TOM Talks to Cal Poly Coach Brendan Buckley

TOM: The season is just getting started. What have you been focusing on in training, and how is this year’s squad looking?

BB: Things are going really well. Jamil and I are enjoying our experience here and getting to meet the guys. We’ve been focusing a lot on teaching, and getting the guys in shape, too. But we just felt we had to work on, you know, a decent amount of technique, and the guys seem like they’re picking it up well. We’ve had a pretty good experience with the guys on the team, and nothing major in terms of what’s usual when there’s a transition. But we were left with three guys that are nationally-ranked, and obviously Boris Novachkov is the guy who is the face of the program right now, so it’s always terrific to have somebody of that caliber in the room. So yeah, we tried to build a good base through our preseason, and Monday was everybody’s first day at practice, so we’re working hard. Our first tournament’s the Roadrunner Open at Bakersfield on November 5th, so we’re just a few weeks away. I think they’re picking stuff up really well. There’s definitely a difference in terms of the style, but Jamil and I’s style, I think, are pretty similar to one another’s, and we work well together technically. But I know the guys were pushed really hard last year and we’re going to continue that. I think we’re just kind of focusing a little bit more on teaching right now, but each week we’re ramping up the volume and intensity more and more. It’s kind of hard, we talk with the guys a lot about what was taught before, and I think there’s just more of a teaching focus now.

TOM: You coached at Columbia for 11 seasons and were quite successful. What have you taken from your experience there into the room at Poly?

BB: I think the biggest thing that I’m bringing is just the experience to know what it’s like to build something. Not that like, to use a cliché, we’re not building from the ground up because we do have a returning NCAA finalist and we are ranked in the Top 25 in the country. I think just building something, just you’re putting your mark on it, you know? I guess what I’m trying to say is the overall management of the program, not just our wrestling style. I mean that’s part of it. I think the bigger part is everything we need to do to not just win more matches, but promotion is a big part, recruiting the right people. The people that philosophically are going to be the best fit for us. Really reaching out to our fan base and networking. Succeeding with the help of our alumni, and boosters, and friends of the wrestling community here. Putting the wrestling program out in the community and really taking a focus to elevate our standing in the realm of academia. All those things, that’s really what I learned by being at an Ivy League school. When I first got to Columbia I was a young coach, so that was certainly a process that takes a lot of work. Now it’s kind of exciting for Jamil and I to just kind of know what that takes and now have a second run at it, and now just learning from the mistakes in the past. It just makes it a smoother process, or that’s the goal at least.

TOM: You’ve also been an assistant at UC Davis and Sacramento City College. What did you learn as an assistant coach at these programs, and do you feel this puts you at an advantage as a head coach because you already have experience with collegiate wrestling here in California?

BB: Yeah. To be honest, everyone wants to be a head coach, and I was really fortunate to do that at a pretty young age, but it came at a price sometimes. I was only an assistant coach for two and a half years. I was at UC Davis for a year, a little bit less than a year, really. And then I was at the University of Virginia for two years. But to answer the third part of your question, it definitely helps that I’ve spent time out here as an athlete at Fresno State and coaching. I actually coached a middle school, too, before I went UC Davis. Guys that I wrestled with, guys I coached, and guys I coached with in college, a lot of them are still heavily involved in the California wrestling community. I definitely think it helps to have those relationships. A lot of them I never really lost touch with because when I was at Columbia we were fortunate to bring several guys out from California to wrestle there. Absolutely, I think it definitely helps, just knowing about California high school wrestling. At Fresno State we had a room that was completely comprised of guys from California, guys who never won a state title but were incredibly tough in the room.

TOM: What is your coaching philosophy?

BB: My overall coaching philosophy is we want our guys to have success in everything that they do. Certainly we were hired to win wrestling matches, and that’s going to be our focus, but we’re going to do that in the right manner. We’re also going to do that while doing well in school and getting involved in the community. I think at the end of the day, as coaches, one of our largest responsibilities is preparing guys for life after college, and we want to do that the right way. If we’re taking shortcuts and all we think about is wrestling, I think we’re doing a disservice to our guys. We want to win a Pac-12 title, and we want to be a Top 10 program, but we want to do that while also having a positive image on campus, our guys doing well in school, and graduating and going to become CEO’s, and doctors, and lawyers. I think that’s really important, and I think when you do that you have a better opportunity to market your brand much better. That’s the kind of program you want to be affiliated with.

