October 17, 2025 âą 44 mins
𧱠âBuild It Brick by Brick: Culture, Courage, and the Lynchburg Wayâ đ€Œââïž
What does it take to build a college program from zeroâculture first, wins second, significance always? In this episode, Coach Vinny Barber returns (last seen in Episode 15) as the newly named Head Menâs Wrestling Coach at the University of Lynchburg to unpack the real work of starting something enduring. We talk through the vision for a state-of-the-art wrestling facility, the standards that shape day-one culture, and how to lead athletes through uncertainty with clarity, humility, and edge.
Vinny reflects on lessons from the University of the Ozarksâincluding NWCA Academic All-Americans, NCAA DIII qualifiers, conference champions, and a 2024 team titleâand how those experiences inform everything from staff hiring to practice design to athlete development. We also explore his time with River Valley Wrestling Club and FloWrestling, and why storytelling and systems both matter when youâre building a program meant to last.
đŻ If youâre a coach, AD, or parent who cares about process over hype and character over shortcuts, this oneâs for you.
đ And donât miss Part 2, where we go deep on recruiting: communication, evaluation, and building Lynchburgâs first roster.
Learn more about Coach Barber: lynchburgsports.com/staff-directory/vinny-barber/363
Explore podcasts, weekly blogs, Significant Recruiting books, Launchpad classes, and speaking: coachmattrogers.com
Learn more and connect with Matt Rogers here: https://linktr.ee/coachmattrogers
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:10):
Welcome back to the SignificantCoaching Podcast, i'm your host,
Matt Rogers.
Today's episode is a reunioncoach Vinny Barber is back.
You may remember him fromepisode 15 when we talked about
his journey as one of the risingyoung voices in college
wrestling.
Well, a lot has changed sincethen.
Coach Barber was recentlyannounced as the head men's
wrestling coach at theUniversity of Lynchburg, where
(00:33):
he's been tasked with somethingfew coaches ever get the chance
to do, build a college wrestlingprogram from the ground up.
That means recruiting the firstroster.
Yeah, establishing a culture andhelping design a brand new
state-of-the-art wrestlingfacility that will serve
generations of Hornet wrestlers.
When Lynchburg hits the mat inthe Old Dominion Athletic
(00:55):
Conference, the OD DAC in 20 26,27.
It will be the result of yearsof work recruiting, planning,
and laying the foundation forsomething special before taking
this leap.
Coach Barber made a name forhimself at the University of
Ozarks, where his teams producednine NWCA Academic All Americans
(01:16):
seven NCAA division, threeNational Qualifiers, 13
Conference Champions, and a 2024Sly Act team Championship.
He also founded it, led theRiver Valley Wrestling Club,
helping young wrestlers chasenational dreams while staying
grounded in community andcharacter.
This conversation isn't justabout wrestling, it's about
(01:39):
vision, culture, and the courageto start something new.
Quick reminder for weekly blogs,recruiting services, speaking
inquiries, and my significantrecruiting books and launchpad
classes.
Head over to coach mattrogers.com.
All right, let's jump into it.
Here's my conversation withCoach Vinny Barber, the new head
(01:59):
men's wrestling coach at theUniversity of Lynchburg.
Coach Barber.
So great to see you.
How's it feel to be the firstreturning guest to the podcast?
It's fun.
I'm excited.
I'm glad we have the opportunityto do this again.
Just different colors just goaround.
Absolutely.
I miss talking to you.
It's been too long.
You and I chat every once in awhile, but I wanted to get you
(02:21):
on, talk about this newtransition in your life,
transition in your career.
Talk about Lynchburg and how hasthat transition from one school
to the other been for you.
It's been a, it's, it was toughin the beginning.
It all happened really fast.
I don't know if I would've everleft the Ozark.
I said that all the time.
Yeah.
I was like, recruits andfamilies like, Hey, you ever
gonna leave?
I think I mentioned that to you.
(02:41):
I'm like, I could be hereforever.
So when the opportunity came, itall happened within three or
four days.
Getting out here, flown outhere, interviewed, accepted the
job, all within a week.
So it was tough in thebeginning, I bought a house
sight on scene and trying to getout here as fast as I could, but
it was tough.
But I think, I'm in a muchbetter head space now that I'm
here and things are reallyrolling.
(03:02):
Yeah I don't think peopleunderstand, I've left two.
Coaching jobs that I basicallybuilt from nothing and how hard
that was on my soul to leavethose kids that you recruited.
42% of the kids that went tocollege last year, I think it
was, went into the portal andtransferred.
Yeah.
So it's.
(03:22):
It is one of those things thatyou have to understand if you're
on the outside looking in.
Coaches have lives too.
They have to make decisions thatare best for them.
Sometimes it's'cause of family,I, yeah, I left a job because of
my wife.
We left, I left another jobbecause we had some parents that
weren't doing well and we hadkids and one would be close to
family.
So everybody's got their reasonsand it's, and I don't think
(03:45):
people understand how hard it ison us to leave those kids in
that.
Yeah, it was really hard.
It was probably the hardestthing I had to do.
I remember like yesterday, likewalking in, I called a few of
our older guys early on and told'em what was going on, and then
I told them all at study halland it was hard.
It was really hard for me.
I'd been at the Ozarks for sevenyears at that point, got into it
at infancy, really built it upto something special there with
(04:07):
some really good people aroundme.
And it was hard, but I'll tellyou, and I don't mean this in a
bad way, but kids are prettyresilient.
They were okay with it.
And I think.
I think to your point, I likethe portal.
In today's day and age incollege athletics, the kids
understand it.
I felt myself explaining myselfto a lot of our older guys and
they were like, coach, no we getit, man.
And I was like, okay.
And I think they genuinely do.
(04:28):
I still keep in touch with someof them.
Yeah, my assistant took over forme.
There he is the head coach,Nathan.
So I've still been really tiedin with the program but they get
it.
It's just hard.
Definitely when you build it Ibuilt it and it's man, that's
even harder.
I miss, I miss, Ms.
Rich, I miss Joey.
I miss some people out there.
Yeah.
It's where I started my career,every change is good.
Change.
It is.
It is.
And it's a great growth processfor us as coaches when we do
(04:51):
make that change.
'cause we have to reevaluate ourvalue system.
We have to reevaluate ourpriority system.
And it's nice to be wanted tooon the other side of that.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's nice that somebodybelieves in you to say, Hey,
we'd like you to come do whatyou've been doing at our place.
Oh, yeah, no, that was fun.
After when I got the call, wehad just gotten back from the
national tournament and had adecent shelling out there.
(05:12):
But it was just nice because,like Lynchburg's really good at
athletics.
It's Division three C andthey're one of the best athletic
departments in the country.
So to get a call and have theopportunity to do it here was
something really special.
And it was nice.
I know it's like a little bit ofstroke of the ego, but it was
nice to have somebody recognizethe work I was doing and want me
to do the same work here.
Yeah.
(05:34):
And you've earned it.
I remember a young man I workedwith five, six years ago that
was.
Unsure of himself and not quitesure where he was headed and was
working so hard.
To do a thousand differentthings at an elite level.
Yeah.
(05:54):
That he forgotten how importantit was to take care of himself
and his health.
Do you remember that guy?
Oh yeah.
Oh yeah.
What's changed for you and howyou go about.
Viewing your job with that.
That thing we talk about all thetime.
That, yep.
Life balance.
Where's where?
(06:15):
Come for you.
So I think, and I don't, I'm notdogging on the town I was in
before, but being in a town likeLynchburg was a big step too.
I looked at taking this job one,it's a big town, big, Liberty
universities out here, sothere's a lot of people out
here, right?
It's 10 x the size of where Iwas at.
So the opportunity to come outhere and build a family was
definitely, a priority for meand something that could be
accomplished, right.
But I said it all the time.
(06:35):
I said it on my interview.
I even, I mentioned it to Richwhen I was leaving.
I was like, man, coaching at theOzarks.
It's, and it's not product ofthe Ozarks, it's products of
what I was doing.
It felt like dog ears.
It felt like one year was seven,right?
Yeah.
And I think it was because I putso much on.
Myself and so much like I triedto do so many things at once and
something that's really specialabout Lynchburg and that I was
(06:55):
able to vet along the interviewprocess was we have, we are
really resourced here, so I knowthat I can put my head down at
night and know that my guys aretaken care of and that are my
program's taken care of, butothers around me and it's not
just me.
It doesn't just fall on me.
We just got done building outthis facility.
It's the biggest facility inDivision three wrestling.
Our ad, our assistant ad othercoaches, so many people here
(07:15):
helping which was inspiring,right?
And I could get that vibe.
And when, you're surrounded bypeople that will like, I say
pick up the slack when you'renot around or have your back,
right?
Have, really have your back at ahigh level.
It allowed me to realize I cantake a step back sometimes.
And also as I get older and likemy priorities change, like I
still wanna win, I still wannacreate a really good program.
But as I get a little older, I'mlike, where am I heading?
(07:36):
And how do I balance that andmake it really healthy for me so
that I enjoy it And being aroundcoaches like I have here who've
been doing this for.
20 plus years and reallymastered that like work-life
balance has been helpful too.
I came here more, a lot for me,selfishly, to keep growing as a
coach and get better as a coachand a person in coaching, as
well as being able to build abetter program.
(07:57):
I think that's one of thebiggest things I miss about
being a co, being a collegecoach, is to be able to walk
across the office to somebodythat's done it for 20 years and
go, Hey.
I'm dealing with this.
How would, how have you handledthis?
Or how would you how would youperceive that?
It's such a, it's such a benefitthat I think we can take for
granted in the moment.
(08:18):
To have that many people thathave are a resource for you and
what you're doing.
Yeah.
You can't walk down the street,you can't go to the mall, you
can't go to the grocery store.
And you might meet a hundredpeople and probably a hundred of
those people have no idea whatit's like to be a coach.
No idea.
Yep.
Yeah, exactly.
Exactly.
That's why I struggle going to,Christmas parties in our
neighborhoods.
Everybody's in it or businessand you just don't understand
(08:42):
what we're dealing with.
How Oh, yeah.
How much emotion we carry on ourshoulders every day as a coach,
right?
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
And here, like we have probably,I wanna say 70 people on the, in
our athletic staff.
So there's Wow.
Somebody for everybody, right?
Like our lacrosse coach has beenhere 20 plus years.
All their coach our soccercoach, our men's soccer coach,
and I really buddied up earlyon.
He's been really helpful.
(09:03):
All of them have been reallygood and we have such a tight.
Bond amongst all of us that workin athletics.
We just had an athletics meetingthis morning, all coaches
meeting and just looking aroundthe gym again and man, we're in
the gym having to have thismeeting'cause it's the only
space big enough to fit us all.
And we all work really hard.
And I think, seeing everybody'sfamilies involved and it's a
really special place for that.
But it's really giving me abetter perspective.
(09:23):
'cause I feel like the odd guyout.
I'm probably one of the onlyhead coaches out of family right
now, and I'm like, all right, Ineed my little kids running
around the soccer game, watchingalong with everybody else's here
soon.
Yeah it's so funny.
I just, kyle Cooks, who's thehead baseball coach at Central
Missouri.
He and I had become friendsafter he was on the show, and
his wife just posts a picture.
He's out scouting and his7-year-old son or 8-year-old son
(09:47):
sitting right there with himtaking notes says he's scouting.
I'm like, yeah, that's what I,that's what I didn't get.
My kids were little when Istepped down and got out of
coaching, so I hear you.
But man, enjoy being a coach ofbeing single man.
It's fun.
It'll change once you have kids.
If you get married, man, it'llchange.
Yeah, for sure.
What advice would you give ayoung coach who's gotten that
(10:12):
first head coaching job?
