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Teague Moore (right) enters his fourth season as head coach of the Clarion wrestling team and is looking to continue the improvement the program has shown under his leadership. Clarion qualified two wrestlers for nationals last year (Jay Ivanco and Hadley Harrison), while the team finished third at the PSAC Championships. One thing is certain, if you didn't know much about Clarion wrestling, or weren't following the program, you will be a fan and follow the program after reading Moore's thoughts and comments below in an interview with TWM Senior Editor Matt Krumrie
By Matt Krumrie
TWM Senior Editor
info@thewrestlingmall.com
TWM: You are entering your 4th year as head coach at Clarion. How are you a better coach in year four than you were in year one?
Moore: How am I a better coach in year four? After watching and learning what my athletes are capable of, I’ve had to pull back in some areas and push harder in other areas. Coaching has become more detailed for me. Drills and technique must be detailed and repetition of those techniques and drills directly affect our results. The NCAA limits us to 20 hours of practice per week but over the past 3 seasons I’ve learned that some weeks you shouldn’t push them to 20 hours and at other times you must push them to 20 hours when they normally would not want to get there. In the past 4 years we’ve also learned what type of athlete will succeed academically here at Clarion and we recruit specifically for that situation.
Scheduling is another area that I think I’ve improved. I want to build a schedule that’s challenging, avoiding both a pushover schedule and a schedule that would undermine the confidence of the athletes. Finding the happy medium is much more time consuming than one would think.
TWM: How has the team evolved in the previous three years and what are you most proud of during your tenure?
Moore: The team has evolved into a competitive, well-educated group of young men. The changes have come because the athletes recruited by the old staff have bought into our philosophy and expectations. The new recruits understand the expectations of this program, both on and off the mat. The team has evolved because of the athletes that are here.
From a coaching standpoint I’m most proud of our two returning national qualifiers, Hadley Harrison and Jay Ivanco. These guys have put many hours into this program and are seeing results. Both young men were named to the NWCA All-Academic Team last year. It was Harrison’s second time receiving that honor. From a CEO standpoint I’m most proud of our Clarion Alumni who have stepped up to start endowing our program. Justin Kuzemka, Mike Hinderliter, Mike Cole, Randy Richard, Jim Moffatt and Bill Arnold are just a few of the men who have committed more than their emotion to this program. Their efforts will ensure the future of Clarion University Wrestling.
TWM: You had two national qualifiers last year in Jay Ivanco and Hadley Harrison. They are back this year. What can you say about these two?
Moore: These guys give us 100%. Hadley is a class act from top to bottom. He represents us well on campus and to the community. He represents the team on the Student Athletic Advisory Council as VP and furthers his commitment by donating time to the local YMCA as a coach for the youth flag football league. We hope Hadley can get to the NCAA’s healthy this year. He has the ability to beat the best in the country. He is a 3 year captain and makes me proud to say he is a Clarion Wrestler. Jay Ivanco and I butted heads during our first season together. He wanted to do things his way and made some poor decisions outside of wrestling but we worked out our differences and he has become a leader on the mat. When I say we worked out our differences, I mean we “worked out” our differences. He became our first PSAC Champion under the new staff and it was fitting for everything he put in over the first two years. Jay is going to have a great season with his change to 133. He overcame illness to represent us at 125 over the past two seasons and came through for our team on a number of occasions. As a coach I’m excited for these two guys to accomplish what they are capable of this season.
TWM: In addition to Ivanco and Harrison, what wrestlers are you expecting big things from this year and who are the one's fans should keep an eye on?
Moore: This season will bring some new faces at new places. Joe Waltko and Zach Oberlander will represent us at 125lbs. These guys are determined and focused on national results. Greg Lewis, our 149 from last year, will make his way to 141 later in the year. He had some significant wins at 149 in the conference tournament last year, and we believe he is capable of great results at 141. Freshman James Fleming was a 4x PA state placewinner. He will battle early for the 149 slot with Lewis and looks to be our starter come conference time. He is unorthodox and dangerous on the mat. Wrestling fans will like what they see! Our 184, Clint Podish, was the PSAC freshman of the year. He nearly upended NCAA semi-finalist Doug Umbehauer from Rider in our gym last year. He’s talented and has the tools to be Clarion’s next AA. The team has begun challenging each other as to who will be Clarion’s 44th All-American and our freshmen have vocally challenged each other as to who will be our 9th NCAA D I champ! It’s exciting!!
TWM: If you had to list your 10 starters and weights, who would it be?
Moore: I can’t. We haven’t wrestled enough live to see who is the clear front runner at each weight.
TWM: You have coached at Pitt, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Harvard prior to coming to Clarion. What are some similarities between those programs and Clarion and what are some differences?
Moore: Similarities – Wrestlers are wrestlers no matter where you go. Harvard, OSU or Clarion. They are hard working, focused individuals. Many people do not like wrestlers because of the way they carry themselves. What I mean by that is, a wrestler will challenge things that they do not understand or that they do not agree with. I’ve found in life that 99% of the population does not want to be asked “Why?” In my opinion wrestlers are not afraid to ask why and many people take that as them being confrontational. If they are asked why by a wrestler they immediately feel physically threatened because a wrestler is defined as someone who physically battles another human being. I think wrestlers are misunderstood no matter where you go.
