Brent Metcalf joins the Full Tilt Podcast for a deep dive into one of wrestling’s most respected minds. He walks through the legendary Davidson, Michigan room with Roy Hall, his undefeated high school career and Fargo dominance, the Virginia Tech-to-Iowa transfer storm, Carver-Hawkeye showdowns, wild overseas trips to Russia, Dagestan, and Iran, and why he believes in “chasing losing” to become the best. Metcalf also breaks down his relationship with Jordan Burroughs, what he’s learned from Kevin Dresser, coaching David Carr, and his vision for turning Iowa State into a world-level factory.

Timed Highlights:
00:49 New Cyclone head coach Brent Metcalf joins the show
02:12 How a public school in Michigan built three NCAA champs
06:37 Seventh grader in high school practice and free open rooms
09:11 Six Fargo titles, chasing tough brackets, and never protecting a record
15:24 Big Ten battles with Dustin Schlater
16:04 Following Tom Brands, Virginia Tech days, and transfer controversy
19:12 Losing a year, going overseas, and realizing he could beat world champs
22:31 Why getting beat can be the best thing for young wrestlers
27:25 Culture and accountability inside the Iowa room
33:18 Training with Borschel, Morningstar, Montell and others
35:34 Carver-Hawkeye roar vs World Cup in Iran
47:20 The reality of his international career: big wins, no medals
53:15 Beating Sidakov, wrestling Yaminitsu, and getting schooled by Gadzalov
58:06 The Iran World Cup: 15,000 fans, drums, and staying through intermission
1:09:03 Sketchy trips to Dagestan and early overseas experiences
1:16:18 Turning down other college jobs to support his wife’s PhD
1:19:26 The call from Kevin Dresser that brought him to Ames
1:27:03 What Metcalf learned from Dresser about building programs and fanbases
1:30:57 His vision for Cyclone Wrestling and putting guys on the world wall
1:38:30 Coaching David Carr and “failing forward” at the senior level
1:40:48 Roy Hall, his parents, and the legacy he wants his wrestlers to build

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Produced by: ItsYourShow.co

Jeff McGinness sits down to go full tilt on his journey from Iowa City mat rat to Hawkeye legend, and how that path eventually led him to build a powerhouse women’s program at Simpson College. From brutal 90s Iowa room stories to modern sports science, NIL, and recruiting women in a fast-changing landscape, this is a deep dive into what greatness really looks like in wrestling.

Timed highlights:

• 01:00 – Reuniting in the studio and early days in the Iowa room
• 04:30 – Training under Gable, Brands, J Rob, and the “old torture equipment”
• 09:45 – Late-blooming greatness: when wrestling finally “clicked” for Jeff
• 17:15 – Cadets, Juniors, and winning Junior Worlds at 16
• 23:30 – Freestyle vs Greco, learning to throw, and why Greco guys are different
• 31:00 – Iowa high school culture, hazing, leadership, and growing up fast
• 39:10 – The pressure of chasing perfection and how weight cutting nearly broke him
• 46:20 – Midlands war stories, massive cuts, and learning the hard way
• 54:00 – Strategy vs athleticism: beating better athletes by being smarter
• 1:03:20 – Abe, Henson, Cunningham, and Jeff’s toughest college rivals
• 1:12:10 – Life after Iowa: law school, senior-level runs, and walking away too early
• 1:20:40 – Finding coaching again, loss in the family, and saying yes to Simpson
• 1:27:30 – Why Jeff chose women’s wrestling and the trust-over-respect difference
• 1:34:30 – Building a non-scholarship winner in a scholarship world
• 1:43:10 – NIL, transfer portal, and why loyalty is disappearing from college sports
• 1:51:40 – The wild 90s: Russian saunas, boxing gloves, and stories you couldn’t tell today
• 1:59:30 – The people, the fans, and the legacy Jeff wants to leave in women’s wrestling

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Olympic gold medalist and three-time Olympian Kenny Monday sits down to go full tilt on a lifetime in wrestling. From getting beat up as the smallest kid in the Tulsa YMCA room to conquering the brutal Tbilisi tournament and winning Olympic gold, Kenny breaks down the mindset, rivalries, and turning points that shaped his career.

