Penn State wrestling pod: Lions find the perfect fit with new assistant Nick Lee
A new episode of the Penn State wrestling show and podcast from Blue-White Illustrated is now live. Host Thomas Frank Carr and reporter Greg Pickel are back to dive into the latest news and notes surrounding the Nittany Lions. As has been the case for weeks, the news cycle is hardly slowing down despite it being the third month of the offseason.
You can watch this week’s show in video player above and also on YouTube. Or, you can listen at your favorite destinations for audio like SPOTIFY and APPLE.
This week’s show starts with a look at the Nittany Lions’ new assistant coach. Multi-time NCAA champ, former U.S. National Team member, and program alum Nick Lee was officially added to the team’s staff on Monday. Lee replaces Jimmy Kennedy, he left head coach Cael Sanderson’s bench to join his brother-in-law David Taylor.
“He has a knack for coaching,” Sanderson said on the NLWC podcast. “He has taken a vested interest in helping the people around him get better. I think he’s going to do an outstanding job. He will be a great resource for the bottom five weight classes. You try to make sure you have people in all the positions. I’m really excited to work with Nick. We’re going to get him going as soon as we possibly can. He’s the guy. He’s excited about the job. And we’re excited for him to join the staff.”
What will Penn State get from adding Lee? Why is he the perfect fit? Which weights will he work with? The duo cover all of that and more.
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From there, the show sticks with the coaching theme. Carr and Pickel take a look at other former Nittany Lions under Sanderson who are in the news because of taking new jobs elsewhere. Vincenzo Joseph left Stanford to lead the Olympic Regional Training Center at North Carolina. Mark Hall is the new director of operations at Oklahoma. And, Bryan Pearsall is Taylor’s new director of recruiting in Stillwater.
“I’m incredibly excited to be a part of the next chapter of Oklahoma State Wrestling,” Pearsall said in a released statement. “I believe in Coach Taylor and his vision for the program and know that I can contribute towards Cowboy Wrestling reaching new heights. There is a high standard of success in Stillwater, home of the most decorated Division I wrestling program in history. We aim to raise those standards and act accordingly every single day. I can’t wait to get to work.”
Carr and Pickel discuss how each takes his Penn State experience and applies it to his new job.
The show wraps up with a look at the final Class of 2024 big board from MatScouts. Lions signee Luke Lilledahl leads the way at number one, and Penn State is the only school with multiple future wrestlers in the top 10. What does it mean for the team moving forward? The pair discuss to close the episode.