Another similarity I’ve seen is that wrestlers are willing to sacrifice themselves for the betterment of the team. That is the one common thread I’ve learned over the years. At OSU, you’ve got the facilities, scholarships and virtually unlimited resources but the athletes still sacrifice for the betterment of the team. At Harvard, you are surrounded by people who want to achieve and overachieve at everything they take part in. They will sacrifice time, energy and resources to succeed. At Clarion, this program exists because of the sacrifices people have been willing to make. Athletes sacrifice their time and energy to succeed, the alumni sacrifice their finances and energy towards this success. And even though we lack the facilities, scholarships and budgets, we sacrifice to find a way to succeed. I see the one common thread between all the programs I’ve been with being the sacrifice that many will make to see their program successful.
Differences – Some the major differences between the places I’ve been are the commitment from administration and or those close to the program. At a place like OSU we had an administration that took the effort to get wrestling on TV. In turn the fans came to support wrestling and the machine was fed. The alumni and supporters at OSU looked for ways to support the program so Coach Smith could win. Also, recruiting was easy because of all these positives. At Pitt, we struggled to get the administration to see the financial reward of marketing wrestling. There is an untapped potential because of its geographic proximity to America’s wrestling hotbed and to an uncommon cult following of the sport. The only similar following for wrestling would be in the state of Iowa because of IPTV. While at Oklahoma we battled playing second fiddle to OSU within the state and to having the country’s most successful college football program. I loved my time in Norman and Jack Spates did an amazing job of building support within this situation to make them a national contender in 2001 and 2002. At Harvard, the recruitment of the proper student-athlete takes time and energy. The administration of athletics is different. It made me see the importance of wrestling in the big picture. Harvard’s environment made you become a better coach because you are limited on time with your athletes because of their academic demands. You can’t waste time. It was nice because Jay Weiss had excellent athletes in the room and when you taught, they learned. Clarion is different from the rest because I’m the head coach. I love having to make the tough decisions. One major difference is that I can act on the ideas that come to mind. We have excellent alumni support behind us. Our administration is supporting our changes, and in my group are 100% quality individuals that I want around my family and representing this school. It’s the first place I’ve been that I will see facilities built for my program. Endowment support is growing and our fan base gets bigger every year. Our booster club, The Pin Club, supports our ideas and our changes. I’ve never been anywhere that has changed as quickly and as positively as what we’re seeing here at Clarion.
TWM: What are your thoughts on the new qualifying system, do you like it, why or why not?
Moore: The new qualifying system - I love it. The best 33 get to nationals. Yes, we will see guys who deserve to go and don’t get through the system. But at least we’ve eliminated the “backroom” or “old boys” networks that controlled wild card meetings. If the coach provides the right schedule, the athlete determines his own success. The only change I’d like to see is a mathematical formula to determine the remaining qualifiers after conference championships.
TWM: You were inducted into the Pennsylvania Wrestling Hall of Fame in April, how proud were you of that and what does that mean?
Moore: The PA Hall of Fame was a great honor. I’m not sure I’ve done what it takes to be honored in a hall of fame but nonetheless it was a great joy to be able to share with my family. Seeing the men who are in the Hall and in attendance that night really stirred my emotions. I will remember it for the rest of my life.
TWM: What are 5 unique facts or tidbits about Clarion wrestling that the average fan may not know or realize?
Moore: 1. Clarion competes at the D I level with around 5.5 scholarships. 2. Our operating budget is one of the smallest in NCAA wrestling. 3. Our facilities are basically the same as they’ve been since the early 70’s. 4. We have one of the most storied wrestling histories (8 NCAA Champs, 43 All-Americans), including 2 of the 15 wrestlers named to the NCAA’s 75th Anniversary Team (Wade Schalles and Kurt Angle). 5. We will become an EWL power and national contender once again.
TWM: How often do you get out on the mat and wrestle with the guys. At 33, are you still able to give them a run for their money, or do you take it easy on them?
Moore: I’m on the mats with my guys every day of practice. I’m getting old and they beat me up, but every now and again I score some points.
TWM: Through interviews with Jim Harshaw, he has mentioned you are implementing the RIOT Sports Marketing programs. What are you doing at Clarion to help promote and grow the sport? Why do you think Riot can succeed?
Moore: Jim is a life long friend of mine. We’re going to come on board with Riot because I believe Jim has a vision for wrestling’s future. We are attempting to get wrestling in front of the non-traditional wrestling fan. We hosted a Veterans Night last year and brought 1,500 fans into Clarion for our dual with Eastern Michigan. We get our athletes involved in our community so that they know who and what Clarion wrestling is all about. We are attempting to move to a new media template so the younger audience can see Clarion wrestling in their preferred format, on the Internet.
TWM: You have 30 wrestlers on the roster, that's a pretty good number. How are you able to get so many people to come wrestle at Clarion?
Moore: We have opened our doors to guys that want to walk on and wrestle. I believe we have also kept a good number of these young men because they believe in what’s happening here and know that they are a part of something special. In Pennsylvania there are wrestlers in every county that can wrestle DI, and we recruit our butts off so that people know what they can be a part of. Lou Rosselli told me when I took this job that the PSAC schools present unique challenges but he and Tim Flynn showed that it can still be done.
TWM: Come March, what can we expect from the 2009-10 Clarion wrestling team?
Moore: Improvement – more than 2 NCAA qualifiers and better results than we’ve had once they get there. Every year, improvement.
TWM: Anything else you want to add?
Moore: Check us out on Facebook (Clarion University Wrestling) and on Twitter (cupwrestling). Get in your car and come see Clarion wrestle! If you like what you see buy one our shirts and wear it with pride because we’re just getting started here at Clarion! (Note: go ClarionWrestling.com to purchase Clarion wrestling gear.)
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