TOM: What has been the biggest challenge for you so far since entering the Mustang program?

BB: Personally, it’s probably just the gravity of such a move, just starting your life over 3,000 miles away. I guess, my background, I’ve done that several times in my life. I didn’t have children so it wasn’t difficult to uproot them, and such. But my wife had a great job, and that sacrifice she made to sort of start her career over. Buying a car, and moving all our belongings, and then just the nuances of starting at a new university, all of that’s kind of been an overall challenge. For me, just specifically to wrestling, it’s just now working with scholarships. Making sure we’re providing an offer that is fair and consistent. We didn’t really get involved into the number-crunching, that was completely the financial aid office. That was also one of the biggest reasons I found [the program] attractive. I’m not sure how to word it, but you’re at a scholarship school so you can go get the best kids in the country. Not everyone fits into the sort of boxes to get the best financial aid package. Now scholarship isn’t based on somebody’s financial background. Now it’s about providing an offer that you feel is concurrent with their ability.

TOM: What are your goals for the season? What are your goals for the long term?

BB: We want to compete for a Pac-12 title every year. We want to consistently produce more All-Americans, more NCAA finalists. I believe we have two NCAA champions at the Division I level here at Cal Poly, three guys in the finals the last three years. Our goal this year is to win the Pac-12 title, to qualify more guys to the NCAA tournament than last year, and we want to be in the Top 10 in the country. Individually we’re going to work really hard to help Boris bring home an NCAA title. Our two other guys, Ryan DesRoches and Ryan Smith, they both have the ability to become NCAA All-Americans. But I think being a part of the Pac-12’s, I think from a team perspective, I think is something we’re going to be working towards every day.

TOM: Boris Novachkov was the standout wrestler last year, garnering a second place finish at the national tournament. Aside from Novachkov, do you feel you have talent in the room that could immediately contend nationally, or do you think this will be a building process?

BB: I think both Smith and DesRoches have the ability to become All-Americans along with Boris. The three guys are seniors, so that’s why we’re working hard to develop our younger guys. Next year we don’t want to just be waiting for another year. We want to be able have our guys step up the following season and be competitive at the national level. We have a really competitive schedule, we’re going to the National Duals this year, we go to Vegas, go to Midlands, Reno. Oklahoma State, they’re not on the schedule this year, but there’s a history of us wrestling them. We’re definitely requiring our guys to be able to compete at that level.

TOM: Last year the Mustangs finished 6th in the Pac-10, which could be viewed as a disappointment considering the talent that Poly attracts. Do you feel that the team has something to prove on the conference level this year?

BB: Yeah, definitely. I saw, I think, they were 9-2, had a good record last year, and I think may have been ranked as high as 14th or 16th. But they had a really strong dual meet schedule and I think just didn’t perform up to their abilities at the Pac-10 tournament. That’s why we want to make sure we’re peaking the guys at the right time. I think they beat the vast majority of the guys that they met at the conference tournament during the year, and I think that happens sometimes and guys don’t peak at the right times. We want to make sure we’re peaking come the postseason.

TOM: In the past you’ve yielded teams that have done very well academically, and last year the squad at Columbia had a 3.2917 combined GPA. Do you have academic goals you want the Mustangs to accomplish?

