sasquatch Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Indiana is blessed with many great coaches. One of the most overlooked is Al Hartman of South Bend Clay. He produces year in and year out. He is a hall of fame coach. He consistently develops strong teams abd fine young men under challenging urban circumstances with no real feeder system or a corporation that embraces the sport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
azcoach Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 FRED GINTHER, STATE CHAMPION COACH, FATHER TO A STATE CHAMPION, AND ONE OF THE ESSENTIAL COGS IN THE DELTA PROGRAM'S SUCCESS. MAY HE REST IN PEACE. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bharmon01 Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 For me its my high school coach Keith Farrand Indianapolis North Central Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coach Wadkins Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I think, if I am not mistaken, Farrand was involved in wrestling at Crawfordsville and Wabash College, too!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matts Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 I think, if I am not mistaken, Farrand was involved in wrestling at Crawfordsville and Wabash College, too!! And, after retiring from North Central, was key in Hamilton Heights HS finding success. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b_easy Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 Coach P has I believe has helped bring Indiana wrestling to a whole new level. Keep it up coach!! I whole heartedly agree with this statement. While attending good ol' region elite practices with coach P at portage high school I can recall attendees in the room consisting of those such as Andrew Howe, Brennan Cosgrove, Frankie Porras, Tommy Chuchard, Sean McMurry, Eric Roach, Anthony Hawkins, Josh Harper... among many others, those names alone account for probably nearly 20 state titles, not to mention the signficant contribution hes been making in indy. High school season is with out a doubt extremely important, but they always say summer wrestling leads to winter champions. Coach P is the summer guy if i might say... with some quality sucess in the winter at portage high Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WC182Dad Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Tonte Schoettle, Richardson,Ellis Miller,McGuire and Danny Williams Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
au160 Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 I have never been coached by him, but I feel like Royce Deckard's name has to be in this. He is the man behind LN's success and is an absolute wrestling technician. From my experience of coaches I would say Coach P is the best, the way he is able to incorporate life outside of wrestling into the room, mixed with his unparalleled ability to converse and relate to guys... what he has is something special Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjacoby Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 One name I have not seen mentioned....John Hurrle. Super successful at Tech, always all about making wrestling and everyone around him better. Coach Hurrle is a good one. I'm surprised nobody mentioned him before. I'd add Chauncey McDaniel and Al Morgan. Coach P is good, no doubt. However, when you compare him to some of these other great coaches, where does longevity come into play? Teaching and coaching in a public school is an entirely different ball game than having a good run then coaching elite wrestlers in a club. I'm sure I'll catch some slack on this one, but isn't it something to consider in a topic such as this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b_easy Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Coach P is good, no doubt. However, when you compare him to some of these other great coaches, where does longevity come into play? Teaching and coaching in a public school is an entirely different ball game than having a good run then coaching elite wrestlers in a club. I'm sure I'll catch some slack on this one, but isn't it something to consider in a topic such as this? Im not sure what you mean here jjacoby? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ptownfan Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 In 11 years at Portage Ed Pendoski accrued: 11 Sectional Titles 10 Regional Titles 9 Semi-State Titles 7 Team State Final Four Appearances 2 Team State Runner ups 55 IHSAA State Qualifiers 42 State Placers 8 Individual State Champions - 14 Matches Under The Light! Coach of 8 Division I Wrestlers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brickfor6 Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 David maldonado will take a nobody and turn him into a somebody. great coach and has his kids inline. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b_easy Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 In 11 years at Portage Ed Pendoski accrued: 11 Sectional Titles 10 Regional Titles 9 Semi-State Titles 7 Team State Final Four Appearances 2 Team State Runner ups 55 IHSAA State Qualifiers 42 State Placers 8 Individual State Champions - 14 Matches Under The Light! Coach of 8 Division I Wrestlers And the best part about ed pendoski is he had no problem opening up the doors at portage high to any kid from competing schools. Not only did he benifit his schools wrestlers but the region as a hole, and now indy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ragingbuttsack Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Al Smith is the greatest of all time.. very respected, produced many area head coaches, coached wrestling with attitude and class. to this day he loves the sport and continues on at his legacy in helping with anything wrestling at Mishawaka. Not to mention he is a motivational mentor . Hopefully Snyder comes back soon to continue to expand Al Smiths creation more than he has already. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curt1812 Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Don Patton (Delta) Fred Ginther (Delta) Bud Palmer (Delta) Dennis Lewis (Delta, Northwood) Tony Abbott (Muncie South) Seriously, I don't see how the "best ever" discussion continues after those three. Please ... don't throw Don Patton's name out there. Coaching kids different & creative ways to stall should disqualify a guy from consideration, in my book.