Always Aggressive - Purdue Wrestling Podcast: Recent Episodes
Purdue Wrestling
The Always Aggressive crew is back with another episode as the team prepares for a big weekend hosting the Boilermaker Duals.
Head coach Tony Ersland recappped the dual with Rider and what lessons the team can learn in the face of adversity. Among the good news is that Esland's squad won't have to wait long for a chance to bounce back as they take on Cleveland State, Chattanooga and Northern Illinois on Sunday morning. The crew breaks down what to expect and what familiar faces we will see roaming the opposing bench.
They wrap up the podcast with some recruiting talk as the big haul from from last week's signing day might not be the end of the good news for Boilermaker wrestling fans. "The future for this group is getting brighter and brighter," Ersland said of this class and those to come. Exciting things on the horizon for Purdue wrestling.
Coach Tony Ersland and the guys recap the Clarion Open, preview this weekend's home opener with Rider and discuss the newest Boilermakers in this National Signing Day special. Four of the new guys join the show as well, including Joey Blaze, Greyson Clark, Ashton Jackson and Cole Solomey checking in.
Coach Tony Ersland joins hosts Cory Palm and Tanner Lipsett to discuss this week's Wrestle-Off event in Holloway Gym. Coach Ersland also gives an update on the team, talks about this season's BTN featured deal meets and mentions update recruiting rankings.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue wrestling crew is back for season four episode four of the Always Aggressive podcast. A new member joins the ranks alongside head coach Tony Ersland and company to talk all things Boilermaker wrestling with wrestle offs just one month away.
Coach Ersland breaks down what stood out to him from the 2022 World Wrestling Championships that concluded last week, including his thoughts on the women's team and what Jordan Burroughs was able to accomplish.
The Big Ten schedule breakdown came next as the guys talked through the road ahead of the Boilermakers in the conference this season. Home duals against Iowa (Jan. 8), Indiana (Jan. 28), Nebraska (Feb. 5) and Northwestern (Feb. 12) and away matches with Illinois (Jan. 14), Wisconsin (Jan. 20), Minnesota (Jan. 22) and Maryland (Feb. 10) make for a balanced and very interesting schedule for Purdue. FloWrestling and Intermat released their preseason rankings earlier this week as well and the guys dive in to where our Boilermakers stack up and where there are opportunities for growth. The youth of this team provides plenty of chances for new faces to stake their claim on a significant role this season.
0:00 – New Member of the Crew 7:08 – World Championships 14:00 – Big Ten Schedule 26:12 – Pre-Season Rankings
Coach Tony Ersland joins hosts Cory Palm and Tanner Lipsett to discuss the team, the recruiting process and other hot-button issues in College Athletics.
Purdue wrestling announced several staff changes and additions Tuesday, and following that release the Always Aggressive Podcast was lucky enough to welcome new volunteer assistant coach LeRoy Gardner to the show.
In addition to head coach Tony Ersland’s thoughts and impressions on Gardner, the Golden Valley, Minnesota native takes us through his wrestling journey and how he came to accept his new position with the Boilermakers. A three-time All-America honoree and 2004 NCAA Division III Champion, Gardner has spent the last six seasons as the head coach at the University of the Ozarks.
The return of college football and several other fall sports to the Purdue campus make for an exciting weekend in West Lafayette, and the guys talk about the different events coming this week.
0:00 – New Staff Additions
5:30 – Introducing Coach Gardner
14:45 – Ersland on Gardner
24:15 – Naval Influence at Purdue
30:00 – College Football is Back
33:18 – Best Team Ever?
Coach Tony Ersland and hosts Tanner Lipsett and Cory Palm discuss the summer season, go through the newcomers on the roster and take a first glance at the squad's non-conference schedule.
The Purdue wrestling team has had an eventful summer so far, and head coach Tony Ersland welcomed assistant coach Leroy Vega to the Always Aggressive Podcast to talk all things freestyle and summer competition. The Boilermakers crowned a U.S. Open champion at the end of April as rising sophomore Matt Ramos captured the senior 57 kg crown, while freshman Hayden Copass earned a bid to the U20 World Team Trials in June.
