TOM sits down with Cal State Bakerfield’s Mike Mendoza

Following eight seasons as T.J. Kerr’s right-hand man and helping direct all aspects of the CSUB wrestling program, Mike Mendoza has been named the third-ever head coach for the Roadrunners, effective September 1.

He takes over for a program that only a year ago was on the chopping block. Coach Mendoza has assembled an excellent staff and is looking forward to the future.

Recently TOM caught up with Coach Mendoza.

TOM: Cal State Bakersfield is one of the most successful college programs in California history. How do you plan on continuing the success of the program?

MM: By putting together a great coaching staff and recruiting great student-athletes that want to work hard.

TOM: What are your short-term and long-term goals for the Roadrunners?

MM: That is a good question. I think just immediately in front of me I’m trying to put together a great coaching staff. That is my immediate goal, which is nearly complete. Our next step is to recruit great student-athletes and focus on training and competing. I know that’s not a “good” answer. I know a lot of times people put a little more concrete into it, “win Pac-10’s or top ten or win NCAA’s” and that sort of thing. If we have a great coaching staff, recruit great student-athletes and focus on our training and competition, the winning and accomplishments will happen.

There’s a whole financial side, too. So I look at short-term, long-term goals for securing the program, continue to build our wrestling endowment. My long-term goal is to fully endow the wrestling program.

TOM: What is your coaching philosophy in twenty five words or less?

MM: I believe in hard work and developing the athlete. A dedicated coaching staff providing support, tools, and a great environment will lead to success.

TOM: You’ve been a part of the Bakersfield program for a while now, both as a competitor and as a coach. Do you think being a product of the program will benefit the team in the long-run? What advantages do you think you have in comparison to a coach coming from an outside program?

MM: Of course I’d say yes to that. I think being a product of the program definitely benefits the team and program. A big advantage coming from this program is knowing the community, knowing the administration. I’ve been an assistant coach for 8 years and getting to know the community and administration over the years has been very helpful, it’s a big advantage. I think that’s true of any program and any coach, especially at a smaller school like ours where the community plays a large role.

TOM: It has been confirmed that Gerry Abas will be rejoining the wrestling staff this season. What strengths do you think Gerry has, and what do you think he brings to the program?

MM: Gerry is extremely talented technically, and just has a passion for the sport of wrestling, and he brings that passion into the room. He’s going to help out a lot. We are all really excited to have him.

TOM: Will there be any more additions to the coaching staff this season?

MM: There will be. We’re working on him, so officially I can’t say right now. We will announce very soon.

TOM: The city of Bakersfield has one of the richest wrestling traditions in America, and the youth and high school programs continue to help shape outstanding wrestlers at the D1 and international level. Do you think you have something special in the community of Bakersfield? What are you doing to keep some of America’s best in their own hometown?

MM: There is definitely something special in Bakersfield when it comes to wrestling, it’s got a rich history, and not just in Bakersfield but in this valley. We are going to provide a program where the local talent can stay and reach their goals and be successful.

TOM: The Cal State Fullerton program is currently in danger to be dropped after this year if sufficient funds aren’t raised to cover costs for the next few seasons. Are there any similar issues at Bakersfield? How stable is the program currently?

MM: We were asked to raise our budget to sustain our program and we did that. And how stable it is, we raised basically 3 times our budget in a 3 month period. The support here from the community is amazing. It really is amazing. With this community here the program is stable.

TOM: Are there any upcoming fundraisers or events that the fans can participate in?

MM: We’re really fortunate, we’ve got a great group of alumni and supporters working on a couple fundraising events that will be in the Spring. We do have one simple way anyone across the country can help, it’s a text campaign. If you text “WIN” to 25383 it donates 10 dollars to the wrestling program. It’s t10 dollars from your cell phone bill and goes directly to the program.

TOM: How can wrestling fans help support the program?

MM: Fans can support the program by physically supporting us in competition; filling the stands at home dual meets is a great way to support.

Fans can of course financially support by donating to the wrestling program. You can email mmendoza2@csub.edu for more information on how to donate.

TOM: What is the Stephen Neal Endowment Fund, and how does it work?

MM: There’s 2 endowments here. There’s the Friends of Cal State Wrestling Endowment and there’s the Steve Neal Endowment Fund. And basically both of them are set-up to support the wrestling program. At the moment they primarily provide academic scholarships but they can be used to support the program in other ways. People can donate to both endowments.

TOM: What advice in general do you have for high school seniors looking to be recruited by a Division I college? What advice do you have for wrestlers that are considering Bakersfield?

MM: Guys that are looking to be recruited by a Division 1 program need to do well academically, not just athletically. NCAA requirements are tougher these days and college coaches are held accountable for academic success. Don’t put all your weight in performing in wrestling. You have to do well academically as well.

Bakersfield is a great choice. Bakersfield has had success athletically and academically and we are going to continue that tradition. We have one of the best coaching staffs in the country and we are committed to developing our team.

TOM: UFC President Dana White has commented that he is willing to back collegiate wrestling financially. Do you think financial backing from Dana White is a foreseeable end-all to the financial issues with wrestling? Should we take this proposal seriously?

MM: I think Dana White and the UFC could play a tremendous role in securing the future for wrestling on the west coast. With a commitment from UFC we could get others vested in the plan to endow college wrestling programs. I don’t know if it’s the end all but a proposal like that could be significant and we definitely can’t afford not to follow up on it. We need bigger things like that put in place. I definitely think it could be a huge help.

TOM: Do you follow MMA? If so, who is your favorite fighter? Your prediction: Brock Lesnar vs. Cain Velasquez?

MM: I do follow MMA. Favorite fighter? That’s tough. We had a big UFC event here last month on campus, a fundraiser, and Tito Ortiz who I wrestled with here came up to support it, and so I think it would sound bad if I said Randy Couture was one of my favorites. But of course I am a Tito Ortiz fan, I wrestled with him. That’s a tough one. I have to pick two, I can’t just pick one! (laughs) And somebody like Couture, it’s just amazing, a guy like that, I don’t want to call him old; he’s not as young as the guys he’s fighting, but he certainly trains extremely hard and well and gets in there and competes with those guys. I respect that a lot.

As far as Lesnar and Cain Velasquez. That is a tough choice, Brock Lesnar sent some stuff for an auction we had so I want to support him. And Cain Velasquez is one of those guys who wrestled hard when he competed, I liked him. I was a huge fan of Cain Velasquez when he wrestled in college. This was a guy I was really hoping would win a national title his senior year. My prediction is it’s going to be a good fight! Anyone can win that fight. I wouldn’t be surprised one way or the other.