Wrestling Coach Joe McFarland Retires

Submitted by bacon1431 on
After 19 seasons as head coach of Michigan wrestling, McFarland is deciding to retire. We had 11 top 10 finishes at the NCAAs with him at the helm. While we never got to consistent national title contender under him, we are a top 10 program in the country. I’m thinking we promote someone from the staff to ensure some stability in the program. http://mgoblue.com/news/2018/3/18/mcfarland-announces-retirement-after-…

Coldwater

March 18th, 2018 at 10:11 AM ^

Did anyone see this coming? Not me. Congrats on a great coaching career. This is a plum coaching job that Warde Manuel has to fill. He needs to go huge...go get Cael Sanderson from Penn State!!

tlo2485

March 18th, 2018 at 12:54 PM ^

Oklahoma State, Penn State, Iowa.....(gap)..... Michigan, Ohio State, Iowa State, Oklahoma, Minnesota

We are the only who has not won an NC.

 

edit: this was supposed to be in response to whoever said we are a top 5 program... its debatable, but we are close

MGoTakedown

March 18th, 2018 at 10:40 AM ^

It's going to be hard for Ward to not promote Sean Bormet. That said, if a larger than life name surfaces they will have to make that hire if they want to elevate the program further. McFarland did a great job getting them this far and I wish him well in his retirement.

megaswami

March 18th, 2018 at 10:52 AM ^

You immediately go after Sanderson if he is available. I don’t know what kind of contract stipulations he has, but at 38, do u want this guy running PSU for the next 20-30 or UofM. Get out the checkbook and he will bring NC to Ann Arbor.

stephenrjking

March 18th, 2018 at 11:07 AM ^

Sanderson is not leaving Penn State. In wrestling terms Michigan doesn't offer anything he doesn't already have, and that includes money. This is like Tennessee football telling itself it can hire Urban Meyer or Nick Saban.

The Claw

March 18th, 2018 at 4:38 PM ^

PSU, OSU, OKie State, Iowa are without a doubt the top 4 in terms of history and year in year out being damn good. I’d argue Minnesota has a stronger program over the last 20 years so I’d say they’re 5. They even won a Naty once. Then comes the Michigan, Cornell, Iowa State, and a few others



Michigan’s wrestling room does put them a leg up in recruiting now. They signed several studs this year. And I think with the room, UM’s academics, and graduate wrestlers training for Worlds, it does put them a leg up on most everyone. They will continue to be extremely good. But can they catch OSU and PSU, that is the question.



I think Bormet gets the job. Joe asked him to come back after being a successful Team USA coach for a few years. That being said, I’d for him or any new coach to push the guys to attack more. The Iowa style just wears down opponents and gets you stall calls. Look at Valencia last night and against Amine. He shot like 20x in each match. I loved it. Especially taking out Hall. I’d love our guys to start trending in that direction.

NittanyFan

March 18th, 2018 at 11:49 AM ^

but he signed a long-term deal in July.

If the timing was different as regards U-M, there would have been a chance.  Sanderson may have been looking for a different challenge in a different place. 

I think his challenge now is to make a run at Iowa's "9 straight National Championships" --- PSU has a long way to go (they're at 3) but there is a chance to make a run at that.  The pipeline is very strong.  As of the moment, there's no school in collegiate wrestling that has the structural advantages that Penn State has.

tlo2485

March 18th, 2018 at 11:36 AM ^

Why would Sanderson be available? Does he have any ties to Michigan that I am unaware of? I honestly can't think of one thing Michigan has to offer in wrestling that Penn State doesn't have. He has what, 7 NCs there? I don't see us outbidding PSU financially. Are academic prestige and a nicer town/campus enough for him to consider a lateral (being somewhat generous) move?

Cliff Keen

March 18th, 2018 at 11:41 AM ^

McFarland was going to retire last year but changed his mind.   He had decided to retire several months ago and those close to the program knew this.

I would agree that Sanderson isn't happening.  He keeps winning titles at PSU and PA is the most talent rich high school wrestling state in the country (Michigan, while better in the past 20 years, is not even close).  Their Olympic Regional Training Center is also the highest funded in the country.  He has no reason to leave.