What advice would you give'emnow that you've gone through
this and you're building aprogram from scratch to a new
school.
What does that look like?
Yeah, it's funny'cause I'm I'mstill in that spot, right?
'cause I'm still very close withthe coach at the Ozarks.
I'm still doing that.
It's, some things I look at, I'mlike, oh, I wanna help out more.
And I think the biggest advicethat I can give people is and I
(10:32):
learned this, and one of'em isyou don't, you think you're
ready for it, but you never are.
You're never ready to be a headcoach.
And that's fine.
That's what it is, right?
Like it was told to me rightbefore I took over at the Ozarks
was like, you're not ready forthis.
Not in a bad way, but you justdon't know what you don't know
until you have to know it.
But a lot of it's just likebeing really humble and really
vulnerable.
(10:52):
Like I'm doing, I'm redoing itall here.
I've been head coach for awhile.
I'm pretty I feel like I'mdecently experienced, but I'm
doing it again, right?
Learning the processes here,learning everything here, and
being able to have conversationsand ask other coaches how have
they been successful?
How do they navigate this?
And really just beingvulnerable, right?
That's one of our team thingstoo.
We're really vulnerable with ourguys, understand where our weak
points are and where ourpositives are.
(11:14):
And for me it's, I would tellpeople like, Hey be.
Humble in the fact and okay inthe fact that you don't know
what's what you don't know.
But don't and then I think it'slike trying to figure out like,
do you.
It's a tough one to say it thisway, but it's like you still
gotta work hard at that, right?
Understand what you don't know.
But go back to the drawingboard.
And I think too, most coachesprobably had a pretty successful
(11:34):
athletic career, so it's hardfor them to rewind time again
and be back.
And I say it, like we have Ihave a new assistant here and I
said it to the guys who tookover from me.
He is like, Hey.
You weren't really good atwrestling when you first
started, right?
So you are not gonna coach'emwhen you first start, and that's
okay.
And you're still never where youwant to be in your sport, even
at your pinnacle, right?
You always want to get better.
And that's the same thing, likeI I ask our guys to put a
(11:55):
national championship leveleffort every single day and into
their work.
I ask myself the same thing, andthat's what I would ask give
advice to coaches.
Like it's work again, it's justa different, it just looks
different.
I'm not slapping hands andwrestling, I'm like.
I'm meeting with my ad, I'mmeeting with donors.
I'm recruiting.
It's the sa it's all justrelative to where you're at.
But just when I was an athleteHey coach, how do I do this now?
(12:15):
It's, Hey, coach Kudelka, who'sbeen the lacrosse coach at
Lynchburg for 20 plus years,like in the national tournament
every year.
Like, how do I do this here?
It's just relative where you'reat just being vulnerable and
willing to ask people for help.
I've, you and I have probablytalked about this before, I know
I've talked about it on thepodcast a few times, but.
I have files from 2000 on mycomputer.
(12:38):
I was a head coach for the firsttime.
Yeah.
25 years ago.
And it's so funny when I look atthose files,'cause that first
year I had one folder.
It was just like everything wasin one folder.
Year two, I had three folders.
Yeah.
Year three I had seven folders,and by the time I got to like
year seven or eight, I had 25folders like you're talking
about.
I had fundraising, travel yeah.
(13:00):
Practice plans, have you foundthat in your seven, eight years
as a head coach now?
That part of the transition'seasier because you have, you've
built so many templates, you'vebuilt so many things that are
just Yeah, automatic where youcan change Lynchburg and change
a couple names and, yep.
Yeah, I'm sorry.
(13:21):
And I think, yeah, for sure.
I think a lot of it is a lot ofpeople, some coaches tell me
like, Hey, Lynchburg can betotally different.
Scrap what?
And I'm like, I don't know.
I don't know if that's the routeto take.
Yeah.
I think it's just adapting whatI know already.
So the type of recruit here is alittle different than I was
getting in my last place.
The culture out here isdifferent.
A lot of things are different.
The don't the fundraisingefforts out here are just.
(13:42):
They're catered a littledifferently, but I'll tell you
right, like in the, you talkabout a template, like we used
to go to University of Arkansasand work their parking well.
I've already called LibertyUniversity to work their
parking.
Like some things don't have tochange, right?
They just kind of workgeographically where you're at.
But a lot of the things that Ilearned as a head coach are.
Interchangeable.
I think once you get that rhythmdown and how to navigate certain
(14:03):
things and you find out whatworks for you, I don't think as
much as what works for eachspecific university, I think
it's like what works for eachcoach to be able to navigate the
problem ahead.
Yeah.
And then just adapt to thedifferent things, right?
We had some things that werereally strong at Thes Arks that
helped me do my job better thatmaybe aren't so strong over here
at Lynchburg and vice versa.
So I'm still like beating thatsame drum.
(14:24):
I'm just adapting it to be, towork a little better in, in this
situation.
Yeah.
I love it.
I wanna get into practiceplanning with you a little bit.
Yeah.
Because I know you're, areyou're, are you gonna have some
kind of a club season this year?
Yeah, we got like a club season.
We're actually kinda likekicking that off here soon, now
that our facility's done.
But yeah we officially startnext year.
(14:44):
This year is just a lot oftraveling, a lot of recruiting
and that part of it.
Will you have any will you doany competitions though?
So the guys that we have oncampus will go to do some opens.
They train on their own throughthe club and then they'll go
wrestle some opens.
Yep.
Can you coach them once?
I told I can't coach'em.
I can't really be involved inthat.
Okay.
Unfortunately.
But we do have a club coach.
(15:04):
We were really lucky to likefall into a town where this kid
who was a two time, he was twotime all American Division two
actually had some collegecoaching experience lives in the
area.
And one day we were working outat a local club.
He says, Hey, I wanna help.
So he'll be our club coach andhe's like a local high school
teacher, young kid, 20, maybe myage, actually like 30.
And he's helping out and he'llbe our club coach.
So he'll be able to be there forthose guys at that time and kind
(15:27):
of work with them throughout theseason as me and my assistant,
and spending time on the roadrecruiting.
What a great benefit to have ayear to figure out who you want
to be as you're Oh yeah.
As you're bringing in the talentyou want.
Yep.
Talk.
Talk to me a little bit.
Have you started thinking aboutpractices?
'cause you've got differentfacilities now.
Yeah.
You're starting to learn whatthe class schedule's gonna look
(15:47):
like.
Have you started thinking aboutwhat you want your practices to
look like and how you want yourassistance?
Yeah.
So it's funny you bring that up.
'cause now that our facilitieslike done and functional Sammy,
my assistant Sammy and I weretalking, we're like, Hey man,
we're gonna live a day every nowand again'cause we got some
time.
But as an athlete, right?
We're gonna have, we're gonna goto a study hall room from seven
to eight, and then we're gonnasay we have an eight 30 class on
(16:10):
the farthest side of campus.
Can we do that?
And our facility we're reallylucky.
It's beautiful, but it's alittle bit off campus, about
five, six minutes.
So now it's, we're gonna workout till six.
We're gonna shower and we'regonna see can we get back to
campus in time to eat dinner andwhat changes do we need to make?
So we're actually gonna be likeour te our own test subjects and
really feel everything out andthen plan accordingly from
(16:32):
there.
Now we do have some luxurieshere at Lynchburg, that help us,
like the dinner thing, we are,we're unique in the sense that
our meal hall is owned in house.
Contract out like Synex orAramark.
So you know, if we need to pushthat back to seven 30 closing
time, we can.
And those are all things that,because a lot of the recruits
have those questions, right?
How are we gonna get thepractice if we don't have our
car?
And all of those little thingsthat I guess sometimes you can
(16:54):
overlook.
And so we're we're living that,we're gonna live as an a college
athlete sometimes and walk toclasses and see what that really
feels like and best suit ourpractices for that.
'cause having the facility offcampus is a is awesome, but it
does come with some.
Some challenges that I've neverfaced.
If you don't, if you wait until35, 40 freshmen are on campus in
(17:16):
fall and then you wanna figurethat out, you're doomed.
And that's the other thing is,and I was telling Sammy, I was
like, man, we got 35 freshmen.
It's not like we got 35 dudesand 20 or transfers like they're
freshmen, they're new tocollege.
So we have to answer a lot ofthose questions ourselves now.
So that they're,'cause they'realready gonna be behind just
being as, being freshmen incollege and adjusting to that.
(17:38):
Yeah it's wild.
I don't know if I told you this,but I'm, I am consulting with a
college out in Oregon andthey've never had an athletic
department before and we're, I'mbuilding it, so I'm literally
recruiting.
Cross country team for men andwomen.
Men's soccer team.
Yeah.
And a women's soccer team thisyear for another college.
Yeah.
To get'em ready to beat nextfall as we as I hire coaches.
(17:58):
Wow.
Yeah.
And it's amazing how many ofthose things that I'm thinking
about right now.
Because.
We won't have on campusfacilities, so everything's
gonna be a drive, a hike, a bikeride, and your season's in the
middle of winter, even thoughit's Oh yeah.
It's, you live in a statethat's, not known for, it's
really cold, but you get snowand it's gets cold.
(18:19):
Oh, yeah.
So it's really cool that you'reseeing those things ahead of
time and you get to adjust.
Yeah.
I'm curious about how.
You talked about the kind of thepractice plan you're putting
through to how to prepare andsee if this is gonna work.
Yeah.
How do you imagine freshmenhandling that when they get
(18:42):
there in terms of, wow, I'venever had to drive somewhere or
get on a bus to get there.
How do you see them handlingsome of those obstacles or
changes that they've never hadbefore?
Yeah, so I kinda, I like,'causeI thought about that immediately
as taking the job, right?
A lot of people, and I look atthings like backwards, right?
If I am the next best school inVirginia, how am I gonna recruit
(19:04):
against Lynchburg?
It's oh, their campus off theirfacility's off campus.
That's not gonna be fun.
And the way I look at, it's yeahlike when you, when you're like
a high level athlete, you morethan likely, like when you're in
the NFL, you live and you driveto practice.
Yeah.
So we're, we've went that route,we're gonna treat this as such a
high level program, yourfacility's off campus.
'cause there is nowhere oncampus that could house the
(19:26):
biggest division three wrestlingfacility in the country.
You couldn't have this oncampus.
We're so lucky to have this off.
It's all how you message it.
And I gotta have to message thatto myself at first too.
But I believe it now that I'mlike here.
But it's it's selling it thatway.
And then also.
I'm very upfront in therecruiting process about that is
Hey, you're gonna,'cause themoms ask all the time, like, how
(19:46):
are they gonna get there?
And I, the first few I was like,we'll figure it out.
And then I'm like, that's not agood enough answer.
I'm like, that one's not good.
And so I adapted.
I'm like, yeah we'll have apath.
We'll have a pathway.
And the nice thing, everyone canhave cars on campus.
And again, it kind that's gonnago into what we do this year.
We'll,'cause we have a few likeathletic only vans and we own
our own buses, so that part'sreally easy.
(20:06):
And my ad is very like, detailoriented and when every time I
bring it up to him, he's verycalm about it.
So I'm very confident that we'llhave that figured out and that's
what I portray forth.
But it is I tell freshmen it'sHey, I'm recruiting you.
(20:28):
And I'm recruiting you becauseof wrestling and a lot of
things, but I'm also gonna taskyou with being a junior.
As a freshman, right?
Like I, I'm looking for the guywho wants to be the leader and
build this with me, but is gonnatake on like some big boy
responsibilities that a typicalfreshman wouldn't.
And I'm very honest, if thekid's Hey, if you're down for
that, great.
Some kids don't want that,right?
(20:50):
And that's gonna be the early ondilemma.
