On this episode of On Deck, Ben Askren is joined by wrestling vigilante Canaan Bower and revered hall-of-fame wrestler and Superbowl Champion, Stephen Neal. Bower, a 16-year-old from Las Cruces, New Mexico recently went viral across the country for a video showing him storming into a gas station and physically taking down an alleged kidnapper, pinning him down until the police arrived. Bower is a district wrestling champion for Mayfield high school. Neal, a 2x NCAA Champion, 1999 Hodge Trophy Winner, World Champion, and 3x Superbowl champion, started his wrestling career relatively late, but that didn’t stop him from becoming one of the most revered athletes in the wrestling community. He and Askren discuss everything from the importance of participating in multiple sports to how he applied what he learned in wrestling to becoming an offensive lineman for the New England Patriots.

 

Show Notes

0:00 Show Introduction

0:41 Canaan Bower

7:33 Stephen Neal

10:48 Specializing in More Than One Sport

14:54 California High School Career

16:18 Getting to Cal-State Bakersfield

17:17 Winter Sports Played in High School

19:28 Playing Football in College Too?

23:23 Reacting to Tom Brady’s Move

24:52 CSU-Bakersfield Contributing to Success

30:31 NCAA Titles

33:23 Freestyle Career

36:38 Goals for 1999

43:48 Lessons Learned in 2000

46:20 NFL Career

On Deck with Ben Askren #12: Canaan Bower, Stephen Neal

On this episode of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan and Jason Bryant dive into the whirlwind of head coaching changes across college wrestling, highlighting two of Division I’s biggest hires: Cary Kolat and Chris Pendleton. Dernlan, who has an extensive history in serving on and leading Division I coaching staffs himself, breaks down what makes a head coach applicant attractive to athletic directors, and the crucial next steps of building a staff and recruiting athletes. The two then move on to discuss the NCAA’s recent decision to grant an extra year of eligibility to spring sport athletes, but take no action for athletes of winter sports, leaving many careers at their abrupt and unexpected end.

 

SHOW NOTES

0:00 Show Introduction

1:03 Cary Kolat Hired as Navy Head Coach

4:20 Chris Pendleton Hired as Oregon State Head Coach

11:40 What Do Head Coaches Look For When Hiring Staff?

14:56 What Makes a Head Coach Candidate Desirable?

16:34 Oregon State Wrestling’s History and Tradition

21:10 Recruiting Challenges

23:35 Addressing the NCAA’s Eligibility Decision

#138: Coaching Changes and NCAA Decisions

On this special edition of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Matt Dernlan is joined by new Campbell wrestling head coach Scotti Sentes. Sentes, a two-time NCAA All-American for Central Michigan University, served as head assistant coach at Cal Poly before spending five seasons at Campbell under then head coach Cary Kolat. Together, they brought the Campbell program back from the ashes, transforming the SoCon team into a regional powerhouse. Dernlan and Sentes discuss the transition from head assistant to head coach, how Sentes has been leading his team virtually and what the future looks like for the Camels.

SHOW NOTES
0:00 Show Introduction
0:50 First Steps as Head Coach
4:36 Support from Athletic Department
5:55 Get to Know Scotti Sentes
9:40 How Career at Campbell Eased the Transition
11:15 Rebuilding the Program in Six Years

#139: Campbell Wrestling Head Coach Scotti Sentes

On this special edition of the RUDIS Wrestling Podcast, Jason Bryant is joined by 2x NCAA Champion at Oklahoma State and new Oregon State University head wrestling coach Chris Pendleton. Pendleton led Arizona State for the past six seasons as an assistant coach under Zeke Jones, and during that time he helped produce countless upper-weight All-Americans. Prior to ASU, Pendleton was an assistant coach at the University of Wyoming for four years. A three-time All-American at Oklahoma State, Pendleton was a member of a Cowboy team for three of the = four consecutive team national titles from 2003-2006.




SHOW NOTES

0:00 Show Introduction

0:40 Virtual Job Interview

3:05 Going Against Former Teammates for Jobs

6:25 Oregon State's Tradition + Community

9:53 Finally Becoming a Head Coach

11:15 Administration Support + Vision

14:20 Regional Recruiting

22:07 Next Steps for Program

25:50 Learning from Previous Programs

33:10 Staying in the Pac12

#140: Chris Pendleton Takes the Helm at Oregon State

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