Heeke says CMU is prepared to give multi-year offer
By David Harris
Assistant Sports Editor
April 12, 2006
Wrestling coach Tom Borrelli’s 15-year career at CMU could be nearing an end.
Heather Lyke, associate athletic director of compliance at The Ohio State University, said Monday Borrelli was one of 20 to 25 applicants for the open head coaching position at OSU.
Borrelli said OSU approached him with the opportunity. This isn’t the first school that approached him, but it is the first place he applied.
“It is a Big Ten job at a prestigious university with a tremendous athletic program,” he said. “I had no intention of applying until they called and asked me.”
Lyke said the committee in charge of hiring a new coach will be interviewing applicants next week.
“We will try to narrow the number of applicants down to three to five,” she said. “We will conduct interviews with those chosen.”
CMU Athletics Director Dave Heeke said he is willing to offer Borrelli a long-term contract. It would be the first offered to a non-revenue sport coach.
“I think it is the appropriate thing to do,” Heeke said. “I have talked to several people around the community and they’re in agreement that it is possible.”
All non-revenue sports coaches have one-year contracts.
Heeke and Borrelli have discussed the situation, but Heeke wouldn’t get into details about the conversation.
“Obviously, our number one priority is to have him stay,” Heeke said. “I want to try and find the needs he wants, and try to work that out.”
Borrelli is on a one-year contract and made $85,203 in 2004-2005. His contract for the 2005-2006 year is $74,886.
CMU’s wrestling program had a supplies and equipment budget of $75,000 with a total expenditure of $236,024 in 2004-2005.
“There are some important things we have to have for the opportunity to win a national championship and keep a program in the national spotlight,” Borrelli said. “Certainly, we are at a disadvantage to some of the teams we compete against because of the funding.”
The wrestling program is only allotted one paid assistant, Casey Cunningham.
Heeke said that and other things have been discussed with Borrelli.
“We can’t do something like that overnight unless it is a systematic approach,” Heeke said. “We have to come up with innovative ways to generate more revenue.”
CMU does not have the resources to match what OSU could offer, Heeke said.
Sophomore 125-pounder Luke Smith has wrestled at CMU since 2002.
He said he doesn’t blame Borrelli for applying for the job.
“It’s a great opportunity,” Smith said. “I’m sure they will offer more money there than at CMU and will have a bigger budget.”
Borrelli has won the last eight Mid-American Conference regular season championships and eight of the past nine tournament titles. His teams have finished in the top 10 in the nation twice in 1998 (fifth) and 1999 (seventh).
Borrelli said he is happy at CMU and isn’t sure if he would take the job if offered.
“It depends on the circumstances,” he said. “I have been here for 15 years, and those are 15 years of relationships that I would have to leave.”
Russ Hellickson, OSU’s coach since 1986, announced his retirement March 21.
His teams struggled the last two seasons, finishing last in the Big Ten Tournament.
Still, it is considered a prestigious job by people in the collegiate wrestling world.
Hellickson said he has no affiliation with the selection committee and no preference of who should be hired.
“I want a guy who wants to win and wants to follow to rules and represent Ohio State well,” he said.
Hellickson invited Borrelli as a guest at OSU’s clinic for Ohio high school coaches last fall. He said Borrelli would be more than qualified for the job.
“I think he is one of the top gentleman in coaching,” he said. “He does a great job of teaching and cares about those he coaches.”
Smith said he has great respect for Borrelli.
“Coach is the main reason why I drive nine-and-a-half hours from northwest Wisconsin to come to school here,” Smith said. “We are just going to wait and see what happens.
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