Jason Liles resigns as Wrestling Coach

[UWMandSDSU]

http://www.gojacks.com/ViewArticle.d...CLID=205394421

[jackmd]

Re: Jason Liles resigns as Wrestling Coach

While watching Logan Storely and the Big Ten wrestling championships on Sunday afternoon it was concluded by those present that this would almost certainly happen. Well respected coach who may have fallen victim to the difficulties at DI for non-revenue sports.

[SDSUAlum08]

Re: Jason Liles resigns as Wrestling Coach

http://www.gojacks.com/ViewArticle.d...CLID=205394421

Wow. I really liked him. He is a really nice guy.

[EQguy]

Re: Jason Liles resigns as Wrestling Coach

Always liked coach Liles. Sad to see him go. Hope things bounce well for him.

[Nidaros]

Re: Jason Liles resigns as Wrestling Coach

The Argus has a story this morning but not sure how to link a digital article without getting the entire page. In the article, there are several quotes of AD Justin Sell, and his reasons for making a coaching change. This will be a situation that bears watching since the program is underfunded, but as AD Sell states the same situation has fallen to baseball, and they have done quite well. Networking with the Kansas program has no doubt produced a number of good recruits since the transition move. I tend to think that Coach Liles did not seem to have that network available. Its about who you know and who they can point to in order start the recruiting process. Also baseball has had a national power in Post 22. A number of recruits from RC are on the roster. There are good wrestling programs in SD, but really can't say any are national powers or recognized as such.

It will be interesting to see who applys and who the finalist is and how he will do in years to come. Good luck to Coach Liles. He has served SDSU well, and has done so in an honorable way. Its a business at the D1 level, and I wish him well in his next venture.

[Theee Catrabbit]

Re: Jason Liles resigns as Wrestling Coach

The Argus has a story this morning but not sure how to link a digital article without getting the entire page. In the article, there are several quotes of AD Justin Sell, and his reasons for making a coaching change. This will be a situation that bears watching since the program is underfunded, but as AD Sell states the same situation has fallen to baseball, and they have done quite well. Networking with the Kansas program has no doubt produced a number of good recruits since the transition move. I tend to think that Coach Liles did not seem to have that network available. Its about who you know and who they can point to in order start the recruiting process. Also baseball has had a national power in Post 22. A number of recruits from RC are on the roster. There are good wrestling programs in SD, but really can't say any are national powers or recognized as such.

It will be interesting to see who applys and who the finalist is and how he will do in years to come. Good luck to Coach Liles. He has served SDSU well, and has done so in an honorable way. Its a business at the D1 level, and I wish him well in his next venture.

1st off: I liked Coach Liles the most out of every coach up at State, he was personable and human. 2nd I'm not even going to look up the actual numbers, because this is so cut and dry it doesn't bear the research. Here's the difference between Baseball and Wrestling draw a 500 mile circle around SDSU put a pin on every baseball playing school, and on the flag of each pin put the RPI of each of those programs. Now do the same with Wrestling: Iowa, Iowa State, Nebraska, UNI, Minnesota. There isn't a kid wrestling that doesn't dream of going to one of those programs, not to mention the Oklahomas, Ohio State, Penn State. Now throw in that wrestling is essentially a dying sport with limited recruits in the first place. Pretty tough to get the recruits you are thinking about with all that in your backyard.

Good Luck Coach!

[Nidaros]

Re: Jason Liles resigns as Wrestling Coach

1st off: I liked Coach Liles the most out of every coach up at State, he was personable and human. 2nd I'm not even going to look up the actual numbers, because this is so cut and dry it doesn't bear the research. Here's the difference between Baseball and Wrestling draw a 500 mile circle around SDSU put a pin on every baseball playing school, and on the flag of each pin put the RPI of each of those programs. Now do the same with Wrestling: Iowa, Iowa State, Nebraska, UNI, Minnesota. There isn't a kid wrestling that doesn't dream of going to one of those programs, not to mention the Oklahomas, Ohio State, Penn State. Now throw in that wrestling is essentially a dying sport with limited recruits in the first place. Pretty tough to get the recruits you are thinking about with all that in your backyard.

Good Luck Coach!