Everyone's oh, you haven'tproven you're a good program
yet.
I don't think that mattersbecause I think, again, like you
could be.
You could have a great team oneyear and a bad one next year,
like just'cause you're havingsuccess Tradition programs that
helps recruiting, don't get mewrong, but I think my biggest.
Thing.
The obstacle that I'm veryupfront with is I'm recruiting
(21:10):
you here to step in and be adude immediately.
And some kids really love thatand I task them with this
responsibility you're gonnabuild this alongside of us as
Sammy and I, and build somethingreally special here, but that,
here's what that looks like.
And that's not just working outreally hard in the room.
That's how do we get involved inthe community?
And you're a freshman, you'restill cha, you're still
adjusting to college.
(21:31):
Like here comes all these othertasks of what does it look like
to be a part of a brand newprogram?
Because I think a lot of youngcoaches taking over programs,
they want success so fast.
Yeah.
So they get what I would say,almost like they'll get a
transfer who could be like aculture killer?
Like the worst thing I can do isget a transfer who's like a
risky kid and he's the best kidon my team and his culture's
(21:51):
bad, right?
Like that just dooms you for theeternity.
So it's recruiting really highlevel kids who are high level
humans who.
Understand what they're gettingthemselves into.
And yeah, we're like, we'regoing after good wrestlers.
And usually high performing,high school athletes are going
to fall in line with that beliefand that ideology.
But it's definitely a, if I wasthem, that's cool, right?
(22:13):
Like I get to do that.
Some kids don't love it.
And I think that's.
That's made the recruitingprocess a little easier.
But I got kids, we've got five,we went five visits.
These, our past five visits, allcommitted on the spot.
Wow.
And I was like, Ooh, this placeis special.
And we didn't even have afacility built at that point.
It was just a vision of what wecould do.
So that was really cool to seethat.
But it's asking these freshmento come and be juniors and.
(22:36):
That's a unique ask.
But kids, some kids really wantthat, and that's who we're
looking for.
I'm not so sure coach, that'snot the question we ask every
freshman.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Just to, you just see what,where their character is.
I know when I'm working with a16 or s year old for the first
time, and I'm coaching themthrough this journey that we're
(22:56):
about to go on together withrecruiting, and the question,
one of the questions I alwaysask early on is.
Do you want a program that'salready proven or do you want a
program where you get to buildthat legacy?
And I phrase it that way.
Yeah.
Because I don't think kids thinkthat way.
They're like, oh, I get tobuild, I get to create that
(23:16):
legacy.
That's cool.
And it's how many kids go.
I don't know if I wanna go intosomeplace that's already done
this.
They've already, it's how am Igonna be special?
How am I gonna stand out whenthey've got 30 All Americans
already in 25 years, I get to gosomeplace and maybe be the first
All American there.
Yep.
(23:36):
That's pretty powerful.
Yeah, no, and that resonatedpretty well with me when my,
'cause we we got banners madealready.
And so many of my coachingbuddies, they're like, damn,
that's a nice facility, but youalready got banners.
I'm like, yeah, we do.
'cause I was hesitant, I'll behonest.
And I'm the guy who's let'sbuild this.
My ad was like, no, I want thekids to see the banners that
they'll be on one day.
And I was like, Ooh, that's socool.
(23:57):
Heck yeah.
That's awesome.
So those banners are up, thatwas like his thing.
And he put'em up and they're bigand they say National Champ, and
they don't got nobody's name on'em.
And they say Academic AllAmerican and Conference Champ.
And it's who's first?
And that's powerful to come frommy boss, right?
Like my guy, my coach, my headcoach is telling me, was that
his idea?
(24:17):
Was that his plan?
Yes.
Tell'em I'm coming for him herein the next couple of months on
the show, because that is justpure brilliance in terms of the
visualization every single dayof what we're doing here.
Yeah.
And we're not telling you haveto have a name there.
It's not, we're not telling you,you have to do this tomorrow,
but we're telling you that'sit's there when you're ready.
(24:39):
Yeah.
That's what we're building.
Yeah.
And that, yeah.
And that was something I'll tellyou along the whole building of
this facility has been.
Where I think another thing we,back to the, one of the first
questions you asked me is like,how did I how did I start to
like work life balance a littlebit?
I re I took our facility as likea, the first step of me is
growing as a coach.
So we have a whole weight roomin here, like a full functioning
(25:00):
weight room.
Not like one rack, like a fullweight room.
A full training room like normtech, ice tub, heat packs, like
everything you'd get in a normalcollege training room.
And then we have a massivefacility and they asked me like
our assistant, one of ourassistant athletic directors is
our head athletic trainer andthe other one is our head
strength coach and then our adand they were like, what do you
(25:21):
need?
Tell us how this flows.
'cause they're new to wrestling.
And then I could just vibe thatthey were really excited and I
was like, here's the firstopportunity for me to like.
Back off a little bit, right?
Like I trust them, I'm gonnatrust them in this facility and
help them like build it out.
And I started, I told them all,I said, you guys are doing your
(25:41):
job out of my facility, like ourhead at.
I said, Hey Carolyn, you'redoing your job as the head
athletic trainer to take care ofour athletes.
You just happen to be in myfacility.
You put in there what you need.
And same thing with our strengthcoaches.
Hey, you're working with ourathletes.
This is your, like your field.
I'm not.
Crossing that boundary I trustyou.
And it was nice to not have tocontrol the whole thing, right?
And you walk around this placeand you're like, man, that came
(26:04):
together really well.
So it was nice to have the faithand then the trust that it got
done.
And then our athletic director'sreally good with like audio and
visual and the aesthetics ofthings.
And I think I'm pretty good atit.
But like he crushes it and, thestereo system he put in here and
the system that links all theTVs together and just the little
touches that.
I even missed along the way,like where, how are we gonna
(26:25):
flow in people in here sothey're crossing not through the
locker room and things likethat.
And seeing so many people,again, like the phrase used
before, like having my back andseeing what we want to build
here has been like nothing butinspiring and making this a
really fun thing to do everysingle day.
How much fun is that?
Yeah.
And I think it speaks volumescoach to your growth.
(26:46):
'cause I think seven years ago.
You're the guy with eight cansof paint, sing the walls, trying
to figure out what paint youwant, and losing three days to
that.
Am I wrong?
Yeah, I think at one point Itold you in my office back then,
I said I don't let anybody doanything but me.
It's so great.
I'm so happy for you.
'cause that's what we all dreamof as coaches, is to have those
(27:10):
people that are as passionate asyou about your program as you
are.
That can take some of thatweight off where you can focus
on being what you're best at.
And that's coaching andmentoring and yeah, building
relationships.
And that's fantastic becauseyou're gonna have such a heavy
freshman class next year, andyou're gonna have so many
(27:30):
newcomers.
You've coached through the grindto division three.
You know how hard it's, just thebalance that these kids are
going through and the fact thatyou really aren't on the mat
with them for six, seven monthsoutta the year.
Where they gotta do a lot ofwork on their own.
What's the biggest mistakefreshmen make when they think
(27:52):
I'm ready for college wrestling?
Yeah, I think it's, I think it'sthat it's thinking they're
ready, right?
Because you're never ready,right?
So it's realizing hey, we'renever ready.
And I think as, ascounterproductive as this might
sound, so a good buddy of minecoaches at Cortland and he's
yeah, I don't even let thefreshmen in the room right away.
And I'm like, good.
'cause it burn them.
Like the college wrestlingseason is already longer than
(28:14):
the high school wrestlingseason.
And we did a thing a few yearsago at Ozarks.
It burnt me.
We had freshmen come up early inthe summer and that didn't work.
They all fizzled out.
Most of them quit, didn'treturn.
And it was like, oh, becausethat season's so long, like the
college wrestling season's solong, it's such a grind.
But getting freshmen ready and Itell'em that's.
First few months before five,six weeks before I really can
(28:35):
get my like hands on you.
Is their job to figure collegeout, right?
I tell'em, I say, Hey, the firsttwo weeks, that's when you have
your fun, right?
That's when you do everythingthe college kids want to do.
Come week two, two, and one dayit's game time, right?
Now I want you, whether or notwe have study hall yet, or
practice at 6:00 AM you'rewaking up at six and just go
walk around outside.
I don't care.
(28:55):
Don't fall back asleep till nineand your first class is at nine
30.
Right?
Start to build that routinebecause it, like phasing in,
right?
Like you phase in these changesin your life that are drastic,
right?
I laugh all the time.
Like kids, sometimes theirbiggest problem is they bleach
their colored clothes, right?
Like they didn't mean to, butthey don't have to do laundry,
right?
So there's so many things thatthey're about to adjust to.
(29:16):
So I always phase in thoseadjustments, knowing that in
three months they're up at 6:00AM they're doing something,
they're going to class all day,they're eating good, they're
doing all this, and they'reprobably going to bed around
nine, 10 o'clock after me takingfour or five hours of their day
every day.
And how do you phase them andprepare them for that and make
them feel confident that when itcomes, they're ready.
'cause I think that's whereyou'll lose a lot of kids, is
(29:37):
they get so overwhelmed onOctober 15th when the first day
of practice rolls around.
It's oh, this is the first timeI'm waking up early.
And I'm so nervous because Idon't know if I can manage the
whole day.
Where it's like we just give'emlittle doses of it.
Like little doses of it.
And then we do a lot of teambuilding.
That's a big one.
Team building in the beginningof the year.
I found the best team buildingto be through.
(29:57):
There's definitely value indoing fun team building, but I
say things that aren't superfun, like our fundraising at
five in the morning everyonegets together on how much they
hate coach'cause they're up soearly.
But it's fun and they gettogether and it's, there's all
different types of ways to getyour team together and
sometimes, and.
A common enemy might help aswell.
I think telling freshmen Hey,prepare yourself slowly.
Like I, you can't just turn thatswitch on and off when you want.
(30:19):
You gotta gradually, increasethe intensity on that switch
until you're ready to turn itall the way on.
I love that.
It's that Herb Brooks mentality,from the US Olympics hockey, I
can't get'em to buy into eachother.
I gotta give'em something theycan do together.
And if they gotta hate me, theygotta hate me.
I, I've been down that roadplenty.
Oh yeah.
We all want Dan Gable.
(30:41):
We all want that kid that'snever, that's undefeated 130 and
oh through high school,everything you.
Everything he's done on theMaddy's won.
Yeah.
How important is it for you tosee a recruit handle losing
before they get it's big.
I, I think out here wrestling isa bit different culture wise
(31:01):
than where I was at in that partof the United States where I was
previously at.
I always tell kids, like for me,I'm recruiting kids who are
really good people, right?
And I have parents ask me allthe time, and I don't think
they're like fishing forcompliments, but they're like,
why my son?
And I'm always like, and Iprobably, this is probably like
a bad answer.
To them at the time, but I'malways like,'cause I think it's
the right thing to do.
(31:22):
Like my gut tells me this isgood.
I look for kids that like I likespending time with, right?
Because I've spent a lot of timewith'em over the next four or
five years.
Finding the good high qualitykids who handle adversity well,
who handle everything that lifethrows at them, who have good
grades, who are doing everythingright.
I say, Sam, if Sammy and I can'tdevelop kids at wrestling, we
(31:45):
shouldn't be coaching collegewrestling, right?
Like that.
That's to me the fun part.
Adult recess happens from fourto six in this facility every
day.
Six to four is like my job.
That's helping them becomebetter people.
But I have to have a really goodperson to start with.
I don't like, look, they have tohave some credentials, right?
Like one of our things right nowis that you gotta be placed at
the Virginia State Tournament oryour high school state
(32:06):
tournament by the time you're ajunior.
