J Robinson Talks About The Upcoming Season and More…
Sep 22nd, 2009 | By viratas | Category: Minnesota, Open Mat Originals
New faces, Old faces and a New Season for Minnesota
With 23 years of coaching under his belt at the University of Minnesota, J Robinson seems as focused as ever to get his team back to the top. A year removed from what some may have considered a rebuilding year; J has high hopes for this year’s squad. Last season the Gophers saw a 12 year streak of top 10 finishes snapped yet still managed to beat #2 Ohio State and win the Lone Star Duals. On the heels of two of the nations best recruiting classes the Gophers seem positioned to make another run for a few years to come.
Recently The Open Mat (TOM) sat down with J and asked him a few questions.
TOM: What is different, this year from last?
Coach Robinson: “Well, last year we red shirted pretty much everyone. We had to decide early on if we wanted to make a small run or red shirt our freshman. We decide the best thing was to red shirt the young guys and rebuild.”
TOM: What are you looking forward to this season?
Coach Robinson: “Going into the season with 2 or maybe 3 possible National Finalist (Ness, Schlatter and maybe Sanders) is much more encouraging for us.” “We have some depth and experience this season compared to last year.”
TOM: Was it a tough decision to red shirt Dustin?
Coach Robinson: “Not really, Dustin needed a break and wanted to wrestle more freestyle and as we can all see that turned out to be a good decision for him as he is now on the World Team.”
TOM: There has been a lot of talk about some guys no longer with the team, specifically Gieger, Mincey and Disney can you let us know what is going on there?
Coach Robinson: “Gieger and Mincey were not able to do the work that was required of them to be a part of the team, they have left the program, but I wish these young men the best in their futures.” “Disney has decided to take a year off from wrestling all together. He is still enrolled at the University and attending classes. He will re-evaluate his status at the end of the season.”
TOM: Ok, so why so many Heavyweights?
Coach Robinson: “Well traditionally that has been a very solid weight for us, and I expect that weight to be an all-American every year. We have not accomplished that the past few years. This way we have a very competitive weight with a high goal. Someone will step up and get things accomplished.”
TOM: Going into the season how does that weight look?
Coach Robinson: “Ben (Berhow) is our guy for now, he has improved each season and we expect some big things from him this season. Nord will be our 197 pounder to start the season, he is certified and we want him down there early to see how he handles the new weight. Nelson and Kettler will both redshirt.”
TOM: There have been proposals/discussions of moving the championship season. What are your thoughts on moving the NCAA tournament to April?
Coach Robinson: “I have been pushing this for nearly a decade. But what they need is a summit of the top coaches to assure it is done correctly. It has to be done for the betterment of the sport and not just specific programs. Something like this can help many programs and possibly hurt others, but we have to do what is best for the majority of the programs. Also there are a lot of other issues that may or may not arise from this such as start and stop dates etc… So it’s important that if this is done, it’s done correctly.”
TOM: What are you thoughts on the current qualification process?
Coach Robinson: “I do not like it. Wrestling is about settling things on the mat and this current process takes that away. Are we really sending the best guys to nationals? I would say no. It’s not about who you beat in December; it’s about who the best is at the end of the year.”
TOM: Your thoughts on MMA and Wrestling; does it help or hurt?
Coach Robinson: “We need to be careful because moms don’t want their kids becoming “fighters”. Wrestling needs to be presented as its own sport that offers a solid foundation for future fighters.”
TOM: What’s life after wrestling look like for J Robinson?
Coach Robinson: “Camps for me have been a great experience, and gives me a chance to have an effect on young people’s lives. I see myself continuing with camps and possibly expanding them. My camps are more then wrestling, they also teach life skills.”
TOM: What does J’s headstone read?
Coach Robinson: (Laughs) “That is not for me to decide.”
By The Open Mat Staff