I thought of Coach Liles as a gentleman, but apparently the success level of the program was not progressing. It may be a dying sport, but we still offer it. If we offer it, we want to be successful. I see your point about baseball programs, but starting with Christiansen, we seemed to get a bunch of people who Kansas could not use. It looks that way to me and when Ritchie took over it became eaiser to get to more guys, and I think we can thank Daddie Price for that. At least that is how it appears to me.

The bottom line is we needed to make a change and its been done.

[Chains]

Re: Jason Liles resigns as Wrestling Coach

Always liked coach Liles. Sad to see him go. Hope things bounce well for him.

Completely agree. Coach Liles is a very personable person and well liked by everyone I know in Jackrabbit athletics. But, competing and winning dictate wether you keep your job or not. Clearly underfunded, absolutely over matched in this area for recruiting. No way to compete for quality local kids when U of M, Iowa, Iowa State, Northern Iowa, NDSU, Neb etc also recruit the same kid. Certainly wish Jason and his family the best with whatever they pursue. Coaching is a tough business even when you have some sucess - impossible when your program struggles. Be interesting what type of interest a non funded, struggling program will draw.

GBGBGJ

[Jacks-02]

Re: Jason Liles resigns as Wrestling Coach

I don't think Liles had a problem getting some good wrestlers to come to State. I think he had a bigger problem keeping them here once they came didn't he? Seems like there has been a ton of turnover of student athletes in the program and trouble in keeping the weight classes full.

I think now was a good time to make the move. There just hasn't been any progression in the program the last couple years.

[MontanaRabbit]

Re: Jason Liles resigns as Wrestling Coach

1st off: I liked Coach Liles the most out of every coach up at State, he was personable and human. 2nd I'm not even going to look up the actual numbers, because this is so cut and dry it doesn't bear the research. Here's the difference between Baseball and Wrestling draw a 500 mile circle around SDSU put a pin on every baseball playing school, and on the flag of each pin put the RPI of each of those programs. Now do the same with Wrestling: Iowa, Iowa State, Nebraska, UNI, Minnesota. There isn't a kid wrestling that doesn't dream of going to one of those programs, not to mention the Oklahomas, Ohio State, Penn State. Now throw in that wrestling is essentially a dying sport with limited recruits in the first place. Pretty tough to get the recruits you are thinking about with all that in your backyard.

Good Luck Coach!

NDSU has had success since making the jump. If they can do it so can we. Baseball isn't exactly using just local kids....look at the roster....of the 33 on the roster only 12 are from SD, Min, IA, and Neb. Recently we've had lots of kids from Canada that have made huge impacts. We play in a winter climate and team plays their first 20+ games on the road. How easy do you think it is to sell that to a recruit?

There may not be as many wrestling recruits to go around, but there are fewer NCAA D1 wrestling program too. Liles may be a great guy, but the facts are we have struggled mightily since making the transition. Not to mention we have had several wrestlers quit. Ryan Meyer qualified for the NCAA tournament as a freshman and didn't wrestle his sophomore year. He had a bright future. Was that something related to coach Liles? I don't know, but there has been a lot of roster turnover. That's a red flag to me that something is not right with the program.

Our baseball coaches have sold the SDSU way of playing baseball. Our wrestling coach should do the same thing.

[joeboo22]

Re: Jason Liles resigns as Wrestling Coach

I don't know the coach, I do think some type of a change needed to occur, just from the little I had heard from people in and around the program. But I do think its unfair to compare baseball to wrestling.

Baseball is a sport where many will walk-on and play, or play for a little scholarship, go through surgeries, play through injuries, its a sport that many hate to give up. Watch the amateur tournament there are 40 year olds out there.

Whereas wrestling is a sport that many give up as soon as they wrestle their last match. Kids hate to cut weight, most weigh 10-15 pounds 2 days after the state tournament.

[2002jack]

Re: Jason Liles resigns as Wrestling Coach

I like coach Liles. Very personable and friendly. However, I think the wrestling team is 1-29 in their last 30 conference duals. Not good. Time for a change.

