Rob Koll, Shatterer of Penn State Legacies

[brianj 4]

Ruth had his fingerprints all over Simaz when they wrestled.

I don't know what that means. Simaz was a 197 pounder. The Cornellians Ruth wrestled were Lewnes and Bosak.

 

I am pretty sure Ruth wrestled Simaz at University Nationals last summer.Simaz lost 8-0???

[HurricaneWrestling 1,123]

Kudos to Koll but Damion Hahn must get most of the credit for this guy! Hahn is the best assistant in the country, hands down. Look at Cornell's production at the upper weights since he's joined. It's insane.

Cam Simaz has his fingerprints all over Dean

Defense soap should get rid of those fingerprints...

 

 

...as well as protecting against staph, ringworm,etc.

 

P.S. It's also endorsed by Terry Brands. I suggest that Dean give it a try.

[BaldwinKnowBest 19]

Kyle Dake and Damion Hahn as coaches/practice partners have been pretty impressive so far. Cornell is quietly building a very good program.

 

I don't think it even that quietly...w/ the young talent they are developing in the room the are making a ton of noise. Who in the country does a better job developing talent than Cornell?

 

Penn State. Current 3x NCAA Champions says this is objectively so. Scoring about 2/3rds more points than Cornell at The Southern Scuffle backs the point up.

 

It some others have chimed in to make my point but I feel I should opine since this was my question. There is no question that PSU is the best team and has the best wrestlers right now. However their line up is loaded with blue chip recruits...does Cael and his staff make them better...no question. However, Cornell seems to get below the radar type guys and turns them into world beaters very quickly. I don't follow high school wrestling on the national scene closely but I had never heard of Gabe Dean, Nashon Garrett, or Realbuto in high school and these guys are already amongst the best in country. With that being said it puzzles me why the success from the Big Red's "blue chips" (Villalonga, Peppleman) has been slower to come. The only logical answer would be the young guys are benefiting tremendously from Conell's "grey shirt/FLWC system".

[scribe 1,845]

Pep and CV were plagued with injury early on. Fortunately, CV has shaken off the lose habit this season. Peppelman appears to be all but lost.

[BaldwinKnowBest 19]

Pep and CV were plagued with injury early on. Fortunately, CV has shaken off the lose habit this season. Peppelman appears to be all but lost.

 

I was a big fan of Pep in high school...he really mowed through through some good wrestlers. I hope he can turn things around.

[pennsyrules 222]

I agree with this and I am super impressed with Koll's vast recruiting window. He finds kids like Lee from Hawaii, Garrett from CAlif(not even a state finalist), Leen Tennessee, Simaz(Md.) etc. He also keeps his grips on the local kids(Bozak, DAke, Realbuto, Palacio, etc). I don't think anyone does a better job of getting talent from all over the country than Koll. He and his staff also do a great job of developing the talent as does Sanderson.

 

PSU current lineup

 

125 Bluechip

133 Bluechip

141 Bluechip

149 Bluechip

157 Bluechip

165 Bluechip

174 Not sure how good Brown was but Cael liked him enough to bring him from Iowa State

184 Bluechip

197 Bluechip

hvy Lawson bluechip

 

Cornell current lineup

125 non bluechip

133 bluechip

141 non bluechip(what happened to nevinger at scuffle?)

149bluechip

157 bluechip but probably really came on the radar his senior year

165 see 157(but have

174 non bluechip

184 non bluechip

197 non bluechip

hvy non bluechip

 

Cornells best kids(on paper) were Peppleman, villalonga, and Gray who have really not produced. Grey,has done fine and is only a freshman

[BaldwinKnowBest 19]

I agree with this and I am super impressed with Koll's vast recruiting window. He finds kids like Lee from Hawaii, Garrett from CAlif(not even a state finalist), Leen Tennessee, Simaz(Md.) etc. He also keeps his grips on the local kids(Bozak, DAke, Realbuto, Palacio, etc). I don't think anyone does a better job of getting talent from all over the country than Koll. He and his staff also do a great job of developing the talent as does Sanderson.

 

125 Bluechip

133 Bluechip

141 Bluechip

149 Bluechip

157 Bluechip

165 Bluechip

174 Not sure how good Brown was but Cael liked him enough to bring him from Iowa State

184 Bluechip

197 Bluechip

hvy Lawson bluechip

 

Cornell

125 non bluechip

133 bluechip

141 non bluechip(what happened to nevinger at scuffle?)

