BillyTickets: Hey Mitch, how do you and the Buckeye coaching staff like our site?
Mitch Clark: Billy, it is a pleasure to meet you and Dan once again. Tommy and I like your site and appreciate what you’re doing for the Ohio wrestling community.
BT: How do you and Tommy feel about being the “faces “of Ohio State wrestling?
MC: Why don’t you take this one, Tommy?
Tommy Rowlands: You know, I don’t really think too much about it. It’s a great feeling to know I have so much support. At the “Quest for Olympic Gold “dinner to raise money for my run at the 2008 Olympics, it really hit me how much people back me. It was awesome.
BT: Many critics did not believe me when I spoke of a “change of direction “at Ohio State with a greater emphasis on recruiting in northeast Ohio. Why should anyone believe it is going to be different?
MC: Last year was my first year as a full-time assistant. My first goal was to develop a solid relationship with northeast Ohio. At the state duals last year in Wadsworth, a coach came up to me and sarcastically stated, “how did you know how to get up here? “A few minutes later two other coaches repeated similar reactions, at that point I realized that Tommy and myself needed to be more visible. Russ agreed.
BT: Mitch, last year your recruiting was impressive considering the limited amount of money you had available. You got 3 wrestlers who finished in the top 12 at their weight class at Senior nationals (Morrison, Dumas, and Aston) and a Fargo champion (Humphrey) what do you attribute that to?
MC: After reaching out and expanding my network in Ohio and around the country and consulting with several people, the staff decided that we wanted to spend as much time as we could out in the field and despite our limited funds, recruit a core group of top student-athletes. Obviously Tommy and I are younger and thus we have less seniority, but we are still young enough that some youngsters have seen us compete which is a big factor in recruiting.
BT: What was it like when you were recruited?
MC: I wasn’t too highly recruited in high school, but one thing I can remember is Rocky Bonomo from Lock Haven University being in the stands after driving 7 hours to watch my team wrestle. I remember how thrilled I was to see a great like Rocky there and hopefully the wrestlers will feel the same about seeing Tommy and myself in the stands at matches even if we cannot say anything to them. We feel that we need to bring in at least 3 top-level recruits every year. Last year, despite limited funds and a smaller network of coaches, wrestlers, and fans, we got four. Like you said, the Buckeyes will be much better in the future if we constantly get top talent.
BT: Congrats to you and the staff on a successful year recruiting.
MC: Thanks Billy. The main reason Tommy and I consented to this interview is so that Tommy and myself can reach out to the Ohio wrestling community and consult with people like yourself to find the “diamonds in the rough “that our state readily produces. Will Knight was responsible for bringing Corey and us together and you helped bring Steve and us together.
BT: Lets get to some of tulbnrok’s questions. He wanted to know about James Aston and James King.
MC: Aston will be in the room in the next week and will be challenging Morrison for the spot at 197. King is injured.
BT: How about Wade Morris? Will he be battling Kirk Nail for the heavyweight position?
TR: I like Morris and think he has a lot of potential, unfortunately he has a torn ACL and is out indefinitely.
BT: Corey Morrison and Steve Dumas are two true freshman from northeast Ohio that have stirred up a lot of interest on our site. How are they doing so far?
MC: Steve has improved a lot. He has driven himself on the long trips to opens and it was great to see him have the success he had at Missouri. Corey is the real deal and a hard worker.
BT: Will Corey redshirt?
MC: No. He has wrestled almost 20 matches and probably has the best attitude and work ethic on the team.
BT: Tommy, do you feel that way as well?
TR: I agree with Mitch, It would not surprise me if he is an All-American down the road, maybe even more than once.
BT: Interesting, what about Dumas?
MC: Steve is obviously going to redshirt for us this year. He does not turn 19 until this summer.
BT: Yes, he is younger than many wrestlers still competing. He would be among the top 5 heavyweights coming out of High School this year. His victory over Arthur Jones at Senior Nationals was encouraging.
MC: Yes, Jones is playing football for Syracuse now. Steve is very determined and drove non-stop to an open tournament in Nebraska before wrestling at the Missouri Open, where he defeated the 2nd seed, another big win for him. Tommy sees progress every day. Fans need to realize this kid has never had quality big guys to work with in practice before this season
TR: Steve and Corey have great attitudes and we hope to bring in more kids of their caliber next year as well.
BT: How’s Jason Johnstone coming along? Is he working towards wrestling at 157? And what about Steve Wolery? He was a surprise at times last season. Can he challenge for a spot in the future?
TR: Johnstone has weighed as high as 162, but as of right now is hovering around 160, lifting very hard 4-5 days a week. We are trying to get him to about 167 so that he can be decent sized 157 next year. A tireless worker, very intense, high goals, great kid. Wolery has been out all fall with hand injury. He should serve as a great contributor to our team’s progress. Very great worker.
BT: Tommy, what did you think of the Real Pro Wrestling? Did you get to meet and spend time with the management?
TR: Excellent people. I spent 5 days in Los Angeles and everything was first class.
BT: Any plans for a second season?
TR: I haven’t heard anything about it, but I loved it. I would definitely do it again.
TR: Let me ask you a question, Billy. Mitch says you remember watching Jim Humphrey, a new coach with Ohio International Wrestling Club, wrestling for the Buckeyes. Just how good was he?
BT: Well as you know, Humphrey owns an extensive wrestling background that includes All-America honors and a Big Ten championship at 134 pounds in 1972. A member of the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame, Humphrey is a five-time freestyle national champion, as well as the 1977 World silver medalist. Humphrey also holds an impressive head coaching resume that consists of leading the 1984 Canadian Olympic team and the 1988 U.S. Olympic team. I’m obviously very impressed. What does he bring to the room? Does he still wrestle?
