraska standout Brock Hardy joins the show to break down the details behind his wrestling style and mindset. He talks about developing his signature snap and how experimentation, repetition, and competition shaped his feel on the mat. Hardy also shares insight into his training philosophy, how he studies elite wrestlers, and the process of turning creativity in practice into confidence in competition.

From high school dominance to competing at the D1 level, Hardy discusses what drives him, how he approaches technical growth, and what separates great wrestlers from good ones — both mentally and physically.

In this episode, Mike Mal sits down with one of the nation’s most respected club coaches, Ian Assael, Head Coach of Legends Wrestling Club. Ian shares his journey from running a powerhouse Pennsylvania program to joining the NC State staff during the Wolfpack’s rise and now building a legacy at Legends. He reflects on coaching elite wrestlers like Trent and Hayden Hidlay, the value of finding the “right kids and families,” and how culture, consistency, and timing can shape championship-caliber athletes.

Listeners will get a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to build a successful wrestling environment—from fostering relationships and managing talent to the lessons learned from producing world-level competitors.