Or else you got some otherthings about you that we see a
good upside on.
But most of the time, like thesekids are pretty good, but I'm
looking for really highcharacter kids.
And I, and it is important'causeI, everyone's like.
What do you see that I do goodin a wrestling match?
And I'm like it's the thingsthat I see that you don't do
that I like, if you lost, youdidn't throw your headgear, like
your mom and dad aren't in thestands screaming at the ref like
(32:28):
a maniac or the coach, right?
Those are things and I thinkthat's sometimes what people
lose sight on in recruiting is,oh my, there's a super high
level wrestling recruit thatrecently signed and.
It was a weird process for them,I just heard through the
grapevine that that the familyhad a little bit was a bit much.
And this is a pretty high levelkid, and it's like limited as
options, right?
(32:49):
Because again, I don't wannarecruit somebody who's got crazy
parents, right?
Or parents that are gonna callme every day or call my ad and
complain or I'm looking at thebiggest picture.
My job is getting the kids herewho I can have a really good
relationship with.
And between Sammy and I, wedevelop'em at wrestling.
'cause there's gonna be daysthat I've really hard
conversations with them and theygotta know that I care about
them.
(33:09):
So I can break down that barrierand get them to the next level.
But they don't wanna listen tome if they don't think I care
and I can.
I can pretty much like ourcommits already, like they were
up here visiting the other dayand it's like one of'em, like
every time he was like ahandshake and a hug and it felt,
I was like, this kid, he digsme, right?
And I think this kid, he's cool,family's cool, everything's
awesome, but it's oh, I know intwo years I'm gonna have a hard
(33:30):
conversation with this kid, butI know that I'm gonna be able to
just already, and is he the fourtime Virginia State champ?
Nope.
I don't know if like I'm notlooking for just that.
I want kids who are really highquality people who I connect
with at a level that matterswhen like the going gets really
rough and it won't surprise meif that's the type of kid that's
(33:51):
got their name on the bannerfirst.
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
I agree.
Yep.
I agree.
The kid that's just got thatdrive and work ethics, just
coach, whatever you tell me todo, I'm gonna do it and I'm
gonna do it again.
Yep.
And I'm gonna do it again.
And I'm gonna do it again.
That's, and that's probably onething I learned at my last
university is, and again, I'mnot throwing shade, but that
part of the United States isjust a little bit behind for
wrestling.
Last year we finished top 25 inthe country and we had five guys
(34:14):
on our starting lineup fromArkansas, Louisiana, which on
paper, if you ask most wrestlingcommunity, are probably two of
the lower ranked states,probably the lowest in the
country for wrestling.
Now they're getting better.
It's just the truth, right?
When you look at that state'snationals results at the Fargo
National Tournament, super 30twos, like they're sparsely
successful as a whole.
And so to see that 50% of mylineup last year was from those
(34:36):
states, and we did very good.
We did better.
We were up there academically.
We schools like U Chicago andfinishing top 25 in the ranking
to schools like Warburg, right?
That was telling because whatthat was a product of was 35
guys.
Who loved working hard, wholoved each other, and we could
connect with at a high level,and always to expect a high
(34:56):
level of performance from them.
And it didn't matter.
I don't think there was asingle, there might've been like
one state champ on that wholestarting lineup, and that's,
yeah.
And I've unheard of, I'm gonnaflip the switch a little bit,
what you were talking about.
What you're looking for in arecruit and what you hope it'll
be there and the things that youdon't wanna see.
Yeah.
(35:16):
When a family comes visits, theyleave, they get in their car on
the way home, what do you wantthem talking about?
Huh.
It's funny you say that.
'cause I just thought about thatrecently.
It's how do I want them leaving?
I want them leaving thinkingthis can be a place that I can
be every single day for the nextfour or five years.
Waking up even on my worst day,I'm happy that I chose Lynchburg
(35:40):
and Coach Barber and CoachHilligoss and Lynchburg
Wrestling and that universityand that place.
Even when it's man, am I evenmaking the right choice at the
end of the day, like I, I wakeup and it's yeah, I'm still
happy I'm here.
I tell kids all the time, yougotta love it more.
You gotta love it when you hateit the most, right?
And so when that outweighs it,it's good.
'cause there are gonna be timesyou hate this.
I want them talking about, howthey felt about the relationship
(36:02):
and I'm honest, sometimes kidsleave here.
They might be like, I don't knowif I like that guy.
Good.
Great.
That's fine.
I don't mean that to be brash.
At least we got to that pointpretty quick.
Because I'm pretty honest.
And I'm okay.
I tell families that all thetime.
You might walk and drive homeand say, not to fit.
Good.
That's okay.
Tell me and we'll move on.
That's part of life.
I want people leaving hereknowing like it's funny, I my
(36:23):
first ever visit.
I remember dropping him off atadmissions and going to meet him
at the field and he had aalready bought, like himself a
Polo and a Lynchburg bookstorebag, and I was like, oh, this
place sells itself.
This is easy.
But it's like that, right?
Like that, the time that they'reback in the car, it's.
Okay.
What's, how far of a drive is itto come?
See you on the, come see youwhen we wanna see you wrestle,
(36:45):
because this is where you'll be.
I want you leaving.
Knowing I just left my home forthe next four or five years.
Like I want, I like committingon the spot.
I never put a deadline on it,but I want people to go home and
not really question what they'regetting.
Hey, that coach is this,Lynchburg, is this, that place
is exciting.
This is what this is about.
This is what they do there.
And they have the full pictureof everything we do here, and
(37:07):
they like it or they don't.
But most times I want them,hopefully they're driving away
saying yeah, this is, I'mfilling out my application as
I'm driving out, I'm putting mydocuments into Lynchburg as
we're leaving the entrance.
As a dad with two kids, knowingyou, as long as I have, I would
be in the car going, and I mightnot say this to anybody myself,
(37:29):
but like I've got the surrogatefather I'm looking for my dad.
Yeah.
Person who can help them growwhere I've.
I'm done.
I, there's not much more I cando for this kid.
I got somebody in Coach VinnyBarber that's going to help them
get to that next stage of theirlife.
That's how I feel about you.
So I can imagine theconversations the parents are
(37:49):
having when they get in the car,that guy's gonna take care of
you, that guy's gonna guy haveyour back.
Yeah, and it's important Ithink, because I mean it, right?
Yeah it's funny sometimes, andI'm not being rude when I say
this, but sometimes people willleave a visit and be like, man.
That I, we didn't hear somethinglike that from another coach or
a coach of a school recruitingagainst.
One thing I try to really do,and it's not the game, I do this
(38:12):
'cause it's genuine.
It's like when you vi like Ihave a way to schedule visits
directly with us that blocks outanybody else that day.
The most I'll ever have is too,because I need to have time with
you.
I want, I might be one of theonly head coaches in division
three wrestling.
Spending eight hours with everysingle recruit that every hour
they're here.
Every minute that they're here.
I do the tours myself.
I do it all myself because Iwant them to see that.
(38:33):
And not that I don't have thesupport from others to do it.
I want them to see, Hey, I'mserious right now.
You are the center of my day.
You are the center of my worldtoday is recruit.
You are the recruit, you are thekid that I want to coach.
And I'm gonna show you that notjust 15 minutes in my office.
And some pictures in a singletbecause I'm gonna get bring you
to lunch.
We're gonna talk, we're gonnatalk about things like that you
(38:53):
want to talk about.
I'm gonna give you the floor totalk and I'm gonna learn about
you.
'cause I'll tell you, it doesn'thappen as often as you would
think, but as I'm, as I mightmake it sound, sometimes I leave
those and I'm like, Ooh, thatwasn't what I thought it was
gonna be.
But I need that too.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I'll give you a piece ofunsolicited advice that I give
(39:14):
to all coaches about visits.
'cause I was the same way.
I wanted them to know that I'mhere for you.
This isn't gonna be, I'm notpassing the buck to my
assistants about your visit, butone thing I always say, give'em
half an hour to an hour withjust your players.
Just your athletes.
Yeah.
Yep.
Because I think a family needsto go.
(39:34):
All right, coach Barber's.
Awesome.
Now I wanna find out from thekids.
We ask him, why'd you come here?
Why have you stayed?
What do you think of CoachBarber?
What do you like, what do youdon't like?
I always wanted my guys becompletely honest.
Yeah.
Be completely honest with thembecause if you tell'em, coach
Barber's gonna push you harderthan you've ever been pushed
(39:55):
before, and they don't wantthat, that just saved you four
years of pain with that kid.
Oh yeah.
Yeah.
And that's, that was somethingwe were good at my last place
too.
Like we would have big.
Like right before they were likeofficially gonna commit, we'd
have them all up at once and doan overnight and yeah.
I remember there was like onekid I really want, I wanted bad
and then my guys were like,coach, I just don't think so.
And I was like, yeah.
(40:17):
I believe you.
And I think in the long run itworked out better for both
parties.
But yeah, spending time with theathletes.
'cause they're the ones, and I'mtell my guys like exactly what
you're saying.
Hey, tell'em what's up man.
'cause I don't want, I'm sportyto wrestle for, it's hard to
wrestle for me.
And I don't want them beingshocked when they get here
because that's just more dramathan I need.
That's fantastic.
I it is just, it's.
It's such a fun world to figureout the puzzle pieces of what
(40:40):
you want it to look like, andyou've built, you're building a
brand new home and you get topick the furniture and the
wallpaper and the whatappliances you want.
And that's what's cool.
You've learned a lot.
You've had great success and nowyou got to go.
A perfect world.
What do I want this to looklike?
Yeah.
Can you get to do the same thingwith the classes you bring in
now?
I wanna talk recruiting with youin a second segment, but I wanna
(41:01):
do a little rapid fire with youfirst.
Yeah.
Do some fun stuff.
What's the first thing younotice when you watch a high
school wrestler compete?
What's the first thing younotice when you sit down?
The first thing I look for ishow is their body language and
how do they interact with theirteammates?
Okay.
Favorite quality in a recruit,grit talent or coachability?
(41:27):
Coachability.
Somebody who can take criticism.
'cause I can dish it out.
Somebody who can, who's notgonna be shocked when I tell'em
what's up.
Yeah.
Grit seems to come along withthat, doesn't it?
Yeah.
Yeah.
You gotta be tough to take thecriticism.
Better sign of a potentialathlete who hates to lose, or an
athlete who loves to train.
I think one who loves to train'cause they're pretty process
(41:47):
oriented.
If you hate to lose, you becomereally goal focused.
Wrestling's a sport, you need tobe process or every sport, but
you need to be fall in love withthe process.
Guys who love training they'relike, you just become like a
natural competitor.
But that's very process, like avery process oriented mind.
And you fall in love with theprocess and training you're
gonna, your outcomes.
You can never let be let down ifyou just love the process.
(42:10):
What's one word you wantrecruits to use when describing
Lynchburg wrestling?
Wow.
There's so many that comes tomind.
I think I would want them to belike, unforgettable.
Yeah.
Unforgettable is great.
Love that.
Yeah.
Harder to teach technique ortoughness.
Toughness all day.
So hard to teach toughness.
What's the most honest thing arecruit's ever told you?
(42:32):
Wow.
I think the most honest thing arecruit ever told me was that
they don't foresee themselvesever being as passionate as the
sport as I can be.
So they don't think it would bea good fit.
Wow.
I can't imagine anybody eversaying that to you.
I just can imagine.
Yeah.
I was like, I guess I need totone it back a little bit.
(42:54):
Wow.
That's wild.
Yeah.
Then as always, it's great tosee you.
So happy for you, so proud ofyou.
For those of you listening, comeback for segment two.
We're gonna talk some recruitingand get coaches' advice on this
great program he is building.
