Interview with HOFSTRA Coach TOM RYAN 
Conducted by John Henning, College Editor

Hofstra University has always had the potential to be a top Division 1 wrestling program given it’s location on tradition-rich Long Island. The legendary Mepham high school coach, Sprig Gardner produced numerous college wrestlers during the ‘40s and ‘50s, many of whom attended EIWA schools such as Syracuse, Penn State and Lehigh. From time to time, Hofstra wrestlers have performed well at the NCAAs, but over-all The Pride never quite reached their potential.

Enter Tom Ryan. This is a story of the local boy making good. Ryan, a product of Wantagh high school where he was a 3X Nassau County champ, went on to win an EIWA title for Syracuse before transferring to Iowa. Ryan won the Big Ten title for the Hawkeyes and twice earned All-American honors. As a junior, Ryan lost to Oklahoma State’s 4X champion Pat Smith 7-6 in the closing seconds. Upon graduation, Ryan decided to become a coach and after a few years mentoring under the likes of Minnesota’s J Robinson, took control of the Hofstra program. Hofstra immediately became a force to be reckoned with in the East. Some observers believe Hofstra began their surge when Syracuse decided to drop wrestling, thus opening up recruiting opportunities. Ryan began signing most of the elite Long Island talent that once headed out of the area, mainly to Syracuse, Penn State and Iowa State. Although Hofstra has never had a top 10 NCAA finish, they have produced several all-americans and culminated their drive to respectability last season by knocking off #2 Lehigh 23-10 in their biggest dual win ever.

WR.com: Coach, you have worked wonders with a program that has traditionally been ‘average.’ How did you change the mind set?

TR: In sports, in life for that matter, how one approaches a task is probably one of the true x-factors in whether success is achieved or not. The old saying, “Whatever you think, you’re probably right” holds true to form many times. To answer the question more directly there is no secret to how to overcome a defeatist mindset or one who constantly puts accomplishments on too high of a pedestal. Recruiting young men with a burning enthusiasm for the sport and a strong belief in themselves is crucial. This self-confidence combined with an intensive year-round training program will change the mind set

WR.com: How would you describe the recruiting battles you have with competitive teams in the east? How important is University administrative support to your efforts?

TR: Recruiting is arguably the most important aspect of the job. As we have grown more successful this has become a little easier. Most people do not ask what is Hofstra anymore? Hofstra has a lot to offer young people. We have a beautiful campus located 30 miles from Manhattan and 10 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. We are a private institution so our team members are in small class sizes getting plenty of attention. Hofstra is a great choice for a lot of top student-athletes. In addition, our wrestling program has proved it can compete with any team in the nation. We should have success at Hofstra. Our staff is proud that young men like Mike Pucillo, Alton Lucas, Mitch Smith and Jon Andriac have decided to continue their academic and athletic careers at Hofstra. We have a tremendous amount of respect for what they have accomplished in High School. It is too early to say how good they are going to be in College. We know that they are talented. To date, we are getting the impression they want to work hard as well. With hard work and athleticism great things will happen. At this point we will probably redshirt Pucillo and Smith.

WR.com: You wrestle your home duals in 5,000 seat Hofstra Arena. What would it take to sell it out for a dual meet?

TR: There is tremendous wrestling on the High School level on Long Island. There is also a lot to do on Long Island. Hofstra wrestling can sell out our 5,000 seat Arena. This past season we sold 375 season tickets, and averaged over 1,750 fans per match. This mark was among the top 7 schools in the nation among Division I schools. We take great pride in putting fans in the seats. I expect that as we break into the top 10 consistently and bring in the likes of Oklahoma St and Iowa, we will sell out the Arena. The only other ingredient is to make sure we compete on a date when the local schools are not wrestling. It is so important to be an asset to the University in regards to ticket sales. Not too long ago Hofstra did not sell tickets to matches. I have always felt if an individual can spend $12 on a movie they can pay to watch highly trained athletes compete.

WR.com: Are you a fully funded program; that is, do you have 9.9 scholarships and the maximum number of assistants?

TR: This September is the first time since I have been the coach that Hofstra Wrestling is fully-funded. Many people do not realize that there are many schools who are competing in Division I that do not have the NCAA maximum 9.9 scholarships. As of last year we had 8.4. We know have 9.9 and that will make a tremendous difference for us. In addition, several individuals in the community along with our AD and President have made it possible to fund a third paid coaching position. We are now on par with NCAA guidelines from a coaching standpoint. With the past two recruiting classes, another big one this year and better funding Hofstra Wrestling should continue to climb the national ladder. No guarantees, other than to work hard.

