One-on-One with Ty Eustice

Ty Eustice was a four-time high school state champion for Blue Earth High School in Minnesota who went on to became a collegiate star at the University of Iowa. Eustice, who followed his older brother, Luke, to Iowa City, compiled a collegiate record of 111-29, earned two All-American medals, and finished his career as the NCAA runner-up at 149 pounds in 2006.

Ty Eustice

Following his collegiate career, Eustice migrated back to his home state of Minnesota and is now in his second season as an assistant coach at Division II power Minnesota State University in Mankato, the same school where his father, Jack, was an NCAA champion and four-time All-American.

RevWrestling.com recently caught up with the former Hawkeye star. Eustice talked about his emotions after losing in the NCAA finals, how he sees a potential Brent Metcalf-Dustin Schlatter match playing out (Eustice defeated Metcalf and lost to Schlatter in college), how he felt about the Iowa coaching change in 2006, what Minnesota State will have to do win a national title this season, whether he plans to coach for a long time, and much more.

How did you come to the decision to join the coaching staff at Minnesota State in Mankato after finishing your wrestling career at Iowa?

Eustice: During my senior season at Iowa, Jim (Zalesky) had talked to my dad. My dad wrestled here at Mankato. I was contacted about it. I just got to thinking about it and thought it would be a good chance to continue my education. I'm getting my master's here at the end of this semester. Getting your schooling paid for is always good. It was just kind of a good transition out of wrestling … and gave me the chance to see if I wanted to pursue coaching or not. It's kind of the place to start. It was a good fit. Being close to home was really nice too.

You became a father in May of 2005. Describe the experience of being a father.

Eustice: Obviously, it has been a real positive experience in life, but also in wrestling. In wrestling, it helped me my last season at Iowa. It put a lot of things in perspective. It just helped me take wrestling for what it was. It was a lot more fun again just because there was something bigger. It kind of took the pressure off me as far as wrestling goes. You learn so much when you become a parent compared to when you're not. You have to plan more. You have to prioritize things. You just have to be a lot more organized with your life because you're taking care of someone else's life. It helps you grow up quickly.

As a senior, you put together your best season ever at Iowa. You finished the season with a 28-3 record and had a runner-up finish at the NCAA Championships. Describe your emotions after losing to Dustin Schlatter of Minnesota in the 2006 NCAA finals.

Dustin Schlatter defeated Ty Eustice twice during the 2005-06 season (Photo/The Guillotine)

Eustice: It's always emotional when you're done. I was very committed to wrestling throughout my career. Not getting what you want is a tough thing. Most people don't win their last match. I kind of figured I would. Just being done with wrestling and having to finish on a loss is tough. A lot of those things hit you that you're not going to wrestle anymore. The biggest thing I miss is just competing. I get a little of that coaching, but it's just really tough when you're done. When you're going through it, it seems like it's never going to end sometimes. But then when you're done, it just seems like it went so quickly. It's just hard not getting what you wanted.

A lot of sacrifice and time was put into it. I fully planned on getting there. It just didn't happen. But it's not something you dwell on. I don't really dwell on it anymore. I still think about it. That's for sure. I believe a lot people think about what they could have done or should have done. But I don't get depressed or dwell on it all.

Your older brother, Luke, lost to Stephen Abas of Fresno State in the NCAA finals as a sophomore in 2002. Did he give you any advice after you lost your NCAA finals match about how to deal with losing such a big match?

Eustice: You know, it was a little different for him because he was going to continue wrestling after college. And I kind of knew that I wasn't going to be competing anymore. So I just had some closure and could just put it behind me. His college wrestling career fueled him after college a little bit. The only thing he really said is, 'When you get opportunities, you have to try to take them.'

I think my style of wrestling changed from my first several years of wrestling to my last two years of college wrestling … just from learning to take advantage of every opportunity. Being that you get to go out there and compete, you have to make to try to make things happen. I was more aggressive my last couple years … and that's why my national tournaments were better. So the only advice he gave me is that you have to be really ready to go when you step on the mat. You don't want to take that opportunity for granted.

As you mentioned, Luke has gone on to wrestle internationally. How did you come to the decision to stop competing? And was it a tough decision?

Eustice: Yeah, it was hard. I would still love to be competing, but like we talked about … I have a child and also wanted to continue my education. And just physically, I was just kind of worn out from the training. There are injuries that people don't really know about that get in the way of continuing wrestling … because it takes such a hard toll on the body. That's why I look at some of these guys like Bill Zadick and even Terry Brands a few years ago, just the fact that they could keep wrestling into their 30s is pretty amazing. Again, the competitive part is what I miss, but with the training, I was done as far as the commitment level to that.