We'll talk to you soon.
Huge thanks to Coach VinnyBarber for the inside.
Look at building Lynchburgwrestling from the ground Up.
(43:16):
Next up is part two.
Coach Barber goes deep with uson recruiting what he's looking
for in the first Lynchburgroster, how athletes should be
communicating with coaches.
We're gonna talk abouttimelines, visits in the habits
that actually move you up.
A coach's board.
Make sure you've subscribed soyou don't miss an episode.
And look out for our weeklyblogs recruiting tools, my
(43:37):
significant recruiting books,launchpad classes, and speaking
info@coachmattrogers.com.
Until next time, we'll see youat part two with Coach Vinny
Barber.
Stay focused, stay humble, andkeep chasing significance.
Welcome back to the SignificantCoaching Podcast, i'm your host,
Matt Rogers.
Today's episode is a reunioncoach Vinny Barber is back.
You may remember him fromepisode 15 when we talked about
his journey as one of the risingyoung voices in college
wrestling.
Well, a lot has changed sincethen.
Coach Barber was recentlyannounced as the head men's
wrestling coach at theUniversity of Lynchburg, where
(00:33):
he's been tasked with somethingfew coaches ever get the chance
to do, build a college wrestlingprogram from the ground up.
That means recruiting the firstroster.
Yeah, establishing a culture andhelping design a brand new
state-of-the-art wrestlingfacility that will serve
generations of Hornet wrestlers.
When Lynchburg hits the mat inthe Old Dominion Athletic
(00:55):
Conference, the OD DAC in 20 26,27.
It will be the result of yearsof work recruiting, planning,
and laying the foundation forsomething special before taking
this leap.
Coach Barber made a name forhimself at the University of
Ozarks, where his teams producednine NWCA Academic All Americans
(01:16):
seven NCAA division, threeNational Qualifiers, 13
Conference Champions, and a 2024Sly Act team Championship.
He also founded it, led theRiver Valley Wrestling Club,
helping young wrestlers chasenational dreams while staying
grounded in community andcharacter.
This conversation isn't justabout wrestling, it's about
(01:39):
vision, culture, and the courageto start something new.
Quick reminder for weekly blogs,recruiting services, speaking
inquiries, and my significantrecruiting books and launchpad
classes.
Head over to coach mattrogers.com.
All right, let's jump into it.
Here's my conversation withCoach Vinny Barber, the new head
(01:59):
men's wrestling coach at theUniversity of Lynchburg.
Coach Barber.
So great to see you.
How's it feel to be the firstreturning guest to the podcast?
It's fun.
I'm excited.
I'm glad we have the opportunityto do this again.
Just different colors just goaround.
Absolutely.
I miss talking to you.
It's been too long.
You and I chat every once in awhile, but I wanted to get you
(02:21):
on, talk about this newtransition in your life,
transition in your career.
Talk about Lynchburg and how hasthat transition from one school
to the other been for you.
It's been a, it's, it was toughin the beginning.
It all happened really fast.
I don't know if I would've everleft the Ozark.
I said that all the time.
Yeah.
I was like, recruits andfamilies like, Hey, you ever
gonna leave?
I think I mentioned that to you.
(02:41):
I'm like, I could be hereforever.
So when the opportunity came, itall happened within three or
four days.
Getting out here, flown outhere, interviewed, accepted the
job, all within a week.
So it was tough in thebeginning, I bought a house
sight on scene and trying to getout here as fast as I could, but
it was tough.
But I think, I'm in a muchbetter head space now that I'm
here and things are reallyrolling.
(03:02):
Yeah I don't think peopleunderstand, I've left two.
Coaching jobs that I basicallybuilt from nothing and how hard
that was on my soul to leavethose kids that you recruited.
42% of the kids that went tocollege last year, I think it
was, went into the portal andtransferred.
Yeah.
So it's.
(03:22):
It is one of those things thatyou have to understand if you're
on the outside looking in.
Coaches have lives too.
They have to make decisions thatare best for them.
Sometimes it's'cause of family,I, yeah, I left a job because of
my wife.
We left, I left another jobbecause we had some parents that
weren't doing well and we hadkids and one would be close to
family.
So everybody's got their reasonsand it's, and I don't think
(03:45):
people understand how hard it ison us to leave those kids in
that.
Yeah, it was really hard.
It was probably the hardestthing I had to do.
I remember like yesterday, likewalking in, I called a few of
our older guys early on and told'em what was going on, and then
I told them all at study halland it was hard.
It was really hard for me.
I'd been at the Ozarks for sevenyears at that point, got into it
at infancy, really built it upto something special there with
(04:07):
some really good people aroundme.
And it was hard, but I'll tellyou, and I don't mean this in a
bad way, but kids are prettyresilient.
They were okay with it.
And I think.
I think to your point, I likethe portal.
In today's day and age incollege athletics, the kids
understand it.
I felt myself explaining myselfto a lot of our older guys and
they were like, coach, no we getit, man.
And I was like, okay.
And I think they genuinely do.
(04:28):
I still keep in touch with someof them.
Yeah, my assistant took over forme.
There he is the head coach,Nathan.
So I've still been really tiedin with the program but they get
it.
It's just hard.
Definitely when you build it Ibuilt it and it's man, that's
even harder.
I miss, I miss, Ms.
Rich, I miss Joey.
I miss some people out there.
Yeah.
It's where I started my career,every change is good.
Change.
It is.
It is.
And it's a great growth processfor us as coaches when we do
(04:51):
make that change.
'cause we have to reevaluate ourvalue system.
We have to reevaluate ourpriority system.
And it's nice to be wanted tooon the other side of that.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's nice that somebodybelieves in you to say, Hey,
we'd like you to come do whatyou've been doing at our place.
Oh, yeah, no, that was fun.
After when I got the call, wehad just gotten back from the
national tournament and had adecent shelling out there.
(05:12):
But it was just nice because,like Lynchburg's really good at
athletics.
It's Division three C andthey're one of the best athletic
departments in the country.
So to get a call and have theopportunity to do it here was
something really special.
And it was nice.
I know it's like a little bit ofstroke of the ego, but it was
nice to have somebody recognizethe work I was doing and want me
to do the same work here.
Yeah.
(05:34):
And you've earned it.
I remember a young man I workedwith five, six years ago that
was.
Unsure of himself and not quitesure where he was headed and was
working so hard.
To do a thousand differentthings at an elite level.
Yeah.
(05:54):
That he forgotten how importantit was to take care of himself
and his health.
Do you remember that guy?
Oh yeah.
Oh yeah.
What's changed for you and howyou go about.
Viewing your job with that.
That thing we talk about all thetime.
That, yep.
Life balance.
Where's where?
(06:15):
Come for you.
So I think, and I don't, I'm notdogging on the town I was in
before, but being in a town likeLynchburg was a big step too.
I looked at taking this job one,it's a big town, big, Liberty
universities out here, sothere's a lot of people out
here, right?
It's 10 x the size of where Iwas at.
So the opportunity to come outhere and build a family was
definitely, a priority for meand something that could be
accomplished, right.
But I said it all the time.
(06:35):
I said it on my interview.
I even, I mentioned it to Richwhen I was leaving.
I was like, man, coaching at theOzarks.
It's, and it's not product ofthe Ozarks, it's products of
what I was doing.
It felt like dog ears.
It felt like one year was seven,right?
Yeah.
And I think it was because I putso much on.
Myself and so much like I triedto do so many things at once and
something that's really specialabout Lynchburg and that I was
(06:55):
able to vet along the interviewprocess was we have, we are
really resourced here, so I knowthat I can put my head down at
night and know that my guys aretaken care of and that are my
program's taken care of, butothers around me and it's not
just me.
It doesn't just fall on me.
We just got done building outthis facility.
It's the biggest facility inDivision three wrestling.
Our ad, our assistant ad othercoaches, so many people here
(07:15):
helping which was inspiring,right?
And I could get that vibe.
And when, you're surrounded bypeople that will like, I say
pick up the slack when you'renot around or have your back,
right?
Have, really have your back at ahigh level.
It allowed me to realize I cantake a step back sometimes.
And also as I get older and likemy priorities change, like I
still wanna win, I still wannacreate a really good program.
But as I get a little older, I'mlike, where am I heading?
(07:36):
And how do I balance that andmake it really healthy for me so
that I enjoy it And being aroundcoaches like I have here who've
been doing this for.
20 plus years and reallymastered that like work-life
balance has been helpful too.
I came here more, a lot for me,selfishly, to keep growing as a
coach and get better as a coachand a person in coaching, as
well as being able to build abetter program.
(07:57):
I think that's one of thebiggest things I miss about
being a co, being a collegecoach, is to be able to walk
across the office to somebodythat's done it for 20 years and
go, Hey.
I'm dealing with this.
How would, how have you handledthis?
Or how would you how would youperceive that?
It's such a, it's such a benefitthat I think we can take for
granted in the moment.
(08:18):
To have that many people thathave are a resource for you and
what you're doing.
Yeah.
You can't walk down the street,you can't go to the mall, you
can't go to the grocery store.
And you might meet a hundredpeople and probably a hundred of
those people have no idea whatit's like to be a coach.
No idea.
Yep.
Yeah, exactly.
Exactly.
That's why I struggle going to,Christmas parties in our
neighborhoods.
Everybody's in it or businessand you just don't understand
(08:42):
what we're dealing with.
How Oh, yeah.
How much emotion we carry on ourshoulders every day as a coach,
right?
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
And here, like we have probably,I wanna say 70 people on the, in
our athletic staff.
So there's Wow.
Somebody for everybody, right?
Like our lacrosse coach has beenhere 20 plus years.
All their coach our soccercoach, our men's soccer coach,
and I really buddied up earlyon.
He's been really helpful.
(09:03):
All of them have been reallygood and we have such a tight.
Bond amongst all of us that workin athletics.
We just had an athletics meetingthis morning, all coaches
meeting and just looking aroundthe gym again and man, we're in
the gym having to have thismeeting'cause it's the only
space big enough to fit us all.
And we all work really hard.
And I think, seeing everybody'sfamilies involved and it's a
really special place for that.
But it's really giving me abetter perspective.
(09:23):
'cause I feel like the odd guyout.
I'm probably one of the onlyhead coaches out of family right
now, and I'm like, all right, Ineed my little kids running
around the soccer game, watchingalong with everybody else's here
soon.
Yeah it's so funny.
I just, kyle Cooks, who's thehead baseball coach at Central
Missouri.
He and I had become friendsafter he was on the show, and
his wife just posts a picture.
He's out scouting and his7-year-old son or 8-year-old son
(09:47):
sitting right there with himtaking notes says he's scouting.
I'm like, yeah, that's what I,that's what I didn't get.
My kids were little when Istepped down and got out of
coaching, so I hear you.
But man, enjoy being a coach ofbeing single man.
It's fun.
It'll change once you have kids.
If you get married, man, it'llchange.
Yeah, for sure.
What advice would you give ayoung coach who's gotten that
(10:12):
first head coaching job?
What advice would you give'emnow that you've gone through
this and you're building aprogram from scratch to a new
school.
What does that look like?
Yeah, it's funny'cause I'm I'mstill in that spot, right?
'cause I'm still very close withthe coach at the Ozarks.
I'm still doing that.
It's, some things I look at, I'mlike, oh, I wanna help out more.
And I think the biggest advicethat I can give people is and I
(10:32):
learned this, and one of'em isyou don't, you think you're
ready for it, but you never are.
You're never ready to be a headcoach.
And that's fine.
That's what it is, right?
Like it was told to me rightbefore I took over at the Ozarks
was like, you're not ready forthis.
Not in a bad way, but you justdon't know what you don't know
until you have to know it.
