Roger Kish credits Oklahoma wrestling staff for loaded 2024 recruiting class

Oklahoma wrestling coach Roger Kish was thrilled with his staff amid the 2024 recruiting haul for the Sooners.

The Sooners finished with the No. 3 overall recruiting class, per InterMat, only trailing Stanford and Penn State. Oklahoma’s class under Kish included two Top 20 Big Board recruits coming to Norman this season.

When speaking with On3, Kish dove into what it meant to land this class going into Year 2 of his head coaching tenure.

“I tell you what, first off, it’s a real big credit to our coaching staff who are able to identify and build relationships with our incoming student athletes,” Kish told On3. “Their coaches, their club coaches, their families, you know, there’s such a large amount of relationship building that takes place in the recruiting process, and they’ve done a great job.

“I mean, our staff is second to none I believe and, you know, the work that they put in is unbelievable. The amount of time that they invest into the process and building the relationships is a really important aspect for us.” 

Roger Kish ready to make Oklahoma wrestling elite

Kish wanted that buy-in from his current wrestlers and the ones he recruited. The two top 20 prospects, No. 16 Beric Jordan (125/133) and No. 19 Alex Braun (149), headline the class.

“It’s making sure that we have full buy-in from our athletes and our families and making sure we’re accessible to them at all times, (that’s a) really crucial aspect to our recruiting style,” Kish said. “Hats off to the athletes that we have on squad, these are the guys that establish the culture, they’re the ones that have buying into the ones, that are hosting the recruits and meeting the families and staying connected to these these young men long after they leave campus. 

“And those relationships really start to take place and you know, it’s really just a full team effort from our coaching staff or support staff, the athletes on the team and you get these young student athletes to the University of Oklahoma. The institution sells itself. I mean, it’s a wonderful place, great education, (and the) facilities really are second to none. And you know, it’s a really, really great place.”

Kish and Oklahoma are certainly set up for success going into the 2024-25 campaign. After laying the groundwork following a tenure at North Dakota State, the Sooners could return as one of the powers of college wrestling.