BB: We want our guys to be succeeding and excelling in the classroom. Cal Poly’s a really tough school, it’s not easy to get into. It’s really competitive admission-wise. Essentially, each year it’s one of the nationally-ranked universities, it’s one of the best schools. There’s a ranking called Best of the West, and I think it was the 19th year in a row we made that ranking, and we were the only public school on that ranking. That’s something I did learn in being at Columbia, just because your university prides itself on academic excellence, it doesn’t mean your athletics have to suffer. I sort of look at it in the opposite manner, and think that’s a tremendous way to promote the wrestling program. And I’m sure when we’re going against universities [in recruiting], and I know we have a better academic reputation, you can bet that I’m going to be pumping that. Who wouldn’t want to go to a place where they could say, “Hey, I got a degree from one of the best schools in the country.” We want our guys to reflect the population here at Cal Poly. We don’t want them to just kind of get by and graduate. We want them to do well in school and garner the attention of their professors and such, not just because they are a good athlete, but because they are a good student. That’s been a consistent message we’ve been making a part of our program.

TOM: This year’s team seems heavy with freshman. How do you feel about the potential of this group so far?

BB: Good. The freshman show a really good attitude. By the time I was hired everyone was essentially committed. There’s one guy, he’s not a freshman, but he’s a transfer. His name’s Ian Daube. But I think it’s an exciting time, anytime there’s a transition. We tell the freshman on our team “this is your program,” just like the new coaching staff. To come in and put our mark on the program, it’s the same as the freshman. So far we’ve been impressed with their work ethic and their abilities, and their definitely buying in. Cody Tow is a big recruit, he placed three times [in California], he was a state finalist last year. Damien Arredondo took third place last year [in California], he went to Buchanan, a big program from Clovis. So far, so good. We’re itching to compete because that’s where we’re really going to see what we have and the potential for our team.

TOM: Every year many of California’s top high school wrestlers opt to continue their careers somewhere outside of the state. Why do you think California annually loses its top talent? What is Cal Poly as a program doing to keep some of the most talented wrestlers home?

BB: I don’t really think anyone who would consider opting out of Cal Poly really seems to understand just how special this place is. I’ve been here a couple months and it’s a place that’s really in a league of its own. There’s really nowhere, I believe, that has such a total package in combination, and for anyone who hasn’t been here, it’s literally like paradise. To think that you can wrestle at the Division I level and get one of the best degrees in the country, I think that’s incredibly unique. I think there’s only one other school in the country that’s Division I and you have access to the coast. But to answer your question, that’s going to be something we’re figuring out, because part of it I think has to do with marketing, promoting, and recruiting. Getting kids here and having them understand just what a special place this is. That, for us, is our primary focus right now. Because, in reality, recruiting becomes a popularity contest, and it’s unfortunate that that’s the case sometimes. But I know when we’re able to get that first guy, a two-time state champ or a three-time state champ, that people are going to follow. I’ve been through it before, and getting your own recruiting class, your own kids, who come into school and wrestle for you and take part in your philosophy, it’s really the most important thing we can to do build the program how we see fit. We want to recruit effectively and get the right kids, but there’s so many talented wrestlers out here. What I found out when I was interviewing for the job is our best wrestlers and what their stats were. I mean, Chad Mendes never even made the state finals in California, he took third [at nationals]. [Chase] Pami, he’s from Nevada, so it’s not a powerhouse state, and he was an NCAA finalist. Vic Moreno, I think the best he ever took was fourth in the state. These guys are NCAA All-Americans, Moreno is a two-time All-American. The talent pool here in California is so strong and so rich, that we have a lot of confidence that we’ll take advantage of all these tremendous athletes here in California. I’m not really sure why kids didn’t come in the past, but I’m looking forward to really having a full year to start recruiting underclassmen and running wrestling camps and starting to identify kids that we think are going to fit the mold here well, and it should lead to NCAA titles.

TOM: It’s been announced that Olympic silver medalist Jamill Kelly will be joining the Mustangs as an assistant. What do you think his strengths are, and how will he help to build the program?

BB: Jamil has an amazing reputation for what he’s been as an athlete, as well as his story. I think one of his biggest strengths is his skill and his tremendous technique, and his experience at Oklahoma State, and as an Olympic silver medalist. He’s the kind of person that people love being around and he has a great personality, and he can communicate with anybody. I really think it’s important for athletes to have a coaching staff that they can identify with. We’re a young staff and I think that adds tremendous value. When we hired him we knew that we were making a big statement to the entire country for our wrestling program. There aren’t many people that have Olympians and Silver Medalists on their staff, so we’re certainly going to be promoting the benefits of having a coach like that.