Looking at the current TheMat.com U.S. Senior Freestyle Rankings, Zack Esposito, a wrestler you defeated twice your senior season of college, is ranked No. 4 at 66 kg (145.5 pounds). Do you ever find yourself looking at rankings or results and wondering what you could have accomplished if you would have continued competing?

Ty Eustice picked up two wins over 2005 NCAA champion Zack Esposito during the 2005-06 season, including in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)

Eustice: I'm definitely interested in the freestyle results because there are a lot of guys I look up to competing, like the Zadick brothers, and then the weight class I probably would have wrestled (66 kg), you have Doug Schwab in there. I was always a big fan of his.

Esposito and I had very contrasting styles. But I think my style is probably suited a little better to the rules now than his … and he's having a lot of success. But he has definitely improved a lot. He improved a lot in college. And then after college, he's having a lot of success just because he is so dynamic and has a lot of skills that most people can't deal with. I see him continuing to get better as time goes on.

Shortly after you finished your collegiate career, Iowa chose not to renew Jim Zalesky's contract. Tom Brands was brought in to replace Zalesky. At the time, there seemed to be some hard feelings and mixed emotions all the way around with how that situation played out. What was your reaction when you received the news that Zalesky was out and Brands was in at Iowa?

Eustice: It was a really weird deal. You know, it was right after the national tournament. The administration felt a lot pressure and then (former Iowa Director of Athletics) Bob Bowlsby left. When I was there, the four years I was on the team, we finished eighth, second, seventh, and fourth. We weren't getting the job done for whatever reason. There were a lot of reasons. Guys leaving. We lost a lot of people to transferring. You throw in Steve Mocco's points with our points and take them away from Oklahoma State, that could have been a tipping point for Jim Zalesky's job.

They chose to make that change. I don't think you can sit here and look at whose the better coach and this and that. There are just different personalities and guys are responding to Tom Brands right now. That's for sure. Something is happening down there. They're getting things right. It was definitely a shocker to a lot of people. But when the level is not being met, a change has to be made, especially in the administration's eyes. And that's what they chose. But I think things worked out for all the people involved. Jim is coaching at Oregon State. He is one of the top coaches in the country. It's not going to be a long before he's up there again … there is no doubt in my mind. But Tom Brands is just an unbelievable motivator and his intensity is probably second to none in the sport and it's rubbing off on his guys.

Going back to your senior season of college, you defeated Brent Metcalf, who is now ranked No. 1 for Iowa, at the Kaufman-Brand Open while he was redshirting. Having wrestled both Schlatter and Metcalf, and also watching them compete, how do you see a match between those two playing out if it happens this season?

Eustice: I hope it does happen this season … just as a fan of that weight class and the sport in general. I just don't see anyone keeping the pace that Metcalf wrestles. No one has really wrestled that pace in college since … I mean, I think of like Mark Ironside and Doug Schwab. When I watch Metcalf wrestle, that's kind of what I think about. That doesn't come along that often … just as far as someone wrestling that pace. Obviously, Schlatter is going to need to ride him if he's going to win, in my mind. That's where he beat people his freshman year. That's where he beat me. If you ride someone for two minutes, it's going to take something out of them. I don't think even riding Brent Metcalf for two minutes is going to take it out of him, though. I don't see it.

Ty Eustice gets in on the leg of Dustin Schlatter in their 2006 NCAA finals match at 149 pounds (Photo/The Guillotine)

I just think Metcalf has so much going for him as far as his drive, endurance, and aggressiveness. I don't know if I can make a pick or anything. Schlatter has been out. Especially against Metcalf, you need to be ready to go. And I don't know where Schlatter is at as far as conditioning goes … just because he hasn't competed. If it was seven minutes on their feet, I know that I would take Metcalf without a doubt. I just don't see him wearing down. He's just going to keep coming. That's something Schlatter is going to have to deal with. He probably hasn't seen that since the last time he wrestled Metcalf. It's definitely a change to some of the other guys in the weight class. Metcalf has kind of set himself apart as far as endurance, aggressiveness, and wanting to beat people bad. That's the thing I see.

Many wrestling fans have come down hard on Dustin Schlatter for not putting as many points on the scoreboard as he did during his freshman season. Do you think his style has changed? Or do you think wrestlers are just wrestling him in hopes of keeping it close?

