USA WRESTLING STAFF Zadick next Freestyle Head Coach Bill Zadick, currently an Assistant National Freestyle Coach
with USA Wrestling, has been named as the next National Freestyle Coach for USA Wrestling, the national governing body for the sport in the United States. “To be named USA Wrestling’s Freestyle National Coach is a
great honor. It is humbling, and I feel a tremendous responsibili- ty to the United States and to USA Wrestling and to the athletes. I love freestyle wrestling. I cut my teeth in freestyle as a young kid, coming up through the developmental ranks. It has always been a huge passion for me. It is an important component to the American wrestling system. I am a patriot. I love red, white and blue and I want us to be the best wrestling nation in the world,” said Zadick. He becomes the fifth full-time National Freestyle Coach for
USA Wrestling, following Lee Roy Smith, Bruce Burnett (two terms), Kevin Jackson and Zeke Jones. USA Wrestling conduct- ed an in-depth interview process, which included input from an advisory committee of respected wrestling leaders. “I am proud of the process we went through to select our next National Freestyle Head Coach,” said Rich Bender, USA Wrestling Executive Director. “It included virtually all of the appropriate stakeholders in the process. Bill will lead this pro- gram with character and dignity. We are confident that the best is yet to come for Team USA.” Zadick will assume the duties after the current National Freestyle Coach Bruce Burnett completes his tenure after the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Burnett, the National Freestyle Coach from 1992-2000, was rehired in May 2014 to lead the freestyle program through the Rio Games. “We had great candidates and it was a difficult decision,” said
Les Gutches, USA Wrestling Associate Executive Director for Programs and Strategy. “When it came to the final three candi- dates, we were impressed by all of them. As part of the inter- view process, each of the coaches had to lay out their four-year plan and vision. Bill nailed it, with great detail and insight. Bill has had the benefit of working around three National Freestyle Coaches, Bruce Burnett, Kevin Jackson and Zeke Jones. He comes from the Iowa program where he was coached by Dan Gable and the Brands brothers. He has done a good job pooling the collective wisdom of these and other coaches and develop- ing his own philosophy.” Bill Zadick first joined USA Wrestling in the position of Resident Coordinator and Assistant National Freestyle Coach in January 2009. He was a liaison between the U.S. Olympic Training Center and the resident athletes in all three styles and was also part of the national freestyle coaching staff. Zadick was promoted to the position of National Freestyle Developmental Coach and Assistant National Freestyle Coach in September 2010. He oversaw the programs intended to improve the quality and quantity of men's freestyle athletes prior to the Senior level, working with age-group World Teams and programs. During his four years working with the USA age-group teams
(2011-2014), the USA won eight Cadet World medals, nine Junior World medals and 10 medals at the University Worlds or University World Games. Included were Cadet World champions Adam Coon, Zain Retherford, Aaron Pico, Spencer Lee, Mason Manville and Mark Hall, Junior World champion Kyle Snyder and University World champions Tyler Caldwell and Tyrell Fortune. In 2014, the U.S. age group World Teams reached new
36 USA Wrestler36 USA Wrestler
Bill Zadick works with World champion Kyle Snyder at the 2015 Worlds in Las Vegas. Tony Rotundo photo.
levels of success in freestyle, with the Cadets placing third in the World, the Juniors placing second in the World and the University team winning the World title. In 2015, Zadick’s duties as Assistant National Coach were changed, where he focused upon the athletes and teams on the Senior level, working directly with National Coach Bruce Burnett working with the elite Senior athletes in all areas. Prior to joining USA Wrestling, Zadick served as a volunteer
assistant coach for the University of Iowa wrestling team for two seasons (2003-04). “We want the United States to be the best wrestling nation in
the world in all styles. Of course, my focus will be on freestyle. It will take a lot of work. We are going to need all hands on deck. We have a lot of great wrestling minds within the United States, and it is going to take a coordinated effort and inclusion of all those people to move us forward,” said Zadick. Zadick reached the top of the freestyle wrestling world in
2006, when he won a World gold medal at 66 kg/145.5 pounds in Guangzhou, China. Zadick also competed in the 2001 World Championships,
placing seventh. He was a runner-up at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in 2000 and 2008. He was a three-time U.S. Open runner- up (2003, 2006, 2008) and a two-time World Team Trials runner- up (1999, 2002). Zadick won a bronze medal at the 2007 Pan American Championships, and won the Sunkist Kids International Open in 1997 and 1998. He won a NCAA Div. I title for the Univ. of Iowa in 1996 and
was a two-time All-American, competing for the legendary Dan Gable.
Originally from Great Falls, Montana, Zadick won four high
school state titles for Great Falls High School (1988-91). He was active in USA Wrestling's age-group programs as a youth and through college. Zadick was a U.S. Olympic Training Center Resident athlete from 2004-2008, where his freestyle career flourished.
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44