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cess, my family was in despair. The loss of my 5-year-old son had all of us struggling. When we visited Ohio State we were all overwhelmed by the place. My faith was growing and I sensed the opportunity to make a big difference in my sphere of influ- ence. Gene Smith was serious about developing the total per- son as we pursued greatness on the mats. I fell in love with the place as soon as my wife and I walked on the oval. We needed a change and God had something big in store for us.
USA Wrestler: In your second and third years at OSU, the team came off a difficult Big Tens, then placed second at the NCAAs. What was key to getting those teams on the podium? Ryan: We want to be great all the time, but that's not easy. The Big Ten is tough. We lost some tough bouts at the Big Tens and flipped them our way two weeks later. We also had some super studs that we knew would move through the NCAA Tourney as they did the Big Ten Tourney. We always focus on peaking at the NCAA's over any other event, yet all are a reflec- tion of what we stand for. We just stayed positive.
USA Wrestler: What makes competing in the Big Ten so tough, and does that give those teams an advantage when they go to the NCAA Championships? Ryan: I believe the Big Ten Tournament and the dual season are major advantages for our athletes. Challenges help people grow. Suffering is good for us. They prepare the body and mind for what's needed. The Big Ten provides truth. At 174, there were seven former No. 1 ranked recruits in the nation. Because of the number of programs, quality of the schools and scholar- ship dollars available, many of the top student-athletes choose
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Big Ten programs. It is great to see other conferences growing. I have a lot of friends in smaller conferences and they work their tails off. They inspire me, too.
USA Wrestler: What made the Ohio Regional Training Center so successful, and why is it so important to Ohio State wrestling and to the U.S. Olympic freestyle effort? Ryan: The right vision and the right people made it so suc- cessful. When I first arrived, I grabbed Coach Lou Rosselli, Tommy Rowlands and Joe Heskett. Clearly, we were off to a great start and have only grown from then. We have great coaches and we have great supporters. We are so fortunate to be able to raise the funds necessary to assist our elite post- graduate athletes. On top of this, Columbus is a vibrant city that offers so much to its residents. The Olympic Dream is the ultimate goal for so many. USA Wrestling has been so support- ive throughout.
USA Wrestler: J Jaggers was your first two-time NCAA champion. What made him such a great champion, and what does he bring to your team as one of its coaches? Ryan: J loves the sport and is a great athlete. He can play any sport and play it well. He has tremendous charisma and is very smart. In addition to his ability and love for the sport, he was a great competitor with a tremendous skill set and work ethic. Recently he was inducted into the Ohio State Hall of Fame. That was a great accomplishment. He earned it.
USA Wrestler: You coached Logan Stieber, one of only four four-time NCAA champs. What allowed Logan to be a champion right away, and to handle the challenges of winning four times? Ryan: I can't say enough about Logan. This guy is a leader. He led his high school to their first-ever state title and led Ohio State to our first-ever NCAA title. He has all the requirements, with the main one being toughness. He is a tough person. He is able to train several times a day over an extended period of time. He's consistent. He has some attacks that are extremely hard to defend. He understands spacing on his feet and was the best top wrestler I have ever seen in college. Another tool that helped him was that he was unshakeable. Nothing got to him. He had nerves of steel. He was both calm and courageous. I am sure glad he chose Ohio State. He has had a profound impact on a lot of people. That’s good stuff.
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USA Wrestler: What made the 2015 Ohio State team tick and come together when it counted and win the NCAA team title? Ryan: We just believed. We grew together. We had some highly-driven people that love to compete. It was our time. We are all so happy for so many people. This was a long time com- ing for Ohio State. So much talent in the state. Keeping Bo Jordan home two years ago was big. We are fortunate that he chose Ohio State. He has been a great leader here.
USA Wrestler: How difficult will it be for the Buckeyes to win it again, and keep Ohio State in the mix for the title every year? Ryan: It will always be hard to win. That's what makes it so special. We are aware of complacency. It's the cancer of any organization. We keep our focus off winning. We are focused on improving. We are focused on embracing the challenges that the sport brings to everyone that competes in it. We are effort- focused and not win-focused. We want to win, but so does everyone else. We are recruiting men who want to sacrifice for the TEAM and who are good people. We work often on leader- ship skills. Built to Lead, a leadership based program is embed- ded in Ohio State wrestling. We work on building champions
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