Eustice: There are definitely some people who do just want to keep it close. There are kind of two ways you can wrestle Schlatter. You can wrestle him the way I tried to wrestle him, which is to keep it close, but put pressure on him. Or there's Esposito. He wanted to try to score a lot of points. It kind of backfired on him because Schlatter is so good defensively and coming back after people attack him. It seems to me, from an outside perspective, is that it's pressure. There wasn't any pressure on him his freshman year. It was, 'You're a true freshman and you're coming into Division I wrestling.' Everything was a plus when he went on the mat.

He's in a different spot now. I don't think the entire country feels too bad for him when he loses. There are a lot of people who like it. That might be tough to handle. I don't know. He just had so much success right away. But he seems like a pretty composed person. Maybe it doesn't bother him at all. It might be the injury stuff. That's just speculation. He doesn't have too many losses on his credentials, so it's not like you can sit here and say that something is broken, when he's definitely getting the job done. The scores aren't dominating, that's true, that may come back, getting the dominating wins, but right now for whatever reason it's just not happening. The matches are closer.

Coming from Blue Earth, Minnesota, did you grow up a Gopher fan or a Hawkeye fan?

Eustice: We were Hawkeye fans just because we got to watch them on Iowa Public Television. I have heard a lot of people say that's how they became Hawkeye fans, from watching them on IPTV. I mean, I'm from Minnesota. You have to respect what the Gophers have done. The last few years, Oklahoma State has had a big run. The Gophers won it recently. They know what they are doing. You have to respect their program because they are getting the job done when they need to. But I'm still a Hawkeye. There's no doubt about that. It's fun to watch the two programs because they are so close and there is not a lot of love lost between the two programs. But it's definitely interesting to be from Minnesota and be a Hawkeye fan.

You and Luke are obviously two of the most successful wrestlers the state of Minnesota has produced in recent years, so it surprised many when you both chose to attend Minnesota's arch rival, Iowa. What do you recall of the recruiting process? And after Luke made the decision to attend Iowa, was there ever any doubt that you would follow him to Iowa City?

Eustice: It's not that I didn't consider going to Minnesota. They probably wish they would have gotten Luke more than me. I think the biggest determining factor for us was having to sit a year after redshirting. But then I still would have been behind (Jared) Lawrence for a year. Luke probably would have been behind (Leroy) Vega for a year. Minnesota was also recruiting (Marcus) LeVesseur when I was being recruited. It didn't turn me away, but it's also something you have to take into consideration.

Ty Eustice defeated his future Iowa teammate, Mark Perry, 8-5, at the 2001 Junior Nationals in Fargo (Photo/The Guillotine)

The tradition at the time with Iowa was second to none. Luke never really thought twice about it. Obviously, his decision had a big impact on my decision. But the biggest thing was sitting behind those guys. I wanted to wrestle. I wanted to be coached by Zalesky and Brands. That was the biggest thing. The combination of those two coaches was what drew me there. Not to take anything away from Minnesota at all. They have one of the best coaching staffs in the country.

Their success speaks for itself. But we just felt a little more at home in Iowa City. It's not the big city like the Twin Cities. We just felt more comfortable down in Iowa City.

Iowa is currently ranked No. 1 in the country and has eight of its 10 wrestlers ranked in the top eight. Obviously, Iowa has a great coaching staff and a lot of talent in the room, but did you expect the Hawkeyes to be having this great of a season?

Eustice: Honestly, I didn't see the young guys coming on so much. I don't know if anybody did. It kind of just goes to show you that when the guys are buying into what the coach is saying … and when they're doing on the mat what the coach wants, which obviously Brands wants the guys aggressive and attacking the entire match, good things are going to happen. It's good that style of wrestling is coming out and being successful. He has all the guys believing that they are the best. I think that's the most important thing. And they believe in what he's saying, I think. That gives a guy confidence, when a guy buys into what his coach is saying, and it's working. So it's only going to feed off itself. They see Metcalf and his style. And then you have (Joe) Slaton, (Dan) LeClere, and (Charlie) Falck. They just attack, attack, attack. I think it's just spreading to the rest of the team as far as that mentality. It's just going to be a matter of doing it at the right time, which is at the end of March.

How has the experience been for you so far as an assistant coach at Minnesota State?

