The Full Tilt Podcast

National champion and head coach Rob Koll sits down with Full Tilt to talk about growing up in a famous wrestling family and how he built some of the best programs in college wrestling. He describes growing up in the Penn State wrestling room, his father Bill Koll's time at Normandy, and his 1988 NCAA title for North Carolina. He also covers the years he spent training with and competing against Dave Schultz, including a 3 a.m. skate on a frozen reservoir in Moscow.He explains how Cornell went from mediocre to a powerhouse: building alumni relationships, the Friedman Wrestling Center, and why he thinks it made spending money on wrestling acceptable across the sport. He then covers the move to Stanford and his return to Chapel Hill, where he admits he was slow to adjust to NIL. He also talks about coaching Travis Lee, Jordan Leen, Troy Nickerson, Yianni Diakomihalis and Kyle Dake, and why loyalty is the quality he values most. The episode ends with one of the best Coach Lam stories you'll hear.Timed highlights:    00:44 Being on the world team with his idol Nate Carr, and the front headlock that fractured his vertebra    04:35 Following wrestling before the internet, when Amateur Wrestling News was the only source    06:34 Starting in 5th grade, and how one season a year became four, along with the overuse injuries    13:10 Bill Koll at Normandy, and how he inspired the slam rule    18:36 Wrestling for Coach Lam in a packed room with only one assistant    21:24 Nearly getting kicked out of school for buying classic novels    25:13 Broke, newly married, and taking a 10% pay cut on his first day at Cornell    28:15 The 1988 national title, and why losing the two years before made it mean more    30:08 Giving credit to Bill Tate and Mark Richmond, the guys who beat him    34:48 Dave Schultz: retiring him, getting pinned by him, and skating in Moscow at 3 a.m.    40:12 His secret defense to the Schultz front headlock: the fake choke    42:54 Drilling with Arsen Fadzaev and the rib that got broken on purpose    46:51 The Cornell rebuild: why you can't inherit relationships    51:15 The Friedman Wrestling Center and the facilities race it started    53:29 Fundraising lessons at Stanford, and what he got wrong on NIL at Carolina    57:11 Travis Lee, Jordan Leen, Troy Nickerson and the Cornell run    1:03:22 Kyle Dake, "the scientist," and why loyalty defines him    1:06:27 The idea behind Dake moving up to face David Taylor    1:09:11 Recruiting Yianni over his own son    1:10:19 The fake-teeth soccer story that made Coach Lam think he was the toughest man aliveSponsor: Custom Community, custom team apparel. If you enjoy this episode, hit subscribe, drop a comment with your favorite story, and tell us which wrestling legend you want to hear from next!www.thefulltiltpodcast.com

Two-time NCAA champion and two-time world bronze medalist Nick "Gwiz" Gwiazdowski talks about the road from a small Upstate New York town to the world podium. He covers rebuilding NC State with Pat Popolizio, upsetting Tony Nelson for the 2014 title and how front headlock defense opened up his freestyle career. He also explains why great coaches sometimes let their wrestlers win. Then come the stories: armed escorts in Dagestan, crowds in Iran with Jordan Burroughs, and the brutal cold of Krasnoyarsk.Timed highlights:00:00 Cold open: dinner with a machine gun in the doorway 09:38 Small-town roots in Duanesburg, NY 15:16 Confidence, practice partners and the coach as a servant 25:08 Beating Tony Nelson for the 2014 NCAA title 30:05 The Kyle Snyder showdown 36:21 "Get big": front headlock and chest lock defense 41:07 His first world medal, then a second bronze won on a high ankle sprain 47:53 Dagestan: Khabib's crew, armored trucks and a wolf pelt 54:27 Iran with Jordan Burroughs, and Krasnoyarsk's extreme coldSponsored by Hatch and Custom Community. Visit customcommunity.com.If you enjoy this episode, hit subscribe, drop a comment with your favorite story, and tell us which wrestling legend you want to hear from next!www.thefulltiltpodcast.com