The show opens with the guys honoring the team’s 2022 graduates as Nate Cummings, Max Lyon, Ethan Smiley and Alec White earned their bachelor’s degree last weekend.
The U.S. Open was held April 29-30 in Las Vegas, where Ramos topped the field at 57 kg, becoming Ersland’s first Open champion in his Purdue tenure. He went 4-0 at the tournament, facing and defeating his best friend, Anthony Moulton of Campbell, in the finals.
The tournament win earned Ramos the No. 1 seed at the U.S. Senior World Team Trial Challenge Tournament, set for this weekend, Mat 21-22, at Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa. The winner of this weekend’s tournament advances to Final X to face reigning world team member Thomas Gilman, while the top-two finishers join Gilman on the 2022 U.S. National Team.
Copass took fifth in the U20 division of the U.S. Open at 125 kg, earning a bid to the U.S. U20 World Team Trials in Geneva, Ohio in June. He was one of four Boilermakers to advance to the championship quarterfinals, leading classmates Stoney Buell, Ben Vanadia and Hayden Filipovich.
0:00 – Honoring Our Graduates
4:10 – U.S. Open in Review
6:30 – Ramos Interview Skills
11:00 – Semifinal Madness
17:05 – Friendly Foe in the Finals
21:15 – Weight Management
25:35 – Vega’s Experience
33:25 – Young Bucks’ U.S. Open Success
The Always Aggressive Podcast welcomed one of its most distinguished guests in the show’s history this week, hosting 1988 Olympic gold medalist Kenny Monday. In the tail end of his first year as the head wrestling coach at SPIRE Academy, Monday talks with the guys about his background in wrestling, his career path to SPIRE and some of his highlights not only as a wrestler himself, but also as a wrestling father.
A three-time Olympian and member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, Monday hails from Tulsa, Oklahoma and competed collegiately for Oklahoma State University. A three-time NCAA finalist and 1984 national champion, he transitioned into freestyle where he won both Olympic and World gold.
His coaching career took him from Oklahoma State, to youth and high school club wrestling in Texas, to the mixed martial arts scene, in addition to a stop with the Tar Heel Wrestling Club in North Carolina before heading to SPIRE.
Monday also weighed in on being the parent of two NCAA Division I wrestlers in his sons Kennedy and Quincy Monday. He has coached both of them on the mat, both as children and Kennedy some at North Carolina, but has also experienced just watching from the stands.
The Boilermakers will be out to Geneva, Ohio this summer to visit Monday as the SPIRE Academy will play host to the U23 World Team Trials in June.
0:00 – Welcome Kenny Monday, Beginnings of Wrestling
7:05 – Monday to Oklahoma State
10:15 – Transitioning to Freestyle
23:10 – Coaching Career
28:25 – Stint in MMA, How Monday got to SPIRE
35:40 – Being a Wrestling Father
45:45 – Coming Full Circle
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – This week’s Always Aggressive Podcast takes a look at the Purdue wrestling team’s performance at Big Ten Championships, the Boilermakers’ NCAA Championship pre-seeds and their first-round matchups at nationals.
Head coach Tony Ersland reflects on some of the individual performances and the overall toughness of this year’s Big Ten Championships, which advanced 100 of its 140 entrants to the national tournament. Purdue had five placewinners, four automatic qualifiers for nationals and three more earn at-large bids on Tuesday.
Senior Devin Schroder and junior Thomas Penola both earned top-12 seeds at their respective weights as Schroder earned the No. 9 seed at 125 pounds, while Penola is the No. 11 seed at 197 pounds. Schroder is the fourth wrestler in program history to earn three top-10 seeds at the national tournament.