He shares inside stories on his legendary battles with Nate Carr and Dave Schultz, what it took to finally crack the “Russian code,” and how he’s now rebuilding Division I wrestling at Morgan State, an HBCU with deep history in the sport. We also get personal: raising wrestling sons, coaching in today’s NIL era, and why this is the best time ever to be a wrestler.

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Timed highlights:

0:00 Custom Community ad and Full Tilt intro
0:49 Why Kenny Monday was a “must have” guest
2:20 Growing up in North Tulsa and discovering wrestling at the YMCA
5:19 Getting beat up daily as the smallest kid – and the power of “don’t quit”
9:11 His mother’s belief and building a lifelong belief system
10:25 Oklahoma as a wrestling hotbed and the Park System dual meets
13:16 Junior Olympics/Tulsa Nationals and early rivalries
22:10 Winning Junior Nationals as a freshman and high school dominance
26:20 The only blemish in high school and rivalry with Mike Sheets
28:47 Choosing Oklahoma State over Oklahoma and early college struggles
39:12 The worst beating he ever took in a practice room
44:40 The Kenny Monday vs Nate Carr rivalry – 11 matches and mutual respect
55:45 Learning freestyle and getting humbled in Russia
58:52 Surviving and then winning the brutal Tbilisi tournament
1:20:35 Beating world and Olympic champions: Variev, Fadzaev, and others
1:35:12 The politics, weigh‑in controversy, and World Team trials gauntlet
1:43:57 Hyperextending his elbow days before the 1992 Olympics
1:49:41 Which year was “peak” Kenny Monday?
1:56:25 Training with John Smith and the evolution of the low single
2:06:55 Rebuilding Morgan State wrestling and joining the EIWA
2:15:06 Coaching his sons and the pressure of being “Monday’s kids”
2:25:18 The Copenhagen nightclub dance contest story

#Wrestling #KennyMonday #FullTiltPodcast #Olympics #MorganState #NCAAWrestling #NateCarr #DaveSchultz #WrestlingHistory

Barry Davis is a three-time NCAA champion, Olympic silver medalist, and one of the most beloved figures in American wrestling. But before the medals and banners, he was a kid at the YMCA in Cedar Rapids getting hooked on the sport — and grabbing wall charts at youth tournaments.

In this episode of the Full Tilt Podcast, Barry and I go back 47 years: from Prairie High School rivalries and the infamous dungeon wrestling room, to the legendary Iowa rooms with Dan Gable, brutal weight cuts to 118, international travel behind the Iron Curtain, and the mindset that carried him through world championships and the Olympics.

We also dive into his coaching career, his faith, and why he believes wrestling should be the model sport for character and leadership.

Timestamps:
0:49 How Barry helped start my wrestling journey
3:41 YMCA practices and the early Iowa kids’ tournaments
8:45 The fourth-grade dream: wanting to be like Dan Gable
12:15 Getting pounded in high school, then flipping the switch
18:16 Prairie’s infamous dungeon wrestling room
21:23 Metro rivalries: Prairie vs Jefferson, Washington, Kennedy
24:10 Scouting opponents before streaming and social media
28:09 Where Barry’s passion and intensity came from
35:14 The Zaleski brothers and the Prairie–Iowa pipeline
42:00 First shocks in the Iowa room and learning mat wrestling
49:23 The moment everything “clicked” and Barry took off
1:02:36 Why keeping your work ethic after you get good is everything
1:19:25 The Hy-Vee story: almost walking away at Big Tens
1:49:06 Balancing college wrestling with World and Olympic teams
2:01:14 Olympic battles, Soviet greats, and the 1984 silver
2:08:11 Coaching, faith, and being a role model in the sport
2:16:16 WWTO and helping young athletes become leaders in life

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Jamil Kelly’s wrestling story doesn’t follow the usual script. He wasn’t a blue‑chip recruit. He didn’t win an NCAA title. But he did become an Olympic silver medalist and one of the most respected coaches in the sport.