[Theee Catrabbit]

Re: Jason Liles resigns as Wrestling Coach

NDSU has had success since making the jump. If they can do it so can we. Baseball isn't exactly using just local kids....look at the roster....of the 33 on the roster only 12 are from SD, Min, IA, and Neb. Recently we've had lots of kids from Canada that have made huge impacts. We play in a winter climate and team plays their first 20+ games on the road. How easy do you think it is to sell that to a recruit?

There may not be as many wrestling recruits to go around, but there are fewer NCAA D1 wrestling program too. Liles may be a great guy, but the facts are we have struggled mightily since making the transition. Not to mention we have had several wrestlers quit. Ryan Meyer qualified for the NCAA tournament as a freshman and didn't wrestle his sophomore year. He had a bright future. Was that something related to coach Liles? I don't know, but there has been a lot of roster turnover. That's a red flag to me that something is not right with the program.

Our baseball coaches have sold the SDSU way of playing baseball. Our wrestling coach should do the same thing.

I never opened the door to comparisons the AD did in the article. I just went with it. Wrestlers are different animals than any other athlete. Physical pain, self deprivation on an entirely different scale. It doesn't take much to lose heart in that sport, live on an orange and a glass of water every meal for weeks at a time, with one good meal after weigh in. Work out in rubber suits until midnight in a basement with the heater full bore. Now try try to go to school and retain anything, go to practice and not "dog it". Then actually get out on the mat and perform, sometimes 3 to 4 times in a day during tournaments. That was just high school for me. Then tell me if you wouldn't rather just get an extra job to pay for college rather than continue to put your body through that crap. South Dakota has great D2 talent with a couple D1 wrestlers, you aren't going to convince any D1 potential wrestler in South Dakota to come to SDSU over Iowa, ISU, UNI, Nebraska for half a scholarship and all the oranges and water they can drink. There is very little glory in wrestling, those other schools have packed houses, something most wrestlers can't even fathom. As for NDSU 6-9 and one wrestler to the tournament is a huge success then I guess we were right on target in a year or two.

[HoboD]

Re: Jason Liles resigns as Wrestling Coach

I never opened the door to comparisons the AD did in the article. I just went with it. Wrestlers are different animals than any other athlete. Physical pain, self deprivation on an entirely different scale. It doesn't take much to lose heart in that sport, live on an orange and a glass of water every meal for weeks at a time, with one good meal after weigh in. Work out in rubber suits until midnight in a basement with the heater full bore. Now try try to go to school and retain anything, go to practice and not "dog it". Then actually get out on the mat and perform, sometimes 3 to 4 times in a day during tournaments. That was just high school for me.

You just made me shiver with some BAAAAAAD memories!

[SD-STATE]

Re: Jason Liles resigns as Wrestling Coach

With the move to Division 1, even though wrestling was fast tracked after two years for post-season elegibility, many quality kids left the program at the begining of the transition. Wrestling is not a sport to have nothing to work for for even two years. The program was scrapped to the bone talent wise at that point. Other than the fast track, there has been little investment in the program.Since the move to D-1, SDSU has funded only 7.5 of the 10 scholarships allowed in Division 1 wrestling. Also, just this past year, was something resembling a team room at the HPER center finished. While, basketball, football, volleyball, baseball, equestrian, off the top of my head, have seen some level of program facility investment from the university well before then. Also being two-full time assistants short, not even having one until this past season has hurt the program as well not only in improvement skills wise with added coaching and consistentcy, but recruiting as well. There is plenty of talent in the region for SDSU to have, but to have only one full-time coach in recruiting obviously hurts. SDSU will most likely never be a Minnesota, Iowa, Iowa State, Nebraska in recruiting. State will have to find those hidden gems and the scraps that are left after the big programs pick over the region. There is still the talent left, I believe, in the region to be successful. A coach, with two-full time assistants and a full scholarship allotment would be able to do alot for the success of the program. The young assistant coach, Eustice, would be a strong candidate for the position. An All-American at Iowa, top high school wrestler from MN, who's dad Jack Eustice was one of the best high school coaches in the state for many years. A lot of potential for the networking that has been deemed crucial in other sports. I believe Liles did the best he could, for what he had to work with, which was much less than alot of the schools SDSU competes against and is often compared too. Just my 2 cents.