MC: Oh yeah, he still wrestles with the guys. Jim is a great influence on the wrestlers and a great coach.
TR: Definitely. Did you know he was in Steve Mocco’s corner during his run for the 2004 Olympic team?
BT: Wow, no I didn’t know that.
BT: Mitch, can you tell me the role that Jim Humphrey played in the recruiting of Lance Palmer?
MC: Lance is a true “student of the sport. “I met him as a 7th grader at one of my camps and it was clear to me he was an extraordinary young man on and off the mat. Certainly Jim Humphrey’s accomplishments were known to the Palmers. Adding him as a coach helped solidify Lance’s decision.
BT: What specifically attracted Tommy and yourself to Lance Palmer? Some people have said Lance is a “Mitch Clark clone “with his punishing leg riding, you see a resemblance there?
MC: The comparison is flattering but it’s simply not true. Lance is far ahead of where I was as a high school senior. Obviously his skills on the mat are legendary and that too was my strength. His ability on his feet is light years ahead of where I was at as a high school senior. However the trait that I was most impressed with is his fierce desire to win and be the best. Everyone wants to win but Lance has a burning desire rarely seen in someone his age. Lance exudes more confidence than any high school wrestler I’ve ever known. I considered him among the elite recruits in the country this year and I’m sure you’ll agree.
BT: No doubt.
BT: As you well know, my major criticism of the Ohio State program even in the Chris Ford era was no St. Eds guys since Jeff Golz (1979) came to Ohio State. What changed?
Mitch: I don’t want to speak for what happened before I became a full-time coach last year. I don’t know the specifics. As I mentioned earlier, my primary goals when becoming a full time coach last year were to 1) Establish a network of “scouts “who can keep me informed and 2) Bring in 3 or more top guys per year, no matter how much scholarship money is available and 3) Develop a relationship with Eds, which is an excellent combination of academics and wrestling. Did you know the average ACT score was almost 26 for incoming freshmen at Ohio State?
BT: No I did not.
BT: Has Russ indicated when he is ready to retire and do you see the same passion in him that did you when you first met him?
MC: Russ is more motivated now then he has ever been. He knows this year will be rough, but he is eager to recapture the 3rd place finish of Tommy’s senior year. Russ is like a second father to me. The man has more integrity than anyone. And it’s not just us that feel this way. Anyone who knows Russ has only the utmost respect for him. Forum members like Tom Roehlig, who is a friend and a great instructor (Tom if you read this I will be up for a clinic again like I was last year) and you said yourself that Mike Rodriguez, even though he has creative differences with the program, has the utmost respect for Russ as a man of integrity. Russ is not going to promise you something he does not plan to follow through on. Obviously from a recruiting point of view that may not be the best way to go about things, because you need to be a salesman. He has the athletes’ interest first.
BT: All the former Buckeye wrestlers I have talked to (more than a dozen) spoke very highly of Russ’s integrity and character.
MC: You know, in 2002 after Ohio State beat Oklahoma State in the National Duals, I just started crying. Russ asked me why and I told him I was overwhelmed and realized how much his wrestlers and coaches want to win for him and how big of a win that was.
BT: Who has been the biggest surprise in how fast they have progressed?
MC: As you know, we are a very young team with a ton of potential. The consensus is that Alex Picazo’s progress has been greater than was expected.
BT: Is this Sommer’s last year of eligibility?
TR: Yes, this is Steve’s last year.
BT: What is Mueller weighing these days? Does he plan to challenge next year at 157 or 165?
TR: Mueller weighs 172 right now and will go 165 next year, already has 25 plus matches in open tourneys.
BT: How is J.D.’s rehab going?
TR: J.D.’s rehab is going very well. His Physical Terrorist
BT: We have all enjoyed your autographed books and DVDs that we sell on our site. The Ohio wrestling community appreciates your great work. Do you have plans to make more in the future?
MC: The support and positive feedback we received from this forum and the entire wrestling community is tremendous. Special thanks to dtowner who reprinted the article about the clinic I did in Hershey, PA and posted it on this forum. Dan, Suplex130, and others have also given positive feedback. It is appreciated. There seems to be a demand for advanced leg riding and one for advanced scrambling, so I will work on another one in the near future. One book is enough for me. How do I get a copy of your book?
BT: The next time you come to town I will give you a personalized copy, same as you gave me.
MC: Thanks.
BT: How about you, Tommy? Are you interested in making videos or writing a book?
TR: Not at this time. Maybe after I finish competing. I read this forum all the time and as a matter of fact I have copied the list of questions that tulbnrok wanted you to ask. I enjoy talking about wrestling. It has been my passion for a long time and it’s awesome to see others share that passion as well.
MC: I am going to issue a special challenge to your forum members. Anyone who comes down for the match against Minnesota and can identify themselves as an OhioWrestling.Net member will sit in a special section and will be part of a pre-match and post-match “meet and greet “with Tommy, myself, selected members of the coaching staff and team. J Jaggers vs. Dustin Schlatter will obviously be the feature match of the night.
BT: Thanks Mitch. Folks, you heard it here first. If members can buy a block of 10 or more tickets they will receive the special ‘billytickets discounted rate’. Also, we can charter a bus from the Cleveland area if there is enough interest. We have many members that would like to attend.
BT: Mitch and Tommy, thanks for your time. Feel free to post anytime.
MC: I am not the computer guy but Tommy is an avid member of your forum, schedule permitting.
TR: Nice to meet you both. You have a good thing going on the site. You can be sure I will be posting more. Go Bucks!
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