0:00 – Look Back at Lincoln
3:00 – B1G Blood Bath
13:10 – The Magnificent Seven
19:05 – At-Large Discussion
24:25 – National Seeds & Brackets
39:00 – Recruiting Travel on Deck
The 2022 wrestling postseason is here and the Always Aggressive Podcast dives into everything you need to know about the Boilermakers heading into this weekend’s Big Ten Championships.
Head coach Tony Ersland takes a deep dive into the 88 NCAA Allocations for the Big Ten, in addition to Purdue’s pre-seeds for this weekend’s conference tournament in Lincoln, Nebraska. Seven Boilermakers earned bids for the conference, securing top-33 ranks in both the coaches panel and RPI, and all 10 aim to grab automatic qualifying bids.
The first of four sessions will begin Saturday, March 5, at 11 a.m. ET, with full event coverage on the Big Ten Network and B1G+.
0:00 – The postseason is HERE
4:25 – NCAA Allocations
17:05 – B1G Pre Seeds
40:35 – Perspective/Nothing to Lose
45:30 – The Puppy Who Lost His Way…
Coming off a much-needed and greatly-appreciated bye week, the Always Aggressive Podcast takes a close look at the Purdue wrestling team’s training schedule, the NCAA individual rankings and this week’s regular season finale at Northwestern.
The Boilermakers did not have an event on their schedule last weekend, marking the first Super Bowl Sunday without a competition that both head coach Tony Ersland and supervisor of operations Tanner Lipsett can remember. As the show transitioned into discussions regarding the coaches’ rankings and Rating Percentage Index (RPI), it triggered a discussion of scheduling practices and competition workloads for student-athletes in today’s wrestling world.
All eight Boilermakers who were eligible for an RPI ranking earned one in the initial poll, while seven secured top-33 rankings from the NCAA Coaches Panel.
Purdue concludes the regular season Saturday, wrestling its final Big Ten dual at Northwestern. The match will air live on the Big Ten Network at 1:30 p.m. ET.
In addition to Purdue’s final dual, this weekend will be accompanied by state high school wrestling championships in both Indiana and Illinois. The Boilermaker staff will make trips to both tournaments, while juggling training and competition.
0:00 – Much Needed Break
3:00 – Rankings & RPI
22:00 – Northwestern Notes
26:35 – Good Luck Future Boilermakers
After mother nature interrupted the regularly-scheduled programming last week, the Always Aggressive Podcast returned to cover the last two weeks of action on-and-off the mat. Purdue head coach Tony Ersland and the crew look at dual wins over Indiana and Minnesota, the Boilermakers’ outgoing seniors and a blind look at national rankings.
The Boilermakers have won their last two conference duals, and three of their last four, earning a 17-16 win at Indiana and defeating No. 16 Minnesota 18-14 in Purdue’s final home dual of the season. Both wins were significant from a historical perspective as the Boilermakers won their 12th straight over Indiana, while snapping a 12-dual win streak for the Golden Gophers over Purdue and earning the first win over Minnesota since 2004.
Seniors Max Lyon and Devin Schroder went out of Holloway Gymnasium on an especially high note as Lyon defeated No. 22 Isaiah Salazar at 184 pounds, 4-3, while Schroder knocked off No. 9 Patrick McKee at 125 pounds, 8-3.
Finally, wrestling supervisor of operations Tanner Lipsett presented Ersland and Cory Palm with an interesting exercise this week, creating blind resumes for two specific sets of rankings. The crew took a look at all the things that potentially influence rankings, and how perspectives change when you strip everything down to wins, losses and head-to-head results.
0:00 – “Snowpocalypse”
4:40 – Mackey Madness on a Tuesday
9:15 – 12 Straight, But Not Satisfied
22:00 – Seniors, Gophers, Energy, Wins, Gable
42:15 – Rankings Riddles
With just three duals left in the regular season, the Always Aggressive Podcast welcomed the Big Ten Network’s Shane Sparks to this week’s show. The squad covered no shortage of topics, including how Sparks became the BTN’s lead wrestling personality, the overall toughness of the Big Ten Conference and some thoughts on what Sparks would do if he were ever a head coach.
