ALL HAIL CAEL: Sanderson becomes Penn State's wrestling coach

By Guy Cipriano

Penn State’s search for its 12th head wrestling coach took 13 days, and when it ended Friday, the university made a move that stunned the entire wrestling community.

One day after visiting central Pennsylvania, Cael Sanderson agreed to leave Iowa State to replace Troy Sunderland as Penn State’s wrestling coach.

Even those who don’t spend winters in mat-covered gyms should recognize the Nittany Lions’ newest coach.

Sanderson, a man featured on his own Wheaties Box, went 159-0 and captured four NCAA titles during his Iowa State career before claiming a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Now, he’s looking to bring similar excellence to Penn State, which recorded its first — and only NCAA team title — in 1953.

“It’s awesome to have the best wrestler who has ever lived as your head coach,” Penn State heavyweight Cameron Wade said. “It can’t get much better.”

Terms of Sanderson’s contract were not released by Penn State. But multiple sources familiar with the situation said Sanderson will be the highest paid coach in college wrestling history. Sanderson earned a base salary of $137,000 at Iowa State.

Penn State selected Sanderson over a slew of qualified coaches. Edinboro’s Tim Flynn, Cornell’s Rob Koll, Maryland’s Kerry McCoy and Lehigh’s Pat Santoro are head coaches who were either contacted about or interviewed for the position, according to multiple sources. Local camp director and former Olympian Ken Chertow and Lehigh assistant coach John Hughes also interviewed for the job.

Sanderson contacted Penn State about the position last week and met with university officials twice during the past week. His interest in the job increased after Thursday’s on-campus visit.

Sanderson returned to Ames, Iowa, on Friday afternoon to inform the Cyclones of his decision to accept Penn State’s offer. Penn State released an official statement an hour later announcing Sanderson’s hiring.

“I could stay here where I love Iowa State and that is never going to change,” Sanderson told reporters after leaving his office Friday. “This is the place that I wanted to win. This is home. You can’t go wrong. It’s just the potential and the possibilities of Penn State. It’s the highest-regarded institution in sports, in the East and maybe in the country.”

Sanderson, 29, will be formally introduced as the Nittany Lions’ coach during a 2 p.m. news conference Monday at Rec Hall. The event is open to the public.

“We are thrilled that Cael Sanderson will be leading the Penn State wrestling program,” Penn State athletic director Tim Curley said. “Cael has quickly demonstrated as a head coach the skills, passion and dedication that made him an NCAA and Olympic champion. We are excited about introducing him to the Penn State community on Monday and helping him move the program forward.”

News of Sanderson’s decision shocked Ames, where he spent more than decade as an athlete and coach. Sanderson replaced the legendary Bobby Douglas as Iowa State’s head coach in 2006 and he led the Cyclones to three consecutive NCAA top-five finishes. Iowa State accumulated a 44-10 dual-meet record and captured three Big 12 Tournament titles during Sanderson’s tenure. The Cyclones are returning 10 NCAA qualifiers next season.

“I’m just like everyone else,” Iowa State wrestler Mitch Mueller said after Sanderson addressed the Cyclones. “I didn’t think it’d actually happen.”

A half-country away, Penn State wrestlers expressed similar thoughts.

“We’re all in shock,” All-American 141-pounder Frank Molinaro said. “We can’t believe it.”

Sanderson, a Heber City, Utah, native, will be expected to rejuvenate a Penn State program that went 8-12-2 and finished a disappointing 17th during last month’s NCAA Championships. Sunderland, a Penn State alum who went 115-90-2 in 11 years, resigned two weeks after the season’s conclusion. The Nittany Lions recorded four NCAA top-10 finishes under Sunderland, peaking at No. 3 during 2007-08.

Penn State’s decision to replace Sunderland with Sanderson was praised throughout the wrestling community.

“I didn’t see Cael Sanderson coming like 99 percent of the world,” said former Penn State coach Rich Lorenzo, who has close ties with some of the program’s prominent boosters. “He did such a fantastic job at his alma mater. He’s so respected and loved in this game and at his own school. He was knocking at the door for a national title for the last three years. He wasn’t on the list of candidates that I had put in.”

When Sanderson permanently arrives at Penn State, he will be greeted by a vast set of resources.

The Nittany Lions moved into the $4 million Lorenzo Wrestling Complex in 2006 and the school’s roster and coaching staff are among the nation’s biggest. Sanderson also now finds himself in the middle of a wrestling-rich state that includes some of the nation’s top high school talent.

“He’s going to have a hard time failing,” Koll said. “Pennsylvania is a gold mine for talent. I don’t think he would fail. He’s a competitive person. If he weren’t, he wouldn’t have won four national titles."

Still, Sanderson will encounter some major challenges, none bigger than competing in the Big Ten for the first time in his career. Iowa and Ohio State, the two teams that finished above Iowa State last month, are both Big Ten members who invest significant time and money into wrestling. The schedule will also force Sanderson to face Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin on a regular basis.

“Cael coming into the conference makes it so much more challenging and exciting,” Ohio State coach Tom Ryan said. “You’re put on earth to be challenged and that’s why we are here. This certainly ups the ante.”

Ryan, like everybody else, was surprised by Sanderson’s decision. The move could generate future interest in college wrestling which received momentum from an exciting NCAA Tournament that included North Carolina State’s Darrion Caldwell’s upset of Iowa’s Brent Metcalf at 149 pounds.

“In my world, that’s as shocking news as a man can get,” he said. “Anyone who has been in the wrestling community for any amount of time has to be impressed with Penn State’s decision to go after the very best. We have seen some stunning things in college wrestling recently. First, Caldwell beating Metcalf and now this.”

Sanderson will become the first man without Penn State ties to coach the Nittany Lions since Bill Koll, who led the program from 1965-78. Bill Koll also attended college in Iowa, winning three NCAA titles at Iowa State Teachers College.

The status of Penn State’s assistant coaches has not been determined, but it’s possible Sanderson could bring his brother, Cody, the Cyclones’ associate head coach, to Penn State. Sanderson’s younger brother, Cyler, wrestles for Iowa State. Sanderson reached two of his wrestling milestones in State College. He claimed his first NCAA title here in 1999. Two years later, he eclipsed Dan Gable’s NCAA record of 100 consecutive wins record by defeating Montclair State’s Ed Aliakseyenka during the Cliff Keen/NWCA National Duals at the Bryce Jordan Center. Sanderson competed at 184 and 197 pounds during his college career. Sanderson went 127-3 and won four Utah state titles during his high school career. Sanderson earned a bachelor’s degree in graphic design from Iowa State. He will be bringing his wife, Kelly, and two-year-old son, Tate, with him to State College.

“My intention was never to use Iowa State as a steppingstone,” Sanderson said. “I know that’s a tough thing. But I know it’s tougher on me than any one of our fans. Nobody cares more about Iowa State wrestling than I do.”