149bluechip

157 bluechip but probably really came on the radar his senior year

165 see 157(but have

174 non bluechip

184 non bluechip

197 non bluechip

hvy non bluechip

 

Cornells best kids(on paper) were Peppleman, villalonga, and Gray who have really not produced. Grey,has done fine and is only a freshman

 

I would consider Leen a blue chip...4x state champ and I'm pretty sure he won high school nationals as a senior.

[TBar1977 4,598]

It some others have chimed in to make my point but I feel I should opine since this was my question. There is no question that PSU is the best team and has the best wrestlers right now. However their line up is loaded with blue chip recruits...does Cael and his staff make them better...no question. However, Cornell seems to get below the radar type guys and turns them into world beaters very quickly. I don't follow high school wrestling on the national scene closely but I had never heard of Gabe Dean, Nashon Garrett, or Realbuto in high school and these guys are already amongst the best in country. With that being said it puzzles me why the success from the Big Red's "blue chips" (Villalonga, Peppleman) has been slower to come. The only logical answer would be the young guys are benefiting tremendously from Conell's "grey shirt/FLWC system".

 

I think you are underestimating the blue chipness of their recruits.

 

Nashon Garrett is a two-time California State champion at 103 and 112 pounds. He is a four-time freestyle and Greco Roman All-American from 2009-2011. Garrett was a Senior National Champion in 2011 at 112 pounds.

 

Gabe Dean's father was a 2 time Big10 Champion and an NCAA runner up. Gabe himself wrestled Morgan McIntosh for the title at 2011 FloNationals after entering that event as the #3 seed.

 

Brian Realbuto w3as Intermat's #16 P4P recruit.

 

They get studs at Cornell too. Koll develops them pretty well also. Are they at Penn State's level? Top to bottom I'd say no. Still a great, great program though.

 

 

EDIT: pennsy, Garrett was a two time state champ in Cali. Also, Leen was absolutely a stud national recruit coming out of high school as well.

[GranbyTroll 454]

 

Nashon Garrett is a two-time California State champion at 103 and 112 pounds.

 

Garret majored Victor Lopez in the 103 state finals the same year that Lopez decisioned Bo Nickel in the Reno semis.

 

Garret > Nickel

[TBar1977 4,598]

Could be. Garrett was certainly a bigtime, bigtime recruit for Cornell. If he wrestled Nickal at 103 that was 70+ lbs. ago for Nickal. Nickal has been pinning 180's of late. Three at Walsh Ironman and three more at The KC Stampede. He is Flo's #4 ranked wrestler in their P4P, so the Penn State commit is pretty much thriving.

[wrestlingnerd 3,011]

Could be. Garrett was certainly a bigtime, bigtime recruit for Cornell. If he wrestled Nickal at 103 that was 70+ lbs. ago for Nickal. Nickal has been pinning 180's of late. Three at Walsh Ironman and three more at The KC Stampede. He is Flo's #4 ranked wrestler in their P4P, so the Penn State commit is pretty much thriving.

 

What a joke. "Certainly" "bigtime, bigtime"? He wasn't exactly an unknown, but he had nowhere near the pomp and circumstance of NIckal or even the tier below Nickal. He was a solid recruit with some national attention from D1 programs, much like Travis Lee, nothing less, nothing more.

 

Yes, Koll has gotten some bona fide blue chips that would be on page one of most programs' recruiting wish list, but Cael gets the cream of the crop and guys like Koll get to pick after. It's always been that way since Cael got to Penn State and it will always be that way. Give the man his due. Koll and his assistants can coach their asses off.

[TBar1977 4,598]

They get studs at Cornell too. Koll develops them pretty well also. Are they at Penn State's level? Top to bottom I'd say no. Still a great, great program though.

 

What a joke. "Certainly" "bigtime, bigtime"? He wasn't exactly an unknown, but he had nowhere near the pomp and circumstance of NIckal or even the tier below Nickal. He was a solid recruit with some national attention from D1 programs, much like Travis Lee, nothing less, nothing more.

 

Yes, Koll has gotten some bona fide blue chips that would be on page one of most programs' recruiting wish list, but Cael gets the cream of the crop and guys like Koll get to pick after. It's always been that way since Cael got to Penn State and it will always be that way. Give the man his due. Koll and his assistants can coach their asses off.

 

That wasn't the post you responded to, but it was two posts above it and I assume you can read. So what part of my comments about Cornell being a great program did you not understand?

 

And Garrett WAS a big time recruit. Nahshon won a national championship in the 112-pound category at the National High School Coaches Association tournament in Florida in 2011. When you are a national champion, by default you are a bigtime recruit.

[wrestlingnerd 3,011]

I meant to quote your use of the certainly bigtime, bigtime, correct. I don't know why it quoted another part.