While bouncing through a variety of topics including Purdue’s duals last weekend against Illinois and Wisconsin, Sparks’ journey into broadcasting, the weekend ahead at Indiana and advice for aspiring broadcast journalists, this week’s show is littered with great conversation lessons and stories.
Now the host of Big Ten Wrestling and Beyond, Sparks is deeper in the conference wrestling scene than ever before and strives to keep improving his coverage of the sport.
0:00 – Lighting Up Some Sparks – How it all started
7:10 – Technical Difficulties Sunday
10:00 – Fighting The Illini
17:45 – How Do You Explain How Tough the Big Ten Is?
24:30 – Rivalry Week
32:00 – Shane on Tony
35:00 – Cory Questions Shane
41:30 – Nobody’s Picking Up My Garbage
In preparation for a huge weekend of wrestling in West Lafayette, Purdue head coach Tony Ersland and his squad look ahead at home duals vs. Illinois and Wisconsin on this week’s Always Aggressive Podcast. Ersland also takes a look back at Saturday’s dual vs. Michigan State and the lessons his team took from the contest.
The sports adage that “every point counts” came into play for the Boilermakers this weekend as their dual with the Spartans was decided by a single match point in tiebreaker criteria. Ersland talks about how this lesson will resonate with his squad going forward and make a difference with the rest of their season.
Purdue has a pair of major promotions associated with this weekend’s duals, hosting its annual “Hammer Down Cancer” event Friday against Illinois and the first-ever “Hoops & Headlocks” doubleheader with Boilermaker men’s basketball on Sunday in Mackey Arena.
0:00 – Sparring with Sparty
11:00 – Friday Night Fights
18:30 – Hoops & Headlocks is HERE
The Big Ten dual season has arrived and the Purdue wrestling team had a big first weekend, traveling to a pair of top-10 ranked conference opponents. The Boilermakers knocked off No. 9 Nebraska on Friday, earning the program’s highest team dual ranking in 23 seasons in Tuesday’s national coaches poll.
The Boilermakers capitalized on a pair of top-10 ranked upsets against the Huskers to earn an 18-15 win in Lincoln, but followed up with a loss at top-ranked iowa on Sunday. Ersland found a variety of mistakes in the Boilermakers’ performance, but was open with the idea that they were fixable mistakes and is back in the practice room working on those things this week.
Purdue hosts Michigan State on Saturday for the Boilermakers’ Big Ten dual home opener, set to welcome the 5-1 Spartans to Holloway Gymnasium.
In closing Ersland and Tanner Lipsett had the opportunity to attend Monday’s CFP National Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and catch Cory Palm up on some of the spectacles of the game, both on and off the field.
0:00 – B1G win at No. 9 Nebraska
13:40 – On to Carver Hawkeye
24:00 – National Rankings
35:30 – Hosting the Spartans
41:30 – CFP Championship Game
The first episode of the Always Aggressive Podcast of 2022 is a big one, looking back at the Boilermakers’ final two events of the non-conference schedule and peering ahead at the impending Big Ten dual season. Head coach Tony Ersland and the crew review some of the highlights and high-powered events of the coming weeks.
Purdue closed its non-conference duals with an event that will always be special to Ersland as the Boilermakers faced No. 13 Iowa State in Ersland’s high school gymnasium, in front of a capacity crowd. Despite the result, Ersland hoped that his squad had some solid takeaways and experiences from the dual and knows it will pay dividends in the rest of the year.
The holidays brought about some wacky circumstances with the cancellation of the Midlands Championship and replacement of the Matmen Open. With only half their starters in the lineup, Purdue managed a ninth-place team finish with four Boilermakers on the podium.
Friday marks the start of the 2022 Big Ten dual schedule as Purdue heads to Nebraska for a 7 p.m. CT dual against the ninth-ranked Huskers. The Boilermakers remain on a tour of Ersland’s wrestling past Sunday, heading to top-ranked Iowa for a 2 p.m. CT dual on the Big Ten Network.