But a lot of it's just likebeing really humble and really
vulnerable.
(10:52):
Like I'm doing, I'm redoing itall here.
I've been head coach for awhile.
I'm pretty I feel like I'mdecently experienced, but I'm
doing it again, right?
Learning the processes here,learning everything here, and
being able to have conversationsand ask other coaches how have
they been successful?
How do they navigate this?
And really just beingvulnerable, right?
That's one of our team thingstoo.
We're really vulnerable with ourguys, understand where our weak
points are and where ourpositives are.
(11:14):
And for me it's, I would tellpeople like, Hey be.
Humble in the fact and okay inthe fact that you don't know
what's what you don't know.
But don't and then I think it'slike trying to figure out like,
do you.
It's a tough one to say it thisway, but it's like you still
gotta work hard at that, right?
Understand what you don't know.
But go back to the drawingboard.
And I think too, most coachesprobably had a pretty successful
(11:34):
athletic career, so it's hardfor them to rewind time again
and be back.
And I say it, like we have Ihave a new assistant here and I
said it to the guys who tookover from me.
He is like, Hey.
You weren't really good atwrestling when you first
started, right?
So you are not gonna coach'emwhen you first start, and that's
okay.
And you're still never where youwant to be in your sport, even
at your pinnacle, right?
You always want to get better.
And that's the same thing, likeI I ask our guys to put a
(11:55):
national championship leveleffort every single day and into
their work.
I ask myself the same thing, andthat's what I would ask give
advice to coaches.
Like it's work again, it's justa different, it just looks
different.
I'm not slapping hands andwrestling, I'm like.
I'm meeting with my ad, I'mmeeting with donors.
I'm recruiting.
It's the sa it's all justrelative to where you're at.
But just when I was an athleteHey coach, how do I do this now?
(12:15):
It's, Hey, coach Kudelka, who'sbeen the lacrosse coach at
Lynchburg for 20 plus years,like in the national tournament
every year.
Like, how do I do this here?
It's just relative where you'reat just being vulnerable and
willing to ask people for help.
I've, you and I have probablytalked about this before, I know
I've talked about it on thepodcast a few times, but.
I have files from 2000 on mycomputer.
(12:38):
I was a head coach for the firsttime.
Yeah.
25 years ago.
And it's so funny when I look atthose files,'cause that first
year I had one folder.
It was just like everything wasin one folder.
Year two, I had three folders.
Yeah.
Year three I had seven folders,and by the time I got to like
year seven or eight, I had 25folders like you're talking
about.
I had fundraising, travel yeah.
(13:00):
Practice plans, have you foundthat in your seven, eight years
as a head coach now?
That part of the transition'seasier because you have, you've
built so many templates, you'vebuilt so many things that are
just Yeah, automatic where youcan change Lynchburg and change
a couple names and, yep.
Yeah, I'm sorry.
(13:21):
And I think, yeah, for sure.
I think a lot of it is a lot ofpeople, some coaches tell me
like, Hey, Lynchburg can betotally different.
Scrap what?
And I'm like, I don't know.
I don't know if that's the routeto take.
Yeah.
I think it's just adapting whatI know already.
So the type of recruit here is alittle different than I was
getting in my last place.
The culture out here isdifferent.
A lot of things are different.
The don't the fundraisingefforts out here are just.
(13:42):
They're catered a littledifferently, but I'll tell you
right, like in the, you talkabout a template, like we used
to go to University of Arkansasand work their parking well.
I've already called LibertyUniversity to work their
parking.
Like some things don't have tochange, right?
They just kind of workgeographically where you're at.
But a lot of the things that Ilearned as a head coach are.
Interchangeable.
I think once you get that rhythmdown and how to navigate certain
(14:03):
things and you find out whatworks for you, I don't think as
much as what works for eachspecific university, I think
it's like what works for eachcoach to be able to navigate the
problem ahead.
Yeah.
And then just adapt to thedifferent things, right?
We had some things that werereally strong at Thes Arks that
helped me do my job better thatmaybe aren't so strong over here
at Lynchburg and vice versa.
So I'm still like beating thatsame drum.
(14:24):
I'm just adapting it to be, towork a little better in, in this
situation.
Yeah.
I love it.
I wanna get into practiceplanning with you a little bit.
Yeah.
Because I know you're, areyou're, are you gonna have some
kind of a club season this year?
Yeah, we got like a club season.
We're actually kinda likekicking that off here soon, now
that our facility's done.
But yeah we officially startnext year.
(14:44):
This year is just a lot oftraveling, a lot of recruiting
and that part of it.
Will you have any will you doany competitions though?
So the guys that we have oncampus will go to do some opens.
They train on their own throughthe club and then they'll go
wrestle some opens.
Yep.
Can you coach them once?
I told I can't coach'em.
I can't really be involved inthat.
Okay.
Unfortunately.
But we do have a club coach.
(15:04):
We were really lucky to likefall into a town where this kid
who was a two time, he was twotime all American Division two
actually had some collegecoaching experience lives in the
area.
And one day we were working outat a local club.
He says, Hey, I wanna help.
So he'll be our club coach andhe's like a local high school
teacher, young kid, 20, maybe myage, actually like 30.
And he's helping out and he'llbe our club coach.
So he'll be able to be there forthose guys at that time and kind
(15:27):
of work with them throughout theseason as me and my assistant,
and spending time on the roadrecruiting.
What a great benefit to have ayear to figure out who you want
to be as you're Oh yeah.
As you're bringing in the talentyou want.
Yep.
Talk.
Talk to me a little bit.
Have you started thinking aboutpractices?
'cause you've got differentfacilities now.
Yeah.
You're starting to learn whatthe class schedule's gonna look
(15:47):
like.
Have you started thinking aboutwhat you want your practices to
look like and how you want yourassistance?
Yeah.
So it's funny you bring that up.
'cause now that our facilitieslike done and functional Sammy,
my assistant Sammy and I weretalking, we're like, Hey man,
we're gonna live a day every nowand again'cause we got some
time.
But as an athlete, right?
We're gonna have, we're gonna goto a study hall room from seven
to eight, and then we're gonnasay we have an eight 30 class on
(16:10):
the farthest side of campus.
Can we do that?
And our facility we're reallylucky.
It's beautiful, but it's alittle bit off campus, about
five, six minutes.
So now it's, we're gonna workout till six.
We're gonna shower and we'regonna see can we get back to
campus in time to eat dinner andwhat changes do we need to make?
So we're actually gonna be likeour te our own test subjects and
really feel everything out andthen plan accordingly from
(16:32):
there.
Now we do have some luxurieshere at Lynchburg, that help us,
like the dinner thing, we are,we're unique in the sense that
our meal hall is owned in house.
Contract out like Synex orAramark.
So you know, if we need to pushthat back to seven 30 closing
time, we can.
And those are all things that,because a lot of the recruits
have those questions, right?
How are we gonna get thepractice if we don't have our
car?
And all of those little thingsthat I guess sometimes you can
(16:54):
overlook.
And so we're we're living that,we're gonna live as an a college
athlete sometimes and walk toclasses and see what that really
feels like and best suit ourpractices for that.
'cause having the facility offcampus is a is awesome, but it
does come with some.
Some challenges that I've neverfaced.
If you don't, if you wait until35, 40 freshmen are on campus in
(17:16):
fall and then you wanna figurethat out, you're doomed.
And that's the other thing is,and I was telling Sammy, I was
like, man, we got 35 freshmen.
It's not like we got 35 dudesand 20 or transfers like they're
freshmen, they're new tocollege.
So we have to answer a lot ofthose questions ourselves now.
So that they're,'cause they'realready gonna be behind just
being as, being freshmen incollege and adjusting to that.
(17:38):
Yeah it's wild.
I don't know if I told you this,but I'm, I am consulting with a
college out in Oregon andthey've never had an athletic
department before and we're, I'mbuilding it, so I'm literally
recruiting.
Cross country team for men andwomen.
Men's soccer team.
Yeah.
And a women's soccer team thisyear for another college.
Yeah.
To get'em ready to beat nextfall as we as I hire coaches.
(17:58):
Wow.
Yeah.
And it's amazing how many ofthose things that I'm thinking
about right now.
Because.
We won't have on campusfacilities, so everything's
gonna be a drive, a hike, a bikeride, and your season's in the
middle of winter, even thoughit's Oh yeah.
It's, you live in a statethat's, not known for, it's
really cold, but you get snowand it's gets cold.
(18:19):
Oh, yeah.
So it's really cool that you'reseeing those things ahead of
time and you get to adjust.
Yeah.
I'm curious about how.
You talked about the kind of thepractice plan you're putting
through to how to prepare andsee if this is gonna work.
Yeah.
How do you imagine freshmenhandling that when they get
(18:42):
there in terms of, wow, I'venever had to drive somewhere or
get on a bus to get there.
How do you see them handlingsome of those obstacles or
changes that they've never hadbefore?
Yeah, so I kinda, I like,'causeI thought about that immediately
as taking the job, right?
A lot of people, and I look atthings like backwards, right?
If I am the next best school inVirginia, how am I gonna recruit
(19:04):
against Lynchburg?
It's oh, their campus off theirfacility's off campus.
That's not gonna be fun.
And the way I look at, it's yeahlike when you, when you're like
a high level athlete, you morethan likely, like when you're in
the NFL, you live and you driveto practice.
Yeah.
So we're, we've went that route,we're gonna treat this as such a
high level program, yourfacility's off campus.
'cause there is nowhere oncampus that could house the
(19:26):
biggest division three wrestlingfacility in the country.
You couldn't have this oncampus.
We're so lucky to have this off.
It's all how you message it.
And I gotta have to message thatto myself at first too.
But I believe it now that I'mlike here.
But it's it's selling it thatway.
And then also.
I'm very upfront in therecruiting process about that is
Hey, you're gonna,'cause themoms ask all the time, like, how
(19:46):
are they gonna get there?
And I, the first few I was like,we'll figure it out.
And then I'm like, that's not agood enough answer.
I'm like, that one's not good.
And so I adapted.
I'm like, yeah we'll have apath.
We'll have a pathway.
And the nice thing, everyone canhave cars on campus.
And again, it kind that's gonnago into what we do this year.
We'll,'cause we have a few likeathletic only vans and we own
our own buses, so that part'sreally easy.
(20:06):
And my ad is very like, detailoriented and when every time I
bring it up to him, he's verycalm about it.
So I'm very confident that we'llhave that figured out and that's
what I portray forth.
But it is I tell freshmen it'sHey, I'm recruiting you.
(20:28):
And I'm recruiting you becauseof wrestling and a lot of
things, but I'm also gonna taskyou with being a junior.
As a freshman, right?
Like I, I'm looking for the guywho wants to be the leader and
build this with me, but is gonnatake on like some big boy
responsibilities that a typicalfreshman wouldn't.
And I'm very honest, if thekid's Hey, if you're down for
that, great.
Some kids don't want that,right?
(20:50):
And that's gonna be the early ondilemma.
Everyone's oh, you haven'tproven you're a good program
yet.
I don't think that mattersbecause I think, again, like you
could be.
You could have a great team oneyear and a bad one next year,
like just'cause you're havingsuccess Tradition programs that
helps recruiting, don't get mewrong, but I think my biggest.
Thing.
The obstacle that I'm veryupfront with is I'm recruiting
(21:10):
you here to step in and be adude immediately.
And some kids really love thatand I task them with this
responsibility you're gonnabuild this alongside of us as
Sammy and I, and build somethingreally special here, but that,
here's what that looks like.
And that's not just working outreally hard in the room.
That's how do we get involved inthe community?
And you're a freshman, you'restill cha, you're still
adjusting to college.