 

Like I said, Garrett was a solid recruit on page one of most D1 programs' prospect list. He was not "bigtime, bigtime." Those guys come along every once in a while and usually go to schools like Penn State post-Cael, not Cornell. Guys like, say, Taylor, Retherford, the Altons, McIintosh, Megaludis, Gulibon, etc.

 

The point is, you are not going to get very far if you are trying to say that Koll's recruiting is on par with Cael's. It's not. Cael will continue to get his pick of the litter, with guys like Marsteller giving him the middle finger only once in a while. He has earned that ability, and more power to him. But don't make it seem like Koll's recruits are comparable to Cael's. Overall, they really aren't, and Garrett is a bad example of "bigtime, bigtime" to support your flawed argument.

[wrestlingnerd 3,011]

I meant to quote your use of the certainly bigtime, bigtime. I don't know why it quoted another part.

 

Like I said, Garrett was a solid recruit on page one of most D1 programs' prospect list. He was not "bigtime, bigtime." Those guys come along every once in a while and usually go to schools like Penn State post-Cael, not Cornell. Guys like, say, Taylor, Retherford, the Altons, McIintosh, Megaludis, Gulibon, etc.

 

The point is, you are not going to get very far if you are trying to say that Koll's recruiting is on par with Cael's. It's not. Cael will continue to get his pick of the litter, with guys like Marsteller giving him the middle finger only once in a while. He has earned that ability, and more power to him. But don't make it seem like Koll's recruits are comparable to Cael's. Overall, they really aren't, and Garrett is a bad example of "bigtime, bigtime" to support your flawed argument.

[TBar1977 4,598]

I never said their recruiting was on par with Cael's recruiting, it isn't. There is a giant chasm between that and mediocre, though. Cornell is far from mediocre in recruiting, and I believe I have proven that.

 

I'm not saying they are on a level with Penn State right now. Penn State is, as you so aptly showed, a cut above right now. Thanks for reminding us all.

[AKHUNTER 316]

I have been becoming a Cornell fan now for a few years......... they just keep winning me over.

GREAT win for Dean.

[wrestlingnerd 3,011]

1977, where on this thread did anyone say Koll's recruiting is mediocre??

 

People brought up the fact that he was making elite D1 wrestlers out of top but not "bigtime, bigtime" HS prospects, which is absolutely true, and you jumped in and quibbled about Garrett being an example of a guy who was something he simply was not in HS. Garrett owns Megaludis not because he was a "bigtime, bigtime" recruit, but because, under Koll's guidance, Garrett developed into a better wrestler than Megaludis, who was a much hotter prospect than Garrett. End of story!

 

I have no issue with Cael getting the pick of the litter. He is one of the best wrestlers we have ever produced as a country and he is proving to be just as good a coach, if not better. But there is an argument to be made that, so far, Koll has done a better job of maximizing talent. That doesn't necessarily make Koll the better coach, since recruiting is a huge part of coaching, perhaps the most important, but it does make Koll a phenomenal developer of talent.

[TFBJR 467]

To summarize: Cornell has a GREAT recruiting engine, although Penn State's is better and may be the best.

 

Cornell has a great team, although Penn State's is better and may be the best.

 

Seems like a long way around to go in an effort to ding Cael.

[HurricaneWrestling 1,123]

I agree with this and I am super impressed with Koll's vast recruiting window. He finds kids like Lee from Hawaii, Garrett from CAlif(not even a state finalist), Leen Tennessee, Simaz(Md.) etc. He also keeps his grips on the local kids(Bozak, DAke, Realbuto, Palacio, etc). I don't think anyone does a better job of getting talent from all over the country than Koll. He and his staff also do a great job of developing the talent as does Sanderson.

 

125 Bluechip

133 Bluechip

141 Bluechip

149 Bluechip

157 Bluechip

165 Bluechip

174 Not sure how good Brown was but Cael liked him enough to bring him from Iowa State

184 Bluechip

197 Bluechip

hvy Lawson bluechip

 

Cornell

125 non bluechip

133 bluechip

141 non bluechip(what happened to nevinger at scuffle?)

149bluechip

157 bluechip but probably really came on the radar his senior year

165 see 157(but have

174 non bluechip

184 non bluechip

197 non bluechip

hvy non bluechip

 

Cornells best kids(on paper) were Peppleman, villalonga, and Gray who have really not produced. Grey,has done fine and is only a freshman

 

I would consider Leen a blue chip...4x state champ and I'm pretty sure he won high school nationals as a senior.