TOM: Do you think having Kelly in the room will help create a connection between the team and USA Wrestling? Do you think he will influence Mustangs to compete at the senior level?

BB: We want to have a tight relationship with USA Wrestling and the freestyle wrestling community. Certainly Kelly is going to go out to training camps occasionally and be a part of the Olympic movement, and I think all of us are going to benefit by that. As far as the effect on our guys, we want them to be competing in as many freestyle tournaments, the Regionals, the Universities, the Open. That’s definitely an integral part of our philosophy. At the highest levels, if you don’t do that, you’re behind now. You have to have your guys competing year-round and learning freestyle wrestling and Greco-Roman wrestling. We’re really excited what having him means to the program and that association.

TOM: Will you be bringing in any new assistants?

BB: We are actually looking. I’m pretty sure we know who we’re going to hire, but look for another announcement in a week or so. Primarily we’re looking for an upper-weight coach.

TOM: You finished your wrestling career at Fresno State after transferring from Clemson when the program was dropped. Fresno’s program was dropped a few years ago, and many others seem to slowly be slipping away. What do you think it will take to resurrect a program like Fresno? How can coaches, alumni, fans, etc. be proactive to make sure we don’t lose more programs here in California?

BB: The first thing that I would say, and I want everyone to know this, is that part of the reason that I decided to take this job is because of the athletic director here. I’ve given a four-year contract, so I have that insurance that the program is going to be around. You know, the perception is so far away from reality. It was different when I interviewed, because that was everybody’s fear. But it became incredibly apparent that our A.D. isn’t going to let anything happen to the program. There was a change in the guard, there wasn’t a coach here. Mark Perry had left, some guys were looking at transferring, there was a new president, there was a new A.D. here. There were an incredible amount of transfers taking place. Instead of what some universities and administrations have done and seized upon that, and make moronic decisions and eliminate opportunities, they’re seizing the opportunity to create more opportunities, and that’s why I came here. There aren’t many coaches in the country that are on multiyear contracts. When [the A.D.] showed me that, and we talked about our goals, and our vision, and my personal philosophy, and the kind of support he was going to provide for me this first year as his first hire, it was a no-brainer for me. That really, for me, sealed the deal. I knew there were a lot of great things about this place, and for years kept my eye on this program, but really it was Donald J. Oberhelman, our A.D., kind of showing me the amount of support and backing we were going to have at Cal Poly. Coach Azevedo helped me a lot through the process, and really sat down and told me everything about the program and his time here. Meeting with Lennis Cowell and doing the same thing, and talking to some of the donors, and community, and high school coaches, and alumni, I certainly did my research and it made me really feel comfortable about the future of Cal Poly. I was in a good position at Columbia and my administration was incredibly supportive there, did some things to try and get me to stay. It was a secure place, wrestling at Columbia was very secure place. I wasn’t going to leave something like that for something unsafe.

TOM: Just a couple of weeks ago Poly hosted the fourth “Fight for Wrestling” MMA event. Was this a successful fundraiser? If so, when will the next one be?

BB: There was talk of doing it a couple times a year, I think they’re going to keep it at one year. I liked it, I enjoyed the event, I think it’s a good thing. The movement for MMA is obviously really strong, especially here in California. The guy who runs it, his name is Scott Adams, he’s one of our alumni. So he came up with the idea as a way to support the wrestling program and the community he’s a part of. He’s a professional, he’s obviously really good at it. But that weekend was big for our program, we had 150 people at our annual golf outing that former coach Lennis Cowell created and runs. It was really one of the most amazing golf outings I’ve been a part of. There was 150 people, there was sponsorships, silent auction, things donated. It was tremendous. Not just because of the fundraising potential, but that was really a great opportunity for me to meet everybody. It’s a strong community, a lot of people live here in the area, or are within driving distance just know that that’s an opportunity to connect with their former teammates. I got to meet a ton of people that day, and tie that in with Fight for Wrestling, all around it was just a big weekend for the program.