In this episode of the Full Tilt Podcast, we cover Jamil’s entire arc: – Growing up in Atwater, CA and getting pulled into wrestling as a late starter
– Learning from VHS tapes, “How Low Can You Go,” and studying the greats
– JUCO life at Lassen with future D1 and international stars
– Transitioning to Oklahoma State under John Smith and battling the mental side of confidence
– Wrestling Lightner, Guerrero, Ironside, Schmidt and living through the Bedlam era
– Training with Colet and the 2000 Olympic Team and realizing the Olympics were possible
– Beating Lincoln McIlravy, qualifying for Athens, and winning Olympic silver
– Coaching at Harvard, Stanford, Arizona State, UNC, and in the corner for world champion Trent Hidlay

It’s a masterclass in belief, persistence, and what it really takes to “know what it looks like” at the highest level of wrestling.

Timestamps:

04:15 – Growing up in Atwater, CA and getting “talked into” wrestling as a 4'11" freshman football player
12:40 – VHS tapes, “How Low Can You Go,” and learning wrestling by rewinding John Smith a thousand times
21:10 – From non‑power high school to California state podium and finding JUCO powerhouse Lassen College
32:00 – Life at Lassen: TJ Williams, Reggie Wright, Belarusian hammers, and turning JUCO into a D1 factory
41:30 – The Oklahoma State visit during World Cup, choosing the Cowboys, and first reality check in the OSU room
53:00 – Mental battles in college: wrestling not to lose, Lightner stories, and what held Jamil back at NCAAs
1:03:30 – How training with Colet, Terry Brands, and the 2000 Olympic Team made the Olympics feel possible
1:13:00 – Beating Lincoln McIlravy at the 2004 Trials, game-planning the Russian, and winning Olympic silver
1:22:00 – Coaching chapter: Harvard culture shock, building trust with athletes, and the “odd couple” partnership with Trent Hidlay
1:25:30 – What Jamil wants wrestlers and coaches to take away about belief, preparation, and “knowing what it looks like”

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Three-time NCAA champion and Olympic medalist Nate Carr joins Full Tilt to share how a house of 16 kids, a pastor dad, and a wrestling-obsessed family forged one of the greatest legacies in American wrestling. Nate breaks down his classic battles with Kenny Monday, the influence of Coach Nichols and the Gatsons, and what he learned competing against Soviet greats on the world stage. He also goes deep on mindset, visualization, and faith, revealing the mental tools he used to win and how he now uses them to coach the next generation, including his son and NCAA champion David Carr. This is a masterclass in building champions in sport and in life.

Timed Highlights:
00:00 Growing up in a 16-kid wrestling family in Erie, PA
06:30 Family rivalry, All-Americans, Olympians, and broken furniture stories
13:30 Setting goals to become the best wrestler in the family and a national champion
19:00 Why Nate chose Iowa State over Iowa and the power of winning over mom in recruiting
25:30 Coach Harold Nichols, legendary workout rooms, and tough practice stories
33:00 Classic Iowa vs Iowa State battles and early college rivalries
38:30 Scott Trizzino, Jay Robinson, and fueling the Iowa–Iowa State rivalry
44:00 Kenny Monday rivalries, overtime NCAA finals, and epic trash talk
52:00 Making the World Team, 1984 Olympic Trials heartbreak, and coming back for 1988
59:00 Wrestling Soviet legend Arsen Fadzaev and what made the Russians different
1:06:00 What Americans learned (and missed) from Soviet training systems
1:11:00 Coaching philosophy: purpose-driven practice, mindset, and self-talk
1:18:00 The visualization exercise Nate used before wrestling Kenny Monday
1:24:00 Coaching David Carr, raising seven kids, and being a “professional encourager”
1:28:00 Faith, purpose, and why failure does not make you a failure

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World champion, Olympic medalist, and finance executive Bill Scherr joins the show for a deep dive into one of the most fascinating careers in wrestling history. Bill shares how baling hay in rural South Dakota built his strength, why Randy Lewis changed what South Dakota kids believed was possible, and how Nebraska went from “death’s door” to national trophy contender.