0:00 - There’s no place like home
7:15 - Midlands, Matmen, Madness
18:45 - Team Woulfe
22:40 - B1G Duals are here
26:40 - On to Iowa City
31:30 - The rest of the schedule
After an impressive performance at the 2021 Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, Purdue wrestling head coach Tony Ersland weighs in on the Always Aggressive Podcast to talk through the Boilermakers results and what they took away from Sin City. Ersland and company also take a look at the team’s upcoming finals and the final team event of the semester.
The Boilermakers had a program-record seven placewinners at CKLV, finishing sixth as a team with 85.5 points. Senior Devin Schroder and junior Thomas Penola headlined Purdue’s performances, finishing second and third, respectively, at 125 and 197 pounds.
After finishing up finals this week, the Boilermakers will head to Humboldt, Iowa for a dual against No. 13 Iowa State. Both Ersland and Cyclone head coach Kevin Dresser are alumni of Humboldt High School and bring their squads back for an incredible even in their hometown.
0:00 - Vegas Recap
3:55 - Schroder's Second-Place Showing
7:25 - Penola's Performance
13:10 - More placewinners
18:35 - Big tournaments to B1G’s
25:40 - Taking Ersland Home
30:00 - Humboldt Highlights
32:00 - More Vegas Odds and Ends
The Purdue wrestling team hosted its home opener, got a little break for the Thanksgiving holiday and is ready for one of the nation’s top tournaments this week. Head coach Tony Ersland takes you through all this and a little more in this week’s Always Aggressive Podcast.
Before the holiday break, the Boilermakers swept three duals at their home opener, defeating Brown, Duke and Northern Illinois and winning 24 of 30 matches on the day. The crew highlights the performances of Devin Schroder, Kendall Coleman, Thomas Penola and more.
The Boilermakers head west to the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational this week, and Ersland walks through the preparations for what will be one of the best tournaments in the nation this season.
0:00 - Thanksgiving
2:40 - Boilermaker Duals Recap
7:47 - Season Takedown Leaders
10:08 - More Boilermaker Duals
17:10 - CKLV Preview
25:10 - Ersland Doesn’t Understand Podcasts
32:35 - Vegas Baby, Vegas
It's been a busy week for Purdue head coach Tony Ersland and the Boilermaker wrestling program, traveling to the East Coast, opening the 2021-22 season and adding a key piece to the Boilermaker family. Hear all about the crazy last few days on this week’s Always Aggressive Podcast.
The Boilermakers signed Indiana native Brody Baumann to a national letter of intent Wednesday, inking a key piece of the future of the room. Ersland talks about why Baumann is such a great fit for the program, both in wrestling and culture, and why recruiting has been a different place over the last six months.
Purdue got 2021-22 off to a 2-0 start over the weekend, earning wins at Drexel and Rider. Ersland breaks down the various matches and pieces of the trip and how the Boilermakers look to benefit from the experience come the postseason.
0:00 - National Signing Day
7:00 - How has COVID, NIL, etc. Changed Recruiting
19:55 - 2021-22 Officially Underway
25:20 - Individual Highlights
32:00 - Ersland on Woulfe
39:22 - Trains, Planes & Automobiles
The official start of the 2021-22 campaign is finally here and the Always Aggressive Podcast is back to get you ready for the Boilermakers’ season-opening duals. Purdue opens Saturday at Drexel University and Rider University.
Purdue had its annual intra-squad wrestle offs Friday, opening the doors to Holloway Gymnasium for the first time since the end of the 2020 season. Ersland talked through the approach and execution of the team getting down to weight for the first time, and how they all performed.
In preparation for the weekend, the guys took a quick look at the lineups for Drexel and Rider and some of the fun matchups on tap. Saturday’s nightcap could see a rematch from 2020 between Thomas Penola and Matt Correnti, who met at heavyweight at Rutgers in one of the most exciting duals of the season.