Correct, Leen won the NHSCA nationals at 130 lbs. And, although TN doesn't have the depth of some other states, there are some quality HS wrestling schools. Leen attended one of them, the Baylor School in Chattanooga, where he set the TN record for most career wins (214). Intermat had Leen listed as the top recruit in the state his senior year.

 

I wouldn't consider Leen as an "under the radar" recruit, but he certainly improved in the Cornell room. Steve Garland, now head coach at UVA, recruited Jordan to Cornell - and also to be one of his assistants at Virginia. They had the Cavaliers looking pretty good at the Scuffle, IMO.

[HurricaneWrestling 1,123]

I agree with this and I am super impressed with Koll's vast recruiting window. He finds kids like Lee from Hawaii, Garrett from CAlif(not even a state finalist), Leen Tennessee, Simaz(Md.) etc. He also keeps his grips on the local kids(Bozak, DAke, Realbuto, Palacio, etc). I don't think anyone does a better job of getting talent from all over the country than Koll. He and his staff also do a great job of developing the talent as does Sanderson.

 

125 Bluechip

133 Bluechip

141 Bluechip

149 Bluechip

157 Bluechip

165 Bluechip

174 Not sure how good Brown was but Cael liked him enough to bring him from Iowa State

184 Bluechip

197 Bluechip

hvy Lawson bluechip

 

Cornell

125 non bluechip

133 bluechip

141 non bluechip(what happened to nevinger at scuffle?)

149bluechip

157 bluechip but probably really came on the radar his senior year

165 see 157(but have

174 non bluechip

184 non bluechip

197 non bluechip

hvy non bluechip

 

Cornells best kids(on paper) were Peppleman, villalonga, and Gray who have really not produced. Grey,has done fine and is only a freshman

 

I would consider Leen a blue chip...4x state champ and I'm pretty sure he won high school nationals as a senior.

Correct, Leen won the NHSCA nationals at 130 lbs. And, although TN doesn't have the depth of some other states, there are some quality HS wrestling schools. Leen attended one of them, the Baylor School in Chattanooga, where he set the TN record for most career wins (214). Intermat had Leen listed as the top recruit in the state his senior year.

 

I wouldn't consider Leen as an "under the radar" recruit, but he certainly improved in the Cornell room. Steve Garland, now head coach at UVA, recruited Jordan to Cornell - and also to be one of his assistants at Virginia. They had the Cavaliers looking pretty good at the Scuffle, IMO.

[TBar1977 4,598]

To summarize: Cornell has a GREAT recruiting engine, although Penn State's is better and may be the best.

 

Cornell has a great team, although Penn State's is better and may be the best.

 

Seems like a long way around to go in an effort to ding Cael.

 

Yep. Say something nice about Cornell and somehow you are dissing them now. Strange.

 

"Nashon was a stud recruit"

 

"No he wasn't. How dare you suggest anything of the sort"

 

"But he actually was a national champion before Cornell signed him. Kinda means he was a great recruit"

 

"How dare you shortchange Koll's development skills by suggesting Garrett was a stud"

 

 

Can't win when the other guy is THAT unhappy he'd argue this way.

[wrestlingnerd 3,011]

Nice try. FIrst, I don't root for Cornell. I think they have a great program, but I'm not "the other guy" who will defend Cornell. I don't even know that much about their program other than what I can find on their website and on Flo interviews. I simply have a lot of respect for what Koll is doing and agree with pennsyrules on this thread, nothing more.

 

That said, what you did was not what you just wrote.

 

You start with a rebuttal to pennsy, who compared, weight by weight Koll's team's good but not literally top-flight HS credentials versus Cael's team of blue chip HS prospects. You said: "you're underestimating the blue chipness of Cornell's recruits."

 

Then Granbytroll actually makes fun of you when you respond to pennsy by using Garrett, a 103 and 112 lb champ from CA (as opposed to Megaludis, a 3x champ from PA and the #5 OVERALL RECRUIT AT ANY WEIGHT IN THE COUNTRY), by making the obvious joke that Garrett > Bo Nickal because Garrett beat someone at 103 the same year Nickal lost at Reno.

 

Completely oblivious to the joke, you actually consider his joke a possibility: "Could be. Garrett was certinaly a bigtime, bigtime recruit...."

 

That's when I stepped in and said "What a joke." Because what Granbytroll said was in fact a joke, and what you said in response was even funnier, albeit only inadvertently a joke.

 

In no way, shape, or form was Garrett anywhere near the type of recruit Megaludis was. Sorry, you can revisit history all you want, but a 112 lb 2x champ from CA will never be a recruit who is comparable to a 3x PA champ who last won at 125 lb, his projected college weight, and was considered top 5 at any weight. Ever.