He breaks down Soviet dominance, Iranian passion for the sport, training under legends like Dan Gable and Jay Robinson, and the brutal art of “Red Flag Days.” Bill also talks about his success in both freestyle and Greco, moving up to 220 for the good of Team USA, coaching the women’s national team, and chairing the global effort that brought wrestling back into the Olympic Games.

If you love old-school war stories, high-level strategy, and big-picture thinking about the future of wrestling, this one’s loaded front to back.

Timestamps:

02:13 Growing up in Mobridge, South Dakota, big family, farm work

05:34 South Dakota wrestling culture, influence of Randy Lewis

07:52 Rapid City dual: Randy pins Alexiev, arena explodes

10:09 How youth wrestling has evolved with better training and media

13:52 Choosing Nebraska, Lewis family connection, rebuilding the program

16:20 “Murderers Row” at Nebraska and comeback dual wins

17:29 College rivals: Pete Bush, Ed Banach, classic matches

21:13 Dan Gable stories and the congratulatory letter after 1985 worlds

22:18 Dave Schultz’s curiosity, learning from everyone, Book of Five Rings

25:48 Jay Robinson, visualization, and “fatigue is your friend”

27:39 Red Flag Days and training to get tired

32:03 1981: four national finals in a few weeks (AAU vs USWF)

38:24 Greco success, Frazier, Hauck, and choosing freestyle

47:11 Wrestling the Soviets: strength, systems, regional styles

52:03 Iranians, politics, and the 1985 world final medal stand story

55:57 Moving up to 220 so his brother and Mark Schultz could all make teams

58:28 Never cutting weight and advice to parents on weight cutting

1:07:07 Goodwill Games buzzer-beater and immediate jump to Goldman Sachs

1:13:08 Coaching at Indiana and Northwestern, Herbert and Fox

1:14:21 Coaching the U.S. women’s team and early growth of women’s wrestling

1:18:15 Tricia Saunders’ impact and resistance to women wrestling

1:24:58 Chairing the effort to save Olympic wrestling (CPOW)

1:27:52 How wrestling got dropped and then brought back to the Olympics

1:33:19 What wrestling must fix: rules, challenges, TV product

1:38:36 Funny Mark Manning story: selling blood for spring break

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UFC Hall of Famer and Olympic Greco-Roman standout Randy “The Natural” Couture sits down for a deep-dive into the journey behind the legend. From wrestling for the U.S. Army in the Cold War era to battling on the NCAA stage, chasing Olympic dreams, and pioneering MMA game-planning, Randy shares the untold stories that shaped his career and life. He talks about discovering Greco by accident, training alongside icons at Oklahoma State, wild international tours in communist Europe and Cuba, the infamous “experiment” Alexander Karelin, transitioning into the UFC, and why wrestling is still the ultimate foundation for fighting.

If you’re into wrestling, MMA, or high-performance mindset, this is a masterclass in resilience, problem-solving, and trusting the process.

Timed Highlights
00:00 – Cold open
03:30 – Joining the Army, becoming an air traffic controller, and rediscovering wrestling
10:00 – Accidentally entering Greco and winning his first Greco tournament
17:00 – Making the All-Army team and discovering how big combative sports are in the military
24:00 – The wild 1988 military worlds in Palermo and armored-car rides through Sicily
32:00 – Choosing Oklahoma State, recruiting visit with Sheets and coon hunting in Stillwater
40:00 – Big duals, Iowa–Oklahoma State rivalries, and wrestling Don Frye for a lineup spot
47:30 – World-level Greco years, rivalries with Mike Foy and Steve Klock, and Pan Am stories
56:00 – Training and living with Marines, Navy, and Army wrestlers; real poverty in Cuba
1:03:00 – Discovering the early UFC on VHS and recognizing Don Frye in the cage
1:10:00 – Working with Rico Ciparelli and RAW, integrating wrestling into MMA game plans
1:18:00 – Why Greco is the best base for MMA and learning to fight off the cage
1:26:00 – The James Toney fight, reviving the low single, and using “John Smith” tactics in MMA
1:34:00 – How setbacks (NCAA and Olympic trials) led to a bigger path than he imagined
1:42:00 – Faith, timing, mentors, and the small “corner” that really matters

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