(21:31):
Like here comes all these othertasks of what does it look like
to be a part of a brand newprogram?
Because I think a lot of youngcoaches taking over programs,
they want success so fast.
Yeah.
So they get what I would say,almost like they'll get a
transfer who could be like aculture killer?
Like the worst thing I can do isget a transfer who's like a
risky kid and he's the best kidon my team and his culture's
(21:51):
bad, right?
Like that just dooms you for theeternity.
So it's recruiting really highlevel kids who are high level
humans who.
Understand what they're gettingthemselves into.
And yeah, we're like, we'regoing after good wrestlers.
And usually high performing,high school athletes are going
to fall in line with that beliefand that ideology.
But it's definitely a, if I wasthem, that's cool, right?
(22:13):
Like I get to do that.
Some kids don't love it.
And I think that's.
That's made the recruitingprocess a little easier.
But I got kids, we've got five,we went five visits.
These, our past five visits, allcommitted on the spot.
Wow.
And I was like, Ooh, this placeis special.
And we didn't even have afacility built at that point.
It was just a vision of what wecould do.
So that was really cool to seethat.
But it's asking these freshmento come and be juniors and.
(22:36):
That's a unique ask.
But kids, some kids really wantthat, and that's who we're
looking for.
I'm not so sure coach, that'snot the question we ask every
freshman.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Just to, you just see what,where their character is.
I know when I'm working with a16 or s year old for the first
time, and I'm coaching themthrough this journey that we're
(22:56):
about to go on together withrecruiting, and the question,
one of the questions I alwaysask early on is.
Do you want a program that'salready proven or do you want a
program where you get to buildthat legacy?
And I phrase it that way.
Yeah.
Because I don't think kids thinkthat way.
They're like, oh, I get tobuild, I get to create that
(23:16):
legacy.
That's cool.
And it's how many kids go.
I don't know if I wanna go intosomeplace that's already done
this.
They've already, it's how am Igonna be special?
How am I gonna stand out whenthey've got 30 All Americans
already in 25 years, I get to gosomeplace and maybe be the first
All American there.
Yep.
(23:36):
That's pretty powerful.
Yeah, no, and that resonatedpretty well with me when my,
'cause we we got banners madealready.
And so many of my coachingbuddies, they're like, damn,
that's a nice facility, but youalready got banners.
I'm like, yeah, we do.
'cause I was hesitant, I'll behonest.
And I'm the guy who's let'sbuild this.
My ad was like, no, I want thekids to see the banners that
they'll be on one day.
And I was like, Ooh, that's socool.
(23:57):
Heck yeah.
That's awesome.
So those banners are up, thatwas like his thing.
And he put'em up and they're bigand they say National Champ, and
they don't got nobody's name on'em.
And they say Academic AllAmerican and Conference Champ.
And it's who's first?
And that's powerful to come frommy boss, right?
Like my guy, my coach, my headcoach is telling me, was that
his idea?
(24:17):
Was that his plan?
Yes.
Tell'em I'm coming for him herein the next couple of months on
the show, because that is justpure brilliance in terms of the
visualization every single dayof what we're doing here.
Yeah.
And we're not telling you haveto have a name there.
It's not, we're not telling you,you have to do this tomorrow,
but we're telling you that'sit's there when you're ready.
(24:39):
Yeah.
That's what we're building.
Yeah.
And that, yeah.
And that was something I'll tellyou along the whole building of
this facility has been.
Where I think another thing we,back to the, one of the first
questions you asked me is like,how did I how did I start to
like work life balance a littlebit?
I re I took our facility as likea, the first step of me is
growing as a coach.
So we have a whole weight roomin here, like a full functioning
(25:00):
weight room.
Not like one rack, like a fullweight room.
A full training room like normtech, ice tub, heat packs, like
everything you'd get in a normalcollege training room.
And then we have a massivefacility and they asked me like
our assistant, one of ourassistant athletic directors is
our head athletic trainer andthe other one is our head
strength coach and then our adand they were like, what do you
(25:21):
need?
Tell us how this flows.
'cause they're new to wrestling.
And then I could just vibe thatthey were really excited and I
was like, here's the firstopportunity for me to like.
Back off a little bit, right?
Like I trust them, I'm gonnatrust them in this facility and
help them like build it out.
And I started, I told them all,I said, you guys are doing your
(25:41):
job out of my facility, like ourhead at.
I said, Hey Carolyn, you'redoing your job as the head
athletic trainer to take care ofour athletes.
You just happen to be in myfacility.
You put in there what you need.
And same thing with our strengthcoaches.
Hey, you're working with ourathletes.
This is your, like your field.
I'm not.
Crossing that boundary I trustyou.
And it was nice to not have tocontrol the whole thing, right?
And you walk around this placeand you're like, man, that came
(26:04):
together really well.
So it was nice to have the faithand then the trust that it got
done.
And then our athletic director'sreally good with like audio and
visual and the aesthetics ofthings.
And I think I'm pretty good atit.
But like he crushes it and, thestereo system he put in here and
the system that links all theTVs together and just the little
touches that.
I even missed along the way,like where, how are we gonna
(26:25):
flow in people in here sothey're crossing not through the
locker room and things likethat.
And seeing so many people,again, like the phrase used
before, like having my back andseeing what we want to build
here has been like nothing butinspiring and making this a
really fun thing to do everysingle day.
How much fun is that?
Yeah.
And I think it speaks volumescoach to your growth.
(26:46):
'cause I think seven years ago.
You're the guy with eight cansof paint, sing the walls, trying
to figure out what paint youwant, and losing three days to
that.
Am I wrong?
Yeah, I think at one point Itold you in my office back then,
I said I don't let anybody doanything but me.
It's so great.
I'm so happy for you.
'cause that's what we all dreamof as coaches, is to have those
(27:10):
people that are as passionate asyou about your program as you
are.
That can take some of thatweight off where you can focus
on being what you're best at.
And that's coaching andmentoring and yeah, building
relationships.
And that's fantastic becauseyou're gonna have such a heavy
freshman class next year, andyou're gonna have so many
(27:30):
newcomers.
You've coached through the grindto division three.
You know how hard it's, just thebalance that these kids are
going through and the fact thatyou really aren't on the mat
with them for six, seven monthsoutta the year.
Where they gotta do a lot ofwork on their own.
What's the biggest mistakefreshmen make when they think
(27:52):
I'm ready for college wrestling?
Yeah, I think it's, I think it'sthat it's thinking they're
ready, right?
Because you're never ready,right?
So it's realizing hey, we'renever ready.
And I think as, ascounterproductive as this might
sound, so a good buddy of minecoaches at Cortland and he's
yeah, I don't even let thefreshmen in the room right away.
And I'm like, good.
'cause it burn them.
Like the college wrestlingseason is already longer than
(28:14):
the high school wrestlingseason.
And we did a thing a few yearsago at Ozarks.
It burnt me.
We had freshmen come up early inthe summer and that didn't work.
They all fizzled out.
Most of them quit, didn'treturn.
And it was like, oh, becausethat season's so long, like the
college wrestling season's solong, it's such a grind.
But getting freshmen ready and Itell'em that's.
First few months before five,six weeks before I really can
(28:35):
get my like hands on you.
Is their job to figure collegeout, right?
I tell'em, I say, Hey, the firsttwo weeks, that's when you have
your fun, right?
That's when you do everythingthe college kids want to do.
Come week two, two, and one dayit's game time, right?
Now I want you, whether or notwe have study hall yet, or
practice at 6:00 AM you'rewaking up at six and just go
walk around outside.
I don't care.
(28:55):
Don't fall back asleep till nineand your first class is at nine
30.
Right?
Start to build that routinebecause it, like phasing in,
right?
Like you phase in these changesin your life that are drastic,
right?
I laugh all the time.
Like kids, sometimes theirbiggest problem is they bleach
their colored clothes, right?
Like they didn't mean to, butthey don't have to do laundry,
right?
So there's so many things thatthey're about to adjust to.
(29:16):
So I always phase in thoseadjustments, knowing that in
three months they're up at 6:00AM they're doing something,
they're going to class all day,they're eating good, they're
doing all this, and they'reprobably going to bed around
nine, 10 o'clock after me takingfour or five hours of their day
every day.
And how do you phase them andprepare them for that and make
them feel confident that when itcomes, they're ready.
'cause I think that's whereyou'll lose a lot of kids, is
(29:37):
they get so overwhelmed onOctober 15th when the first day
of practice rolls around.
It's oh, this is the first timeI'm waking up early.
And I'm so nervous because Idon't know if I can manage the
whole day.
Where it's like we just give'emlittle doses of it.
Like little doses of it.
And then we do a lot of teambuilding.
That's a big one.
Team building in the beginningof the year.
I found the best team buildingto be through.
(29:57):
There's definitely value indoing fun team building, but I
say things that aren't superfun, like our fundraising at
five in the morning everyonegets together on how much they
hate coach'cause they're up soearly.
But it's fun and they gettogether and it's, there's all
different types of ways to getyour team together and
sometimes, and.
A common enemy might help aswell.
I think telling freshmen Hey,prepare yourself slowly.
Like I, you can't just turn thatswitch on and off when you want.
(30:19):
You gotta gradually, increasethe intensity on that switch
until you're ready to turn itall the way on.
I love that.
It's that Herb Brooks mentality,from the US Olympics hockey, I
can't get'em to buy into eachother.
I gotta give'em something theycan do together.
And if they gotta hate me, theygotta hate me.
I, I've been down that roadplenty.
Oh yeah.
We all want Dan Gable.
(30:41):
We all want that kid that'snever, that's undefeated 130 and
oh through high school,everything you.
Everything he's done on theMaddy's won.
Yeah.
How important is it for you tosee a recruit handle losing
before they get it's big.
I, I think out here wrestling isa bit different culture wise
(31:01):
than where I was at in that partof the United States where I was
previously at.
I always tell kids, like for me,I'm recruiting kids who are
really good people, right?
And I have parents ask me allthe time, and I don't think
they're like fishing forcompliments, but they're like,
why my son?
And I'm always like, and Iprobably, this is probably like
a bad answer.
To them at the time, but I'malways like,'cause I think it's
the right thing to do.
(31:22):
Like my gut tells me this isgood.
I look for kids that like I likespending time with, right?
Because I've spent a lot of timewith'em over the next four or
five years.
Finding the good high qualitykids who handle adversity well,
who handle everything that lifethrows at them, who have good
grades, who are doing everythingright.
I say, Sam, if Sammy and I can'tdevelop kids at wrestling, we
(31:45):
shouldn't be coaching collegewrestling, right?
Like that.
That's to me the fun part.
Adult recess happens from fourto six in this facility every
day.
Six to four is like my job.
That's helping them becomebetter people.
But I have to have a really goodperson to start with.
I don't like, look, they have tohave some credentials, right?
Like one of our things right nowis that you gotta be placed at
the Virginia State Tournament oryour high school state
(32:06):
tournament by the time you're ajunior.
Or else you got some otherthings about you that we see a
good upside on.
But most of the time, like thesekids are pretty good, but I'm
looking for really highcharacter kids.
And I, and it is important'causeI, everyone's like.
What do you see that I do goodin a wrestling match?
And I'm like it's the thingsthat I see that you don't do
that I like, if you lost, youdidn't throw your headgear, like
your mom and dad aren't in thestands screaming at the ref like
(32:28):
a maniac or the coach, right?
Those are things and I thinkthat's sometimes what people
lose sight on in recruiting is,oh my, there's a super high
level wrestling recruit thatrecently signed and.
It was a weird process for them,I just heard through the
grapevine that that the familyhad a little bit was a bit much.
And this is a pretty high levelkid, and it's like limited as
options, right?
