The Full Tilt Podcast

Former CBU All-American and alum Nolan Kessler joins the Full Tilt Podcast to break down the decision by California Baptist University to cut its Division I wrestling program along with two other men’s sports. Nolan explains why this is more than just one team being dropped: it’s part of a national trend threatening Olympic sports and first-generation college opportunities.He shares powerful stories of lives changed through wrestling, the fast-growing movement behind Keep CBU Wrestling, and how alumni, coaches, and community members are rallying to raise $20 million and secure a long-term endowment for the program. Nolan also addresses Title IX, the financial realities behind “revenue sports,” and why CBU has a unique chance to lead instead of follow the herd.Timed Highlights:0:00 The bigger problem: Olympic sports under attack0:25 Introducing the Full Tilt Podcast and guest Nolan Kessler1:02 How Nolan learned CBU was cutting three men’s programs1:34 Building a 100-alumni coalition to keep CBU wrestling3:30 The national trend of dropped wrestling programs (Fresno State, Stanford, others)5:10 NIL, NCAA changes, and 44 discontinued Olympic programs in one year6:40 Why “revenue sports” like football and basketball are putting schools in the red8:30 CBU’s chance to lead instead of follow the herd9:49 The crisis of only three Division I wrestling programs in all of California11:44 What’s the plan? Awareness, fundraising, and building a coalition11:48 Launching keepcbu.com and raising over $1 million in a month13:48 How pledges work and why donors are protected if the effort fails13:59 Inside CBU’s response: “The decision is final, no amount of money will change it”16:13 Title IX as the stated reason and why the numbers don’t add up18:40 Other paths to Title IX compliance and adding women’s sports20:00 Timeline: pushing for talks before the NCAA wrestling tournament20:17 The $20 million endowment goal and lessons from Stanford21:35 Ensuring the program’s long-term future, not just a short-term save22:03 Examples from Bucknell and Binghamton and big gifts after programs were saved24:38 Other programs cut at CBU and building a united front with golf and swim & dive26:51 Final call to action: why wrestling is a lifeline of opportunity27:16 How to support: website, social media, donations, and sharing29:05 Closing: why this fight matters for wrestling and all Olympic sportsIf 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

NCAA champion and former Army officer Derek Moore joins the Full Tilt Podcast to walk through his unlikely rise from undersized, lightly recruited California kid to 2007 NCAA Champion and OW at 141 lbs, his time in the Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP), and his current role building a faith-centered Division I program at CBU.In this episode, Derek and Hatch dig into:Growing up in small-town Redding, California and discovering wrestlingWalking on at UC Davis, grinding through redshirt years, and almost quittingThe influence of legendary coach Lenny Zaleski and the old-school UC Davis grindWinning the 2007 NCAA title over Ryan Lang with a top-game clinic and earning OWTransitioning to freestyle in the Army’s WCAP, training at the OTC, and wrestling overseasLeading soldiers as a field artillery officer vs. leading a college wrestling teamBuilding the California Baptist (CBU) wrestling program and the role of faith in his life and coachingIf you love wrestling, leadership, and redemption stories grounded in faith and hard work, this episode is for you.Timed Episode Highlights0:00 – 3:42 Small-town roots, Northern California life, and first impressions of Riverside
3:42 – 7:43 Discovering CBU, NorCal vs SoCal, and faith and community in Riverside
7:43 – 12:56 Undersized high schooler, almost no recruiting, and landing at UC Davis
12:56 – 17:02 ROTC scholarship, balancing Division I wrestling and military training
17:02 – 23:02 Redshirt grind, getting beat up, almost quitting, and mentors who kept him in
23:02 – 30:00 Style and mindset shift: from tiny 88-pounder to big 141 with a lethal top game
30:00 – 36:41 Technical deep dive: counter offense, shin whizzer, Jonesy tilts, and mat wrestling
36:41 – 40:15 2007 NCAA run, teching Ryan Lang, and winning Outstanding Wrestler
40:15 – 44:39 UC Davis love, parade, and then the heartbreak of the program being dropped
44:39 – 52:32 ROTC commitment, joining the Army’s World Class Athlete Program (WCAP)
52:32 – 59:13 Training at the OTC under Terry Brands, Zeke Jones, Brandon Slay, and Bill Zadick
59:13 – 1:05:22 Overseas tours, brutal foreign training camps, and learning international styles
1:05:22 – 1:11:20 Transition from athlete to coach: Sacred Heart to CBU and the D2-to-D1 climb
1:11:20 – 1:20:00 Building CBU Wrestling, recruiting, faith impact on athletes, and California wrestling
1:20:00 – 1:24:42 Comparing military leadership to coaching a college team
1:24:42 – 1:25:57 Hardest Lenny Zaleski workouts and old-school UC Davis conditioning
1:25:57 – End Reflections, biggest rewards as a coach, and closing thoughtsIf 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

