Literally any specific detail would go a long ways towards convincing people. Is there a funding increase coming? Additional staff for 2024-25 season? Wooing of donors? Social media overhaul? Plans to have mailings go out before the season? Offers made to senior OSU athletes to come back and train in Stilly, has anybody on staff even spoken to Alex Dieringer? Etc.
The program is fully endowed. Funding isn't really an issue. When money is needed, it's found. As for the RTC, they've crossed the $1million raised mark in the 2023 fiscal year. They're being aggressive in trying to attract coaches/athletes, just nothing to announce yet, unfortunately. The Casino Night and some other events planned will continue to go a long way to help out there. Wrestlers are also a priority in the NIL collective Pokes With A Purpose. Daton has several deals, including with Campbell's... And AJ Ferrari had several deals lined up as well before, well, you know... Doucet, Surber, Jordan Williams, Voinovich, Carter all also have small deals with various groups. NIL is possible and available for all of them.
I hope they keep the current SID on staff as I think he's doing a good job. He's built some great relationships and is getting more resources for communications. He's been very helpful for me. I think this is improving for sure, but we have communications issues across the athletics department. Football's is way behind most of the rest of the conference.
The additional staff spot was filled by Gary Wayne Harding, which they didn't publicize for whatever reason. GWH is pretty well known to be one of the best up and coming coaches in the country. He’s very well respected. Austin O’Connor credits GW a ton in his national title.
Derek White was in Stillwater last week. Dieringer moved to Michigan for his now wife. I know that there were some rumors about him going to the New Jersey RTC as well but it all had to do with his wife’s master program. Ringer is part of OSU and if he wants to come back the door is open. It’s no longer a money issue. Former wrestlers that I have talked to… which is a lot of them… and some with not the rosiest experience on the mat in Stillwater… all rave about the family environment and how important OSU is to them and all of that stuff. Kevin Ward and Chris Pendleton both spoke last week about how John Smith helps them and has been an important rock for them in their careers. It’s important to these guys.
I also know they’re working out details on a facility. I don’t know those details or when an announcement should be expected.
The program is going to be fine. It’s really hard. There’s a massive issue in the sport right now in State College, PA… and every program is literally just looking up at that one and wondering how the heck they can catch it. Ohio State is trying to outspend them but they don’t have the development ability. Iowa is outspending them but is having trouble acquiring the talent and keeping them healthy. Of course they probably get two in 2020 and 2021, which I know we would kill for at this point too. I’m not saying that we just shrug and say “is what it is” to this. The RTC does need to get better and John needs to better embrace it in public. We do need new facilities yesterday. It has been too damn long since the program has won a title (although I’ve outlined at least four years since the last one that the team wins if literally one thing goes differently in each tournament).
Unfortunately there’s nothing that can be done about the past and things must move forward… and John said it himself last March that anybody and anything that is in the way, including himself, needs to get out of the way. He said that verbatim.
So yeah… I don’t have timelines. I wish I did. Every time I’ve been given a timeline it gets stretched a couple of months. And that sucks. So I can just say that it’s going to be an interesting 10 months and let’s see what all comes to fruition.