(32:49):
Because again, I don't wannarecruit somebody who's got crazy
parents, right?
Or parents that are gonna callme every day or call my ad and
complain or I'm looking at thebiggest picture.
My job is getting the kids herewho I can have a really good
relationship with.
And between Sammy and I, wedevelop'em at wrestling.
'cause there's gonna be daysthat I've really hard
conversations with them and theygotta know that I care about
them.
(33:09):
So I can break down that barrierand get them to the next level.
But they don't wanna listen tome if they don't think I care
and I can.
I can pretty much like ourcommits already, like they were
up here visiting the other dayand it's like one of'em, like
every time he was like ahandshake and a hug and it felt,
I was like, this kid, he digsme, right?
And I think this kid, he's cool,family's cool, everything's
awesome, but it's oh, I know intwo years I'm gonna have a hard
(33:30):
conversation with this kid, butI know that I'm gonna be able to
just already, and is he the fourtime Virginia State champ?
Nope.
I don't know if like I'm notlooking for just that.
I want kids who are really highquality people who I connect
with at a level that matterswhen like the going gets really
rough and it won't surprise meif that's the type of kid that's
(33:51):
got their name on the bannerfirst.
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
I agree.
Yep.
I agree.
The kid that's just got thatdrive and work ethics, just
coach, whatever you tell me todo, I'm gonna do it and I'm
gonna do it again.
Yep.
And I'm gonna do it again.
And I'm gonna do it again.
That's, and that's probably onething I learned at my last
university is, and again, I'mnot throwing shade, but that
part of the United States isjust a little bit behind for
wrestling.
Last year we finished top 25 inthe country and we had five guys
(34:14):
on our starting lineup fromArkansas, Louisiana, which on
paper, if you ask most wrestlingcommunity, are probably two of
the lower ranked states,probably the lowest in the
country for wrestling.
Now they're getting better.
It's just the truth, right?
When you look at that state'snationals results at the Fargo
National Tournament, super 30twos, like they're sparsely
successful as a whole.
And so to see that 50% of mylineup last year was from those
(34:36):
states, and we did very good.
We did better.
We were up there academically.
We schools like U Chicago andfinishing top 25 in the ranking
to schools like Warburg, right?
That was telling because whatthat was a product of was 35
guys.
Who loved working hard, wholoved each other, and we could
connect with at a high level,and always to expect a high
(34:56):
level of performance from them.
And it didn't matter.
I don't think there was asingle, there might've been like
one state champ on that wholestarting lineup, and that's,
yeah.
And I've unheard of, I'm gonnaflip the switch a little bit,
what you were talking about.
What you're looking for in arecruit and what you hope it'll
be there and the things that youdon't wanna see.
Yeah.
(35:16):
When a family comes visits, theyleave, they get in their car on
the way home, what do you wantthem talking about?
Huh.
It's funny you say that.
'cause I just thought about thatrecently.
It's how do I want them leaving?
I want them leaving thinkingthis can be a place that I can
be every single day for the nextfour or five years.
Waking up even on my worst day,I'm happy that I chose Lynchburg
(35:40):
and Coach Barber and CoachHilligoss and Lynchburg
Wrestling and that universityand that place.
Even when it's man, am I evenmaking the right choice at the
end of the day, like I, I wakeup and it's yeah, I'm still
happy I'm here.
I tell kids all the time, yougotta love it more.
You gotta love it when you hateit the most, right?
And so when that outweighs it,it's good.
'cause there are gonna be timesyou hate this.
I want them talking about, howthey felt about the relationship
(36:02):
and I'm honest, sometimes kidsleave here.
They might be like, I don't knowif I like that guy.
Good.
Great.
That's fine.
I don't mean that to be brash.
At least we got to that pointpretty quick.
Because I'm pretty honest.
And I'm okay.
I tell families that all thetime.
You might walk and drive homeand say, not to fit.
Good.
That's okay.
Tell me and we'll move on.
That's part of life.
I want people leaving hereknowing like it's funny, I my
(36:23):
first ever visit.
I remember dropping him off atadmissions and going to meet him
at the field and he had aalready bought, like himself a
Polo and a Lynchburg bookstorebag, and I was like, oh, this
place sells itself.
This is easy.
But it's like that, right?
Like that, the time that they'reback in the car, it's.
Okay.
What's, how far of a drive is itto come?
See you on the, come see youwhen we wanna see you wrestle,
(36:45):
because this is where you'll be.
I want you leaving.
Knowing I just left my home forthe next four or five years.
Like I want, I like committingon the spot.
I never put a deadline on it,but I want people to go home and
not really question what they'regetting.
Hey, that coach is this,Lynchburg, is this, that place
is exciting.
This is what this is about.
This is what they do there.
And they have the full pictureof everything we do here, and
(37:07):
they like it or they don't.
But most times I want them,hopefully they're driving away
saying yeah, this is, I'mfilling out my application as
I'm driving out, I'm putting mydocuments into Lynchburg as
we're leaving the entrance.
As a dad with two kids, knowingyou, as long as I have, I would
be in the car going, and I mightnot say this to anybody myself,
(37:29):
but like I've got the surrogatefather I'm looking for my dad.
Yeah.
Person who can help them growwhere I've.
I'm done.
I, there's not much more I cando for this kid.
I got somebody in Coach VinnyBarber that's going to help them
get to that next stage of theirlife.
That's how I feel about you.
So I can imagine theconversations the parents are
(37:49):
having when they get in the car,that guy's gonna take care of
you, that guy's gonna guy haveyour back.
Yeah, and it's important Ithink, because I mean it, right?
Yeah it's funny sometimes, andI'm not being rude when I say
this, but sometimes people willleave a visit and be like, man.
That I, we didn't hear somethinglike that from another coach or
a coach of a school recruitingagainst.
One thing I try to really do,and it's not the game, I do this
(38:12):
'cause it's genuine.
It's like when you vi like Ihave a way to schedule visits
directly with us that blocks outanybody else that day.
The most I'll ever have is too,because I need to have time with
you.
I want, I might be one of theonly head coaches in division
three wrestling.
Spending eight hours with everysingle recruit that every hour
they're here.
Every minute that they're here.
I do the tours myself.
I do it all myself because Iwant them to see that.
(38:33):
And not that I don't have thesupport from others to do it.
I want them to see, Hey, I'mserious right now.
You are the center of my day.
You are the center of my worldtoday is recruit.
You are the recruit, you are thekid that I want to coach.
And I'm gonna show you that notjust 15 minutes in my office.
And some pictures in a singletbecause I'm gonna get bring you
to lunch.
We're gonna talk, we're gonnatalk about things like that you
(38:53):
want to talk about.
I'm gonna give you the floor totalk and I'm gonna learn about
you.
'cause I'll tell you, it doesn'thappen as often as you would
think, but as I'm, as I mightmake it sound, sometimes I leave
those and I'm like, Ooh, thatwasn't what I thought it was
gonna be.
But I need that too.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I'll give you a piece ofunsolicited advice that I give
(39:14):
to all coaches about visits.
'cause I was the same way.
I wanted them to know that I'mhere for you.
This isn't gonna be, I'm notpassing the buck to my
assistants about your visit, butone thing I always say, give'em
half an hour to an hour withjust your players.
Just your athletes.
Yeah.
Yep.
Because I think a family needsto go.
(39:34):
All right, coach Barber's.
Awesome.
Now I wanna find out from thekids.
We ask him, why'd you come here?
Why have you stayed?
What do you think of CoachBarber?
What do you like, what do youdon't like?
I always wanted my guys becompletely honest.
Yeah.
Be completely honest with thembecause if you tell'em, coach
Barber's gonna push you harderthan you've ever been pushed
(39:55):
before, and they don't wantthat, that just saved you four
years of pain with that kid.
Oh yeah.
Yeah.
And that's, that was somethingwe were good at my last place
too.
Like we would have big.
Like right before they were likeofficially gonna commit, we'd
have them all up at once and doan overnight and yeah.
I remember there was like onekid I really want, I wanted bad
and then my guys were like,coach, I just don't think so.
And I was like, yeah.
(40:17):
I believe you.
And I think in the long run itworked out better for both
parties.
But yeah, spending time with theathletes.
'cause they're the ones, and I'mtell my guys like exactly what
you're saying.
Hey, tell'em what's up man.
'cause I don't want, I'm sportyto wrestle for, it's hard to
wrestle for me.
And I don't want them beingshocked when they get here
because that's just more dramathan I need.
That's fantastic.
I it is just, it's.
It's such a fun world to figureout the puzzle pieces of what
(40:40):
you want it to look like, andyou've built, you're building a
brand new home and you get topick the furniture and the
wallpaper and the whatappliances you want.
And that's what's cool.
You've learned a lot.
You've had great success and nowyou got to go.
A perfect world.
What do I want this to looklike?
Yeah.
Can you get to do the same thingwith the classes you bring in
now?
I wanna talk recruiting with youin a second segment, but I wanna
(41:01):
do a little rapid fire with youfirst.
Yeah.
Do some fun stuff.
What's the first thing younotice when you watch a high
school wrestler compete?
What's the first thing younotice when you sit down?
The first thing I look for ishow is their body language and
how do they interact with theirteammates?
Okay.
Favorite quality in a recruit,grit talent or coachability?
(41:27):
Coachability.
Somebody who can take criticism.
'cause I can dish it out.
Somebody who can, who's notgonna be shocked when I tell'em
what's up.
Yeah.
Grit seems to come along withthat, doesn't it?
Yeah.
Yeah.
You gotta be tough to take thecriticism.
Better sign of a potentialathlete who hates to lose, or an
athlete who loves to train.
I think one who loves to train'cause they're pretty process
(41:47):
oriented.
If you hate to lose, you becomereally goal focused.
Wrestling's a sport, you need tobe process or every sport, but
you need to be fall in love withthe process.
Guys who love training they'relike, you just become like a
natural competitor.
But that's very process, like avery process oriented mind.
And you fall in love with theprocess and training you're
gonna, your outcomes.
You can never let be let down ifyou just love the process.
(42:10):
What's one word you wantrecruits to use when describing
Lynchburg wrestling?
Wow.
There's so many that comes tomind.
I think I would want them to belike, unforgettable.
Yeah.
Unforgettable is great.
Love that.
Yeah.
Harder to teach technique ortoughness.
Toughness all day.
So hard to teach toughness.
What's the most honest thing arecruit's ever told you?
(42:32):
Wow.
I think the most honest thing arecruit ever told me was that
they don't foresee themselvesever being as passionate as the
sport as I can be.
So they don't think it would bea good fit.
Wow.
I can't imagine anybody eversaying that to you.
I just can imagine.
Yeah.
I was like, I guess I need totone it back a little bit.
(42:54):
Wow.
That's wild.
Yeah.
Then as always, it's great tosee you.
So happy for you, so proud ofyou.
For those of you listening, comeback for segment two.
We're gonna talk some recruitingand get coaches' advice on this
great program he is building.
We'll talk to you soon.
Huge thanks to Coach VinnyBarber for the inside.
Look at building Lynchburgwrestling from the ground Up.
(43:16):
Next up is part two.
Coach Barber goes deep with uson recruiting what he's looking
for in the first Lynchburgroster, how athletes should be
communicating with coaches.
We're gonna talk abouttimelines, visits in the habits
that actually move you up.
A coach's board.
Make sure you've subscribed soyou don't miss an episode.
And look out for our weeklyblogs recruiting tools, my
(43:37):
significant recruiting books,launchpad classes, and speaking
info@coachmattrogers.com.
Until next time, we'll see youat part two with Coach Vinny
Barber.
Stay focused, stay humble, andkeep chasing significance.
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