By Craig Morgan, thesundevils.com Writer
TEMPE, Ariz. -- The college wrestling season officially ended with the NCAA championships on March 19 in New York, but for Arizona State coach Zeke Jones, college's crowning event was just another mile marker on a never-ending road of events.
How would you characterize your second season in Tempe?
Jones: "Overall, it was a productive season. We accomplished a lot. The only team that was happy at the NCAA Tournament was Penn State because they won it, but in virtually every statistical category we improved. We had six guys go to the NCAA Tournament; five were alive on Day 2 but none were alive on Day 3. The year before, we had six go and only one alive on the second day so our curve is going in the right direction but we're not in any way shape or form where we want to be yet. It never happens as fast as you want."
What do you see when you look at the immediate future of Sun Devil wrestling?
Jones: "We have finally hit the true transition of the program because there was a large group of seniors who graduated this year and a big group of freshman who were highly successful out of high school that are now going to get into the lineup. You want to see the kids who were already here when you got here have a good, positive experience before they graduate. At the same time, you’re implementing a system that is new to them. The freshmen only know one system and that makes consistency easier.
"The group of kids that we have coming in (including freshmen Zahid and Anthony Valencia, Lance Benick and Tanner Hall) have won at every age of their lives. I don't see that changing as they enter college. That's all they know. That doesn't mean it's automatic. They have to do the work and they have to be committed and there will be some setbacks. That's part of sports but I think the foundation is laid and we're in a good spot."
Does having so many lauded freshman create a culture and expectation of winning?
Jones: "Absolutely. You don't want to be the only guy losing. The expectation goes two ways. They are banding together to become something bigger than themselves. They want to be national team champions so there's a sense of shared purpose but there's also that sort of sibling rivalry. If you’re winning an NCAA title and an Olympic gold medal, I don't want to be left out, so there's a competitive but healthy rivalry."
What are your personal goals for the immediate future?
Jones: "It's pretty simple. We're going to help the United States become the best team in the world. The Olympic Trials are the weekend of April 9 (in Iowa City). We've got several athletes training here, trying to make the team. We had four athletes finish second last year and second place makes you the alternate -- to the world team last year and this year to the Olympic team. It’s not like swimming where if you’re the No. 3 American you qualify and get to swim in the Olympics. Here, you have to be No. 1 and we had four No. 2s so that left a bad taste in our months because we didn't put anybody on the team.
"At the same time, what it does tell us is we're capable so it's fun, it’s exciting, it's nerve-racking and it's a hell of a responsibility to get them ready. We're focusing on Xs and Os; following a training program that will help them focus on themselves and their opponents. It’s a small world at this level so you know the three to five guys you have to beat. You can't just think about the guy that beat you last year because there are two to three other guys behind you just as hungry and clawing at you. We're keeping our eyes forward but we also have eyes in the back of our head."
You were a three-time All-American, a four-time World-Cup Champion and you have coached the United States Olympic team in various capacities at four Olympic Games. How much does that experience benefit you with your student-athletes in terms of street cred?
Jones: "It does benefit you, but you have to stay current and you have to understand what the kids are looking for. I haven’t had a kid call and say 'hey, I want to come to Arizona State to be an All-American. That's not our goal; that's not their goal. They say 'I want to be a four-time NCAA champion and then I want to win a world and Olympic gold medal. They know there are only about five programs in the country that are doing that. We offer a program that doesn't have a ceiling. As good as you can become, you can become that guy here.
They know what we have to offer here and my experience is just a small part of that."
The idea of training world champions, not just NCAA champions, is a mentality that seems to be growing at ASU under athletic director Ray Anderson. Would you agree?
Jones: "Ray hired Bob Bowman to coach swimming and he seems to have that same mentality of not just wanting to have a collegiate level program, but coaches that are really working at the highest level. When we got here, the Olympic connection started with wrestling and I think Ray saw what that could bring. That model makes sense and it's not a model I invented.
"ASU had that model here in the 80s when Bobby Douglas was the coach here."
How have your vast experiences helped you become a better coach?
Jones: "I think the thing I have learned most is that there are many paths to the top of the mountain. There is the Iowa path, the Oklahoma State, the Penn State path. You steal bits and pieces from all of them, and of course, I've learned a lot from my Olympic experiences, but you also have to coach to the individual. It's not cookie cutter. They have different backgrounds and different strengths.
"The most important thing you can have in the 100 meter dash is speed. I'm not saying there isn’t technique but in wrestling, strength, speed, conditioning and mental toughness are all ways to win. You have to look at your athlete and say, he's super fast so let's make sure we're using techniques that enhance his speed or complement his speed."
How has technology changed your job?
Jones: "The world is winning faster in every sport around the world because of technology, funding and support. There's so much information, technology, nutrition, science. I can test your lactate levels, your VO2 max (maximum oxygen consumption).
"I embrace it all. I like learning and new methods; new information. It's not exactly learning all over again but it's important to remember you don't know everything and it’s exciting to learn new things that can help you become better."
After all this time, you still profess a deep passion for your work. What drives you?
Jones: "I couldn’t even imagine what the other side looks like but I've heard about it. My dad always asked when I graduated and started wrestling for the U.S. team, 'don't you think it's time to get a job?' I said, 'I want to wrestle.' When I stated to make a little bit of a living at it he thought it was cool. Then when I started to coach he asked if I was sure I wanted to be coach because I have a degree in business, but I can’t even imagine going in another direction. You pinch yourself when you come to work every day and realize you’re doing something you love, but you also realize it's a tremendous responsibility.
"You get someone who has worked 15 years, has sacrificed everything and his or her family has sacrificed everything with travel and time and money to take their child all over the world. They finally get to the pinnacle and they need you to get them over the hump; to take one more stroke off the game to win the Masters. It's a hell of a responsibility and you can’t fake it. You’re working with athletes who really know what they're doing. You have to have a plan that can help them win, you have to constantly update your knowledge base and you have to be totally committed."