Arizona legend Eric Larkin sits down with Full Tilt for an early-morning conversation about his life in wrestling. He rode the JV bus at Sunnyside as a freshman and still won Fargo. He then became an NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy winner at Arizona State. Eric talks about the hot, hard-nosed Sunnyside practice room and how his redshirt got pulled as a true freshman. He also covers battles with Cody Sanderson, training with Randy Lewis, and finishing 4th, 3rd, 2nd and then 1st at NCAAs.Then we get into the school's "greater later" approach to youth development, how its athletes compete at college opens across the country, and what it's like raising five wrestling sons without being an overbearing dad coach.Timed Highlights 0:00 JV freshman, Fargo champ 2:06 Getting started at Sunnyside 8:28 Redshirt pulled at ASU 19:23 Cody Sanderson battles 22:29 4th, 3rd, 2nd, 1st 26:45 Coaching Brian Stith 28:38 What Valiant Prep is 37:50 Fundraising challenges 41:14 "Greater later" 48:14 Being a wrestling dad 55:58 Toughest opponentsThis episode is sponsored by Custom Community, which makes custom team apparel: customcommunity.comPodcast Prodiction by: www.itsyourshow.coIf you enjoy this episode, hit subscribe, drop a comment with your favorite story, and tell us which wrestling legend you want to hear from next!www.thefulltiltpodcast.com

Jim Ravannak looks back on a life shaped by wrestling—from leading USA Wrestling and helping preserve the sport’s Olympic place to building the Gator Wrestling Club and supporting athletes like Daniel Cormier. He shares stories from Olympic and international team trips, recalls the people and moments that stayed with him, and reflects on why creating opportunities for athletes matters as much as winning medals.Timed highlights: 00:00 – The call that set the effort to preserve Olympic wrestling in motion 01:50 – Building a wrestling family and recognizing Daniel Cormier’s talent 11:04 – Growing Superior Energy while taking on wrestling leadership 14:20 – Why coaching and creating opportunities for young athletes mattered 18:14 – Early team-leader experiences and traveling during uncertain times 23:07 – What a team leader does to support athletes and coaches 26:03 – The campaign to keep wrestling in the Olympic Games 32:44 – The Gator Wrestling Club’s athletes, legacy, and eventual transition 37:16 – Opening training camps to help build the strongest possible team 42:00 – A memorable trip to Iran and the connections made through wrestling 48:33 – Olympic memories and a friendship with Bruce Baumgartner 51:06 – Ravannak’s bond with Daniel Cormier and stories from their years together 57:51 – Giving back and helping athletes find a clear path forwardIf you enjoy this episode, hit subscribe, drop a comment with your favorite story, and tell us which wrestling legend you want to hear from next!www.thefulltiltpodcast.comItsYourShow.co

Newly elected Iowa Wrestling Hall of Famer Matt McDonough joins Full Tilt at Mission Athletics in Cedar Rapids for a wide-ranging conversation about the people and experiences that shaped his career. Matt looks back on growing up around wrestling, learning from coaches and training partners who pushed him, winning two NCAA titles, and facing the setbacks of his senior season. He also reflects on Anthony Robles, the lessons he’s carried into coaching, and how Mission Athletics came together.Timed highlights: 00:30 Matt reacts to being inducted into the Iowa Wrestling Hall of Fame 02:22 The mindset behind his success—and why he never thought of himself as an especially talented wrestler 03:16 His father’s influence and the family’s wrestling history 05:07 How young wrestlers learn techniques from social media 07:04 Matt’s early years in wrestling and finding his “wrestling bug” 10:37 The impact of coach Pablo Bassa 15:29 Seeking out training partners and challenges who push you 17:00 The Mark Ironside practice that changed how Matt viewed tough training 20:46 Moving to 125 pounds and learning not to cut weight just for the sake of it 23:43 Winning his first NCAA title after an early-season loss 26:54 Wrestling Anthony Robles and the story behind their famous championship match 35:16 Recovering from the Robles loss and returning to win another national title 43:47 Matt’s injury, weight-cutting challenges, and tough senior season 50:19 How Matt became involved with Mission Athletics 54:52 A look inside Mission Athletics and its training and recovery facilitiesIf you enjoy this episode, hit subscribe, drop a comment with your favorite story, and tell us which wrestling legend you want to hear from next!www.thefulltiltpodcast.comItsYourShow.co