[/font] Don Patton was a special coach. All of us who wrestled for him would do anything to win for him. He was that kind of Coach. Don passed away several years ago and he is dearly missed by all who knew him. He never discussed stalling w/ us! There was 2 pretty good wrestlers that used the clock to their advantage, which was well w/in the rules back then. One place 4th in the state and one was a state champ. Whoever made those ridiculous statements about Coach Patton reference stalling must have had their lunch handed to them by one of those wrestlers. Having said that, I find it appalling that someone makes negative statements about a Coach that achieved so much. Not to mention saying negative things about someone that can't defend himself. Grow up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regionrat1 Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 And the best part about ed pendoski is he had no problem opening up the doors at portage high to any kid from competing schools. Not only did he benifit his schools wrestlers but the region as a hole, and now indy. For my nickel ole Eddie i put region wraslin on da map. He did a whole to infuence da carriers of some many kids up here. Like many otters said we are blessed whit allot of fine coaches in the state. Not necessarlily about da wins and loses on how they have helped young men. Dat is why we love da greatest and oldest sport Wraslin ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnkpatton Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 I can not believe I am posting something here, but here it goes. There are many great coaches in Indiana history, some before my time and some after. Clearly I am biased at some point, but many of you do not know that Don Patton (yes my father) started his career at Lebanon High School with hardly a program and produced state place winners and his first state champion in 5 short years as head coach. I remember as a kid him taking kids to Iowa to wrestle freestyle and all our vacations were based on wrestling somewhere. Then he did the same thing at Delta. He had the ability to motivate kids at all levels. Those of you who call people names, you are clearly illiterate because you have nothing of substance to post. Then he went to Knightstown who played basketball for wrestling practice and in two years won two sectional championships with 11 Freshman and took there first kid (HWT) to the State meet. Started with 8 kids and in a small school had 38 kids in the program before handing it off. In the same vein, great coaches create kids that do great things. There are always going to be coaches you do not like for one reason or another, but you have to respect many of today's and yesterday's best coaches. And yes it is predicated on winning. Tonte Deckard Hurle Goeble Troy Patton Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MatChick76 Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 Although the list of great coaches is not short on names...I have to give the nod to the Dynamic Duo...Goebel/Helfrich...together they made history. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coolhandluke Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 For small schools its Eric Myers in my book. He turned around the program with help from a lot of coaches and completely turned that program around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick Hobbs Posted February 11, 2012 Share Posted February 11, 2012 I got on the site at the airport today to get some semistate results - when I came across this topic. I normally would hold my tongue, but one of Indiana?s greats somehow continues to ?fall through the cracks? in discussions like this. I would assume this is because he?s a humble guy and would never list his own accomplishments?so Ill do it for him. I was lucky enough to have him in the chair in most of my matches at Conseco and can tell ya he?s a great coach and a great guy. Bob Morris ? Now, the old-timers on here will know him, but some of the younger fellas might not. I?ll list a few of his accomplishments. Personal ? 1972 IHSAA State Runner-up ? Iowa State & Indiana Universities? 3rd 1971 USAW Junior Nationals -Freestyle ? Finalist 1972 USAW Junior Nationals -Greco? Member 1972 Olympic Training Camp Squad ? Coach Morris was 1 of only 3 High Schoolers in Freestyle and the only High Schooler in Greco-Roman!? 4th 1975 USAW Senior Nationals - Greco? 5th 1976 USAW Senior Nationals - Greco? Brown Belt (Judo) School Coaching: ? Assistant Bloomington N HS ? Assistant Coach, IU? Assistant Coach, Perry Meridian HS? Assistant Coach, BGHS? Assistant Coach, Coronado HS (Col Springs)? 1985-86 Junior Director, IN/USAW? 1986-88 State Chairman, IN/USAW? 1987-88 Asst Chairman, USAW National Junior World Council? 1989-90 Junior Director, CO/USAW? 1990-91 Secretary, CO/USAW? 2004-05 Coaches Director, CO/USAW? 1989-91 Assistant Director, USAW ? National Coaches Education, National Camps & Clinics, State Services, National Events, Merchandise, Sponsorship, Finance, International Exchanges Head Coach o Indiana-USAW Junior Nationals -Greco (85 & 86) o Colorado-USAW Junior Nationals -Freestyle (91) o Indiana-USAW FS&GR Junior National Duals (92) Handled coaching duties for athletes earning spots on Team USA at Cadets (1989) & Junior Worlds (1990) Assistant Coach, Hoosier WC (IU) 1987-88 2 Junior World All Americans o Head Coach, Pikes Peak WC (Col Springs) 1989-91 2 Junior National & 1 Junior World All No disrespect to many of the others listed, but Olympic training camp squad as a High-Schooler, Senior Nationals (big time) medals, Judo Brown Belt, college coaching, Junior world team coaching, administrative positions with USAW, and donated his time for FREE to most if not all of these positions. You?d never know it unless you grabbed ahold of him but the guy is one of our all time greats, and despite being instrumental in paving the way for what Indiana and the ISWA are today, still is not in the IHSWCA hall of fame..? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bharmon01 Posted February 12, 2012 Share Posted February 12, 2012 Here is another coach to add to this list - Bo Henry Bloomington North Nick - I'm an old guy who remembers Bob Morris - very good coach who has impacted a number of programs No question in my mind he needs to be considered for the IHSWCA Hall of Fame Keep them coming - there are so many great coaches who have impacted the lives of our student athletes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbo Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 I've never put the same value on coaching at a private school where you have the ability to virtually recruit as if it's a college program. That being said... I don't think anyone can deny Goebel his place on the list, but if I could choose one guy to make my son a champion it would have to be Jim Tonte. I feel he's the best right now and will soon be in the "best ever" conversation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WrestlingMonster13 Posted February 14, 2012 Share Posted February 14, 2012 COACH JON WILLIAMS! He he the best coach in anyones heart by far! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IMAWRESTLER Posted February 15, 2012 Share Posted February 15, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
No One Famous Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 I believe the number of top Indiana coaches has grown tremendously over the last decade or so. Back in the day, there seemed to be fewer great knowledgeable coaches...probably the same at all levels though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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