WR.com: It seems you recruit mainly from LI, New Jersey and PA, but this year you signed a #1 recruit from Ohio and another top recruit from West Virginia. Do you plan to go ‘national?’

TR: We will recruit anywhere in the nation. We will always be up front with the young men we bring in. I like to recruit in the northeast region. NY, NJ, PA, OH have great wrestling and many other northeastern states produce some great individuals. Having several kids myself, I am always concerned with young men traveling too far from home. We have in the past signed people like Eric Schmiesing from Minnesota, but they are told the importance of family support.

WR.com: What is the state of wrestling on Long Island, once one of the very best recruiting areas in the country?

TR: Long Island wrestling is very good. We have had great success with young men such as Noel Thompson, Jon Masa, Mike Patrovich, James Strouse and many others. The talent on Long Island and in NY is excellent right now and we should reap the benefits of that.

WR.com: Your father, Frank, was a star football player and a pretty decent high school wrestler for Wantagh back in the ‘60s. Your brother Frank wrestled for Syracuse and is now an attorney in Manhattan. What impact has your family had on your career?

TR: My father and brother have always been a positive force behind me, beside me and many times in front of me. I was raised with the lessons that anything is possible with an enthusiastic approach. My brother was a great role model who graduated with honors from Syracuse in Finance as well as honors in Law School while serving as the wrestling team captain for two years. He is now a partner at Nixon/Peabody. When I need a well-written letter I know who to call. My boss can clearly tell when I write a letter without my brothers review. My brother and father are two people that provide me with great security in this life. They are behind me through the good and tough times.

WR.com: Back to Hofstra. Your schedule this year is pretty ambitious. Care to lend any insight as to how you might fair?

TR: Our wrestling schedule is always competitive. Why not? Hofstra wrestling wants to soar with the eagles. There is no other way to get this point across then to wrestle against the best competition this nation has to offer in Division I wrestling. I have no predictions other than we will approach each workout with enthusiasm and prepare long and hard.

WR.com: Has their ever been any talk of Hofstra changing conferences? It is easier to qualify out of the Colonial, but in terms of NCAA preparation, does it help? Would Hofstra ever consider joining the EWL or the EIWA?

TR: Hofstra Wrestling is in a good conference in the CAA. Hofstra is a CAA school so we will never change conferences unless the school does. We see enough tough school during the year to keep our team sharp. There are also plenty of good coaches in the CAA, but could probably benefit greatly from some more support financially.

WR.com: Tom, here is your chance to comment on your program or about a topic I forgot to ask about.

TR: Developing a winning program takes a lot more than the vision of one person. I am fortunate to be around many good people in our community who have provided me with various kinds of support.

FINAL COMMENT

WR.com: The sudden, tragic passing of your son, Teague, two years ago shocked the wrestling world. The grace you and your wife exhibited was truly remarkable.

TR: On February 16th, 2004 in the warmth of my home my 5 year old son Teague William Ryan passed away due to an undetected heard condition. To date, we have not confirmed whether he died of Long QT syndrome or Myocarditis, but are closer to finding out. The acts of kindness that were exhibited toward my family were incredible. Although we were bombarded with love and compassion from so many family members and close friends I found solitude only in the absolute truth of Jesus Christ. It is through this tragic loss that I have come to learn the true meaning of life. I have learned that as a human being we each have two choices, and these choices are polar opposites. GOD in his loving grace allows each of us to freely make this choice. Both options can not be true. The first is we are here by chance. The sun positioned itself to allow for a one-celled organism to form, and through billions of years of evolution the human race came to be. The second, and my choice, is that we were created in the image of a GOD. That GOD allowed his son to be the sacrificial lamb for our sins and that through faith in him we will have everlasting life. I believe our society needs more GOD and less me. I believe our children need to know the person next to them in the classroom was created by the same GOD as they were. I believe we should put our hands out to pick someone up rather than use it to push them away. The lessons in the BIBLE transcend time and although I will never live a sinless life it is nice to now have the rules of the game.

It has been over a year since my spiritual journey began, and the more I learn the more I can not believe I have lived for 35 years without the loving grace or our creator. There are more facts on the historical accuracy of Jesus Christ than any other figure in history. A great book which helped me was “The Case for Christ” by Lee Strobel. I am grateful for all that I have and look forward to the day my son and I are reunited.

Tom, thank you for taking the time to visit with Wrestlingreport.com and its many on-line readers. We wish you, your staff and your team much success for the ’05-’06 season.