On this episode of The Full Tilt, Hatch sits down with two-time NCAA champion and Olympic gold medalist Randy Lewis for a storytelling masterclass. From his first day on the mat in fifth grade to setting a national record with 45 straight pins, Randy breaks down the mindset that made him, as he says, the toughest kid on the block.He shares how a pull-up contest gave him the confidence to win his first state title, why he set insane goals like pinning every opponent for an entire season, and what it was really like being recruited by his hero, Dan Gable. Randy also tells the hilarious and humbling story of going from pinning a Russian world champion to getting absolutely worked in practice by Gable himself.If you love wrestling, old-school toughness, and legendary stories, this is Full Tilt at its finest.Timed Highlights: 0:00 Opening story: “Don’t poke the bear” 0:22 Welcome to The Full Tilt podcast with Hatch 0:43 Introducing Olympic gold medalist Randy Lewis 1:49 Randy’s first day of wrestling in fifth grade 2:05 Winning regionals and the belief that he could be state champ 2:22 The pull-up challenge that gave him confidence 2:40 Toughest kid on the block mindset and book title origin 3:08 Learning the rules the hard way: penalties for locking hands and choking 3:40 Winning his first state title and going to camp to really learn wrestling 4:20 Dominating AAU nationals and setting bigger goals 5:00 The goal to beat everyone by eight points or more 5:11 Facing Phil Hammond, cutting to 98, and wrestling fear 5:49 New goal: pinning everyone and setting a national record with 45 straight pins 6:28 College coaches come calling and Dan Gable enters the picture 6:57 Showing Gable the shoes he signed back in eighth grade 7:21 Hearing about Dan Gable’s Olympic run with no points scored on him 7:52 Randy’s young belief he could beat Gable “if I was as big as him” 8:12 Moving up to 149.5 and pinning the Russian world champion 8:54 The day he wrestled Gable in practice 9:01 Catching Gable in a headlock and then getting turned over and over againIf 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

In the debut episode of the Full Tilt Podcast, Hatch sits down with legendary “Fall Guy” Royce Alger – two-time NCAA champion, world silver medalist, and head coach of Titan Mercury Wrestling Club. Royce unleashes a barrage of stories from Iowa wrestling rooms, brutal Gable workouts, Foxcatcher days with Dave Schultz, and the infamous “Heisman House” of legends he lives with today.From 4.2-mile “Gable time” runs in the Iowa heat, to nearly getting choked out by Dave Schultz in a dark Foxcatcher room, to being only the second American ever issued a passport “behind enemy lines” in Moscow (after Bobby Fischer), this episode is wall-to-wall storytelling.If you love wrestling, old-school toughness, and wild road stories, this one sets the bar.Timed Highlights  0:00 – Cold open: 4.2-mile run and realizing Gable might be crazy  0:31 – Hatch introduces the Full Tilt Podcast and Royce Alger’s legendary resume  1:07 – Nashville trip, Young Guns clinic, and Montgomery Bell Academy first impressions  2:12 – National Collegiate Duals and Royce’s son chasing country music in Nashville  2:41 – Full career rundown: Iowa, World Cups, US Opens, Pan Ams, Titan Mercury  3:53 – Story-stealing, Dan Gable’s only collegiate loss, and calling him “Larry”  8:18 – “Gable time” and the infamous long loop run with Barry Davis  13:14 – The psychology of Gable’s extra 30 seconds and trust in the room  15:26 – Gable’s top game and how it shaped Royce’s wrestling from the top  16:21 – Being fourth on Iowa’s all-time pin list and the philosophy of pinning athletes  17:32 – Beating two Olympic champions at the same US Open  19:54 – Making the 1992 Olympic team and the parity of US wrestling rivalries  20:14 – What NIL money would have meant for 80s and 90s Hawkeyes  22:28 – “PhD: Poor, hungry, and driven” and how Royce recruited for Iowa  23:17 – First Hawkeye to Foxcatcher and arriving in a limo in Philadelphia  23:50 – First workout with Dave Schultz and getting choked unconscious  28:16 – The “fear of death” lesson and hearing others’ Schultz stories  29:53 – Why Chris Campbell is the best wrestler Royce ever put hands on  31:54 – Beating Andre Metzger at Midlands: “To be a legend, you have to beat a legend”  35:19 – Sauna culture at Iowa and stories that should never leave the walls  37:30 – The rivalry with Kevin Jackson and missing Olympic teams  38:16 – On excuses, almost guys, and why it’s easier to just win the match  42:42 – Getting a “whole new set of friends” after the world silver medal  46:39 – How one state title can lift an entire town  53:09 – Being handcuffed in Moscow and becoming passport case number two after Bobby Fischer  59:39 – Eli Alger, Trump, and a surprise visit from the Secret Service  1:03:52 – The sign above Iowa’s penalty box and “the older I get, the better I was”  1:06:42 – Reaching “Willie Nelson phase” status and still being relevant decades later  1:08:32 – Plans for the Legends Workshop and why hand fighting is a lost art  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