 

Megaludis is what you call a "certain" "bigtime, bigtime" recruit, NOT Garrett.

 

Garrett was a great find, but the vast majority of the posters on this board had not even heard of the kid's name and those who had would immediately acknowledge that Megaludis was the star blue chipper, not Garrett.

 

Yes, saying Garrett was a stud is certainly a nice thing to say. But no, that was not all you did. You undercut the praise pennsy was giving Koll by using Garrett as an example of how pennsy's lineup analysis was wrong. Ironically, that was one of the worst examples to use, because the 112 lb good recruit is now better than the 125 lb "dream team" recruit, which exactly makes the point that pennsy was making in the first place: that Koll is one hell of a talent developer.

[BaldwinKnowBest 19]

It some others have chimed in to make my point but I feel I should opine since this was my question. There is no question that PSU is the best team and has the best wrestlers right now. However their line up is loaded with blue chip recruits...does Cael and his staff make them better...no question. However, Cornell seems to get below the radar type guys and turns them into world beaters very quickly. I don't follow high school wrestling on the national scene closely but I had never heard of Gabe Dean, Nashon Garrett, or Realbuto in high school and these guys are already amongst the best in country. With that being said it puzzles me why the success from the Big Red's "blue chips" (Villalonga, Peppleman) has been slower to come. The only logical answer would be the young guys are benefiting tremendously from Conell's "grey shirt/FLWC system".

 

I think you are underestimating the blue chipness of their recruits.

 

Nashon Garrett is a two-time California State champion at 103 and 112 pounds. He is a four-time freestyle and Greco Roman All-American from 2009-2011. Garrett was a Senior National Champion in 2011 at 112 pounds.

 

Gabe Dean's father was a 2 time Big10 Champion and an NCAA runner up. Gabe himself wrestled Morgan McIntosh for the title at 2011 FloNationals after entering that event as the #3 seed.

 

Brian Realbuto w3as Intermat's #16 P4P recruit.

 

They get studs at Cornell too. Koll develops them pretty well also. Are they at Penn State's level? Top to bottom I'd say no. Still a great, great program though.

 

 

EDIT: pennsy, Garrett was a two time state champ in Cali. Also, Leen was absolutely a stud national recruit coming out of high school as well.

 

I may be...I admittedly don't follow high school wrestling outside of my home state.

[BaldwinKnowBest 19]

I agree with this and I am super impressed with Koll's vast recruiting window. He finds kids like Lee from Hawaii, Garrett from CAlif(not even a state finalist), Leen Tennessee, Simaz(Md.) etc. He also keeps his grips on the local kids(Bozak, DAke, Realbuto, Palacio, etc). I don't think anyone does a better job of getting talent from all over the country than Koll. He and his staff also do a great job of developing the talent as does Sanderson.

 

125 Bluechip

133 Bluechip

141 Bluechip

149 Bluechip

157 Bluechip

165 Bluechip

174 Not sure how good Brown was but Cael liked him enough to bring him from Iowa State

184 Bluechip

197 Bluechip

hvy Lawson bluechip

 

Cornell

125 non bluechip

133 bluechip

141 non bluechip(what happened to nevinger at scuffle?)

149bluechip

157 bluechip but probably really came on the radar his senior year

165 see 157(but have

174 non bluechip

184 non bluechip

197 non bluechip

hvy non bluechip

 

Cornells best kids(on paper) were Peppleman, villalonga, and Gray who have really not produced. Grey,has done fine and is only a freshman

 

I would consider Leen a blue chip...4x state champ and I'm pretty sure he won high school nationals as a senior.

Correct, Leen won the NHSCA nationals at 130 lbs. And, although TN doesn't have the depth of some other states, there are some quality HS wrestling schools. Leen attended one of them, the Baylor School in Chattanooga, where he set the TN record for most career wins (214). Intermat had Leen listed as the top recruit in the state his senior year.

 

I wouldn't consider Leen as an "under the radar" recruit, but he certainly improved in the Cornell room. Steve Garland, now head coach at UVA, recruited Jordan to Cornell - and also to be one of his assistants at Virginia. They had the Cavaliers looking pretty good at the Scuffle, IMO.

 

I wrestled for Leen's dad at UTC and I remember waking for early morning workouts...weights, running, etc and Jordan, who must have only been in middle school, would be there training as well. That kid had a crazy work ethic and it's no surprise that he became a stud. I was super excited to see him win a NCAA title.