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Episode 2: Relentless Pursuit
A conversation with Rutgers University Wrestling Coach Scott Goodale
Rutgers University head wrestling coach Scott Goodale knows how to build programs. As a young high school athlete, Coach Goodale knew exactly what he wanted to do with his life. His dream was to go to college, earn a degree, and return to his hometown of Jackson, New Jersey to build a dynasty wrestling program.
As a coach of the Jackson Memorial High School wrestling team, Coach Goodale was named the New Jersey State Coach of the Year three times. During his tenure, he led his teams to two Group 4 State Championships and four Central Jersey Group 4 Sectional titles. Each season Goodale spent with Jackson Memorial, the Jaguars were crowned District 21 Team Champions. One year, his team was ranked as high as 4th in the country.
While building that program, a former New York Giants player with ties to Rutgers – the state university of New Jersey – approached Coach Goodale and asked if he could offer suggestions on how he would save Rutgers struggling wrestling program, which was in jeopardy of begin dropped. Coach Goodale sat down with his wife at a local restaurant, and started drafting a five-point plan on a napkin. He later presented his finished plan and before he knew it he was on a six-hour interview for the job of head wresting coach for the Scarlet Knights.
After contemplating his options, he accepted the position. With help from his loyal coaching staff and the development of what he refers to as “the big 3”, he quickly brought Rutgers to the forefront of collegiate wrestling with his relentless pursuit attitude. The team went from wrestling in front of twenty-two people to selling nearly 2,000 season tickets. Over the past four seasons, Rutgers has earned two top-10 finishes in the USA Today/ NWCA Division I Coaches Poll. Under Coach Goodale’s watch, the Scarlet Knights have had six All-Americans, three conference champions, 58 NCAA Championship bids, 18 Big Ten Conference Championships place winners and 42 place winners at the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) Championships.
If you are coaching a team, running a business, building a program, or trying to get a group of people to perform at the highest level possible, check out our podcast episode with NCAA Division 1 head wrestling coach, Scott Goodale.
In this episode Coach Goodale discusses the following:
- Growing up in Jackson, New Jersey.
- The burnout problem with youth sports.
- His 5-point plan to help make Rutgers Wrestling relevant.
- What he learned after recruiting the 3rd best class in the country but falling short of his goals.
- His focus on “the Big 3: Academics, Social Life, and Wrestling”.
- The importance preparation and work ethic and how everyone is great at 3:00 in the afternoon (practice time). It’s what they do at 9:00 in the morning that makes the difference.
- How he handles defeat and learns from his losses.
- The importance of mastering the basics through repetition.
- Creating difficult situations in the practice room to help his wrestlers deal with adversity.
- Leading through work ethic and example.
- Why he does not assign team captains.
- Establishing productive daily habits.
- Setting realistic goals.
- Motivating under-performing team members.