Sean Bormet (associate head coach and 1994 NCAA runner-up at UM) is the internal front runner but the Athletic Department has not committed to him yet.  Most are hoping this is a formality.  

If they decide to open up the search, names to consider would be Pat Popolizio (NC State), Tony Robie (Virginia Tech and former UM assistant), and Chris Bono (South Dakota State).

In any case, hat's off to Joe McFarland, the quintessential Michigan Man.  He wrestled at UM (from Ohio), left a head coaching gig at Indiana in 1992 to return to UM as an assistant coach (because he wanted to be the head coach at UM), turned down multiple head coaching job offers while an assistant at UM, and spent the last 19 years as the head of the Wrestling Wolverines.

Cliff Keen

March 18th, 2018 at 11:41 AM ^

McFarland was going to retire last year but changed his mind.   He had decided to retire several months ago and those close to the program knew this.

I would agree that Sanderson isn't happening.  He keeps winning titles at PSU and PA is the most talent rich high school wrestling state in the country (Michigan, while better in the past 20 years, is not even close).  Their Olympic Regional Training Center is also the highest funded in the country.  He has no reason to leave.

Sean Bormet (associate head coach and 1994 NCAA runner-up at UM) is the internal front runner but the Athletic Department has not committed to him yet.  Most are hoping this is a formality.  

If they decide to open up the search, names to consider would be Pat Popolizio (NC State), Tony Robie (Virginia Tech and former UM assistant), and Chris Bono (South Dakota State).

In any case, hat's off to Joe McFarland, the quintessential Michigan Man.  He wrestled at UM (from Ohio), left a head coaching gig at Indiana in 1992 to return to UM as an assistant coach (because he wanted to be the head coach at UM), turned down multiple head coaching job offers while an assistant at UM, and spent the last 19 years as the head of the Wrestling Wolverines.

Cliff Keen

March 18th, 2018 at 11:42 AM ^

McFarland was going to retire last year but changed his mind.   He had decided to retire several months ago and those close to the program knew this.

I would agree that Sanderson isn't happening.  He keeps winning titles at PSU and PA is the most talent rich high school wrestling state in the country (Michigan, while better in the past 20 years, is not even close).  Their Olympic Regional Training Center is also the highest funded in the country.  He has no reason to leave.

Sean Bormet (associate head coach and 1994 NCAA runner-up at UM) is the internal front runner but the Athletic Department has not committed to him yet.  Most are hoping this is a formality.  

If they decide to open up the search, names to consider would be Pat Popolizio (NC State), Tony Robie (Virginia Tech and former UM assistant), and Chris Bono (South Dakota State).

In any case, hat's off to Joe McFarland, the quintessential Michigan Man.  He wrestled at UM (from Ohio), left a head coaching gig at Indiana in 1992 to return to UM as an assistant coach (because he wanted to be the head coach at UM), turned down multiple head coaching job offers while an assistant at UM, and spent the last 19 years as the head of the Wrestling Wolverines.

JMK

March 18th, 2018 at 11:49 AM ^

If they are available, we have to go get them. We will easily become perennial contenders for the tag team championship, at the very least.

tlo2485

March 18th, 2018 at 11:55 AM ^

How about Pat Santoro (Lehigh), Pat Popolizio (NC State, 2016 National Coach of the Year), Brian Smith (Missouri, MSU Grad*), or:

Tony Robie (Virginia Tech, former UM assistant coach) VT finished 8th this season and has finished in the top 10 six straight seasons.

Robie came to Blacksburg after serving as the head coach at Binghamton University in New York. A two-time collegiate All-American and 1997 NCAA runner-up, Robie took over a program that had been discontinued after the 2003-04 school year because of budget constraints. Before taking over at Binghamton, he was an assistant coach for four seasons at the University of Michigan.

As the Wolverines’ top assistant coach, Robie recruited three top-10 classes, including the No. 2-ranked class in 2004. His one-on-one work with Michigan student-athlete Ryan Bertin culminated with Bertin’s 2003 NCAA championship – the school’s first national champion in 18 years. In all, Michigan’s team earned national top-10 status all four years that Robie was a coach there. His dedication and influence off the mat resulted in the wrestling team winning the 2003 community service award at the school.

http://www.hokiesports.com/staff/robie_tony.html