Eustice: It's tough making the transition from athlete to coach. The problem I have is that a lot of times I find myself caring a little more than some of our athletes. And that's a problem. That's the hardest thing I've had to come to grips with. My competitiveness and my desire to want to win, I want it to rub off on the guys. Sometimes they don't have that same fire in them … and that's hard to handle sometimes. Watching guys come off the mat after a loss, it might not bother them much. It probably bothers me more. I can't stand that, to be honest. I think that's what you have to instill in your guys is that you cannot accept losing. It becomes a habit sometimes. That's been the biggest change for me. And just maybe seeing a lot of the mistakes that I made when I was an athlete. It's easier to see them when you're on the other side, when you're coaching. You can see those mistakes. You can kind of look back and see what you did wrong. And you just try to help them not make those same mistakes.

Minnesota State won the NWCA/Cliff Keen National Duals in Division II in dramatic fashion this season. Describe that experience.

Eustice: It was a lot of fun. Mankato has never really won a big tournament like that. They have been really close the last three years. I think they have placed in the top three or four the last three national tournaments. When I was at Iowa, they made it to the finals of the National Duals. Two of my high school teammates wrestled here, so I kind of kept up with the team. But it was definitely a step in the right direction for the program. It kind of just gave our guys confidence that we can be the best team. I think sometimes they are a little unsure of themselves. But that win gave our team a lot of confidence heading into the big tournaments that we can come out on top for once. Instead of being that third or fourth-place team, we need to be looking to be the first-place team.

Last Friday, you traveled to Omaha and lost 32-7 to Nebraska Omaha. That score surprised many people, considering that just last month you defeated Nebraska Omaha. What happened?

Ty Eustice (Photo/Tech-Fall.com)

Eustice: It was a terrible performance. If anyone watched the webcast or was there, you could see that we got away from the things that we did well at the National Duals. They got a national champion back at 125, which was big point swing, obviously. We had our 141-pounder out, Travis Elg. There's another points swing. But you can only make those excuses so many times before you just have to say they outwrestled us. They did. In a couple matches, we didn't do the things we needed to do. We didn't stay in the positions that were good for us. You have to say good job to them because they kind of took it to us. They like that home-mat advantage. That was big for them. I think their guys get into it. But we can't be distracted by things like that. We have to be able to wrestle where we're good. Some of our guys don't know how to get to those positions where they're good and stay. Stay away from the big moves. Things like that. Nick Smith is our 125-pounder. He's ranked No. 3. Sometimes when the first guy gets off to a bad start, it can rub off on guys.

We can't let that happen as coaches. We have to treat them all separately. They need to realize that just because their teammate went down, it means nothing for their match. It was a good learning experience as far as that goes. You can't be watching and be affected by how a dual meet is going. You have to go out there and take care of business. Lost in the score are two good performances by our seniors at 157 and 165. But I hope it's a learning experience just as far as knowing that you need to be ready to go every time you step on the mat. It should open some of our guys' eyes to that fact.

What does Minnesota State need to do to be in a position to win a national title on March 15 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa?

Eustice: Well, we need to be healthy. Everyone across the country is battling the flu, colds, injuries, and things like that. For us, we need all of our guys in there to be healthy and just feeling good about themselves. Right now, we don't have that. We're having a tough week here right now just battling the flu, but I think like we were talking about with Iowa, when we're trying to score points, we're a very good team. But when guys are sitting back, we're average. So we need to be aggressive. If you watched the Minnesota-Iowa dual, the attacking guys were the ones getting their hands raised. Guys sitting back were getting beat. Just instilling that in their heads that when we're the ones scoring points and the ones trying to take it from the other guy, we're probably going to come out on top. We're looking forward to the national tournament because we think we finally have a team that can win it.

Your father, Jack, is one of the most successful coaches in the history of the Minnesota State High School League. Are you planning on coaching a long time like your father? And if so, at what level do expect to coach?

Eustice: No, I don't see myself coaching after this season. If there is a position that comes up, I would consider it because I still love wrestling and everything. As far as having a family, the one thing I've learned is that coaching does not work that well with raising a family. There is a lot of time that is spent on the road on weekends. A lot of recruiting time. I don't know if it's exactly for me right now. Obviously, if something comes up, I would have to consider it. But at this time, no. I'm getting my master's in sports management. So I'm kind of looking at getting into the sports industry. Maybe get into college athletics … that area. Coaching is tough. That's what I've learned in two years. That's for sure.

Please Note: This story also appears in the February 22 issue of The Guillotine. The Guillotine has been covering amateur wrestling in Minnesota since 1971. Its mission is to report and promote amateur wrestling at all levels -- from youth and high school wrestling to college and international level wrestling. For information on The Guillotine, Click HERE.

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