• Cael Sanderson was going to be named head coach at Iowa State in the summer, so people who say that Bobby Douglas was forced out are way off base. It was likely going to happen after the summer wrestling camp season. Cael, Bobby, and Iowa State AD James Pollard talked about it. The only problem was the timing. Pollard got antsy and just wanted everyone to know that Cael was off the market. He didn't want Ohio State and Iowa to even consider Cael. Bobby was just really surprised by the timing, but other than that, he was all for Cael taking over.
• Iowa State called an emergency meeting for wrestlers and coaches on Wednesday night after news broke that Bobby was replaced by Cael. Apparently, the information was leaked before many of the wrestlers even knew about it.
• According to an Iowa State official, Cael was given a five-year contract with an initial base salary of $110,000.
• The sudden Cael hiring was a P.R. move. Why let Iowa control all the headlines? Iowa State is trying to develop something, too. Chances are, Iowa fires Jim Zalesky and brings in Tom Brands and Iowa controls the headlines all summer, including when Cael is switched to the new coach later in the summer. Or, you could do it now (like Iowa State did), get some of that publicity for your school before Brands comes in, and look, Cael is just as hot (if not a hotter) topic right now.
• The sudden Cael hiring had a lot to do with recruiting. Now everyone knows that Cael is coaching Iowa State and Brands is (or will soon be) at Iowa. There are no questions for recruits as to where Cael will be next year, or in two years, etc.
• Chris Bono left Iowa State last off-season because Bobby and Cael sat him down. Bobby told Bono that Cael would take over this off-season, and then Cael said he wouldn't retain Bono on his staff, so Bono went looking elsewhere. This has been planned.
• There is a possibility that Cody Sanderson will leave Utah Valley State to join Cael at Iowa State, where he'll become the head assistant coach. Cole Sanderson will be the strength and conditioning coach at Iowa State. And Cyler Sanderson will be the starting 149-pounder for the Cyclones. So it will be a Sanderson family affair in Ames.
• Tim Hartung, who was let go as an Iowa assistant coach when Jim Zalesky was fired, will definitely be on Cael's staff at Iowa State. Cael and Hartung are close friends. Remember, Cael hand picked Hartung as his training partner to come down to Athens in preparation for the Olympics.
• Derek Mountsier, a former Iowa State standout and Northern Iowa assistant coach, is a candidate to join Cael's staff at Iowa State. But in order for Mountsier to leave Tulsa (where he is a pharmaceutical rep), the job must pay really well. He is from Newton, Iowa, but his wife is from Oklahoma.
• Cael wants people on his staff who aren't currently training, but he likes Zach Roberson a lot. So don't be surprised if Roberson stays on the Iowa State staff.
• There is no chance that Tommy Rowlands will succeed Russ Hellickson as the next head coach at Ohio State. Rowlands will be moving to Colorado Springs to train full time.
• Tom Brands is scheduled to interview for the Iowa job next week, but it's already a done deal. He is headed back to Iowa, along with all of his top recruits. Brent Metcalf vs. Dustin Schlatter should be a great Big Ten rivalry for years to come.
• Brands had not yet spoken to Ohio State about their head coaching position.
• Terry Steiner, an Iowa assistant who was also let go after Zalesky was fired, was very disappointed that the decision came so sudden. He's not sure yet what his future holds. "I wish they would have given us a chance with the staff we had here," Steiner told one source. "To me, two years is not enough time."
• Mike Zadick will be on the Iowa staff next season.
• Although it's unlikely that Dan Gable would return to coaching at Iowa, he hasn't completely ruled it out.
• Zalesky had one year left on his contract. He will be paid $130,000 as part of a settlement. He could very well resurface next season at Ohio State or Oregon State.
• Other names, besides Tom Brands, that are being thrown around as potential replacements for Zalesky include Terry Brands, Barry Davis, Brad Penrith, Mark Manning, Brad Penrith, Tom Ryan, Rob Koll, Jim Heffernan, Jim Miller, and Marty Morgan.
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