Finally, the guys paid tribute to the passing of Mike Atwood, former Delphi High School head coach and father of Boilermaker alum Braden Atwood. A regular attendee of Purdue home matches and Boilermaker wrestling events, Atwood will be greatly missed in the Greater Lafayette wrestling community.
0:00 - Wrestle Off Results
5:50 - Wrestle Off Notes
18:42 - BTN TV Schedule
28:35 - Traveling East
33:27 - Look at Drexel
34:41 - Look at Rider
37:07 - Remembering Mike Atwood
Things are revving up for the 2021-22 Purdue wrestling season and the Boilermakers are starting to get people together to enjoy some wrestling. Head coach Tony Ersland and the crew go through it all on this week’s episode of the Always Aggressive Podcast.
The gatherings started this past weekend as the Boilermakers hosted a family weekend with all the wrestling parents, which included an open practice on Saturday in addition to a tailgate before the Purdue football game. Many introductions were made as the team has been unable to gather for the last 18 months in an official capacity.
Things will continue this weekend with the intra-squad wrestle offs, opening the doors to Holloway Gymnasium for a 7 p.m. ET start on Friday. Ersland walks through the various reasons he finds wrestle offs so important to the start of the season.
The Big Ten Network television schedule is expected to be released in the near future and Ersland reveals some of the details behind the Boilermakers’ “Hoops & Headlocks” event scheduled for Jan. 23 in Mackey Arena. Billed as a first-of-its-kind event, Ersland and Purdue hopes to expose wrestling to one of its biggest crowds ever in Mackey Arena.
Finally, the show wraps with some discussion over the action at Super 32 this past weekend. An amazing high school event, the guys walk through the importance of the tournament, what they really take stock in and some of the pitfalls in how important it could be.
0:00 - Parents Weekend
6:05 - Wrestle Offs
11:40 - “Coach Speak”
23:05 - Pending TV Schedule, Hoops & Headlocks
34:35 - Super 32 Takeaways
The Purdue wrestling team officially started its 2021-22 this week and the Boilermakers are only three weeks out from their first competition of the year. Head coach Tony Ersland talks through the team’s early training and progress in addition to a few events on the horizon.
Ersland remarks on the early action in the Blake Wrestling Room, specifically addressing the quick acclimation of the Boilermaker freshmen and the focus of upperclassmen Devin Schroder and Max Lyon.
In the coming weeks the Boilermakers will host a camp, parents’ weekend and the 2021 preseason wrestle off, which are pegged for Friday, October 29, at 7 p.m. ET in Holloway Gymnasium. That will be fans’ first opportunity to watch the 2021-22 team and one of two home events left for 2021.
0:00 - The 2021-22 Season is Here
12:35 - The Evolution of Coaching
15:45 - Wrestle Offs are Coming
23:55 - Alumni Zoom
24:35 - Super 32 Camp
30:00 - Parents Weekend
Recruiting season is in full swing for the Purdue wrestling team and head coach Tony Ersland pulls back the curtain a bit to talk about the process, the visits and everything that goes with it for the Boilermakers.
The Boilermakers have had some fantastic home football games in Ross-Ade Stadium, volleyball in Holloway Gymnasium and a variety of other events and appointments on campus. Ersland talks about everything that goes into it and what it takes to pull off the 48-hour trips.
The 2021 UWW World Championships are scheduled for this weekend in Oslo, Norway, and the show takes a short look at the USA roster and potential achievements for the team. In addition, they talk about the Boilermakers’ accomplishments and training for freestyle and some of their achievements as they chase the dream of World and Olympic medals.
0:00 - Recruiting Season
6:13 - Figuring Out Fit
12:20 - Drew Brees on Campus
17:30 - Our Man Mitch
22:15 - World Championships
24:50 - Boilers Pursuing Freestyle Dreams
34:20 - Thank Yous
The Purdue wrestling team received its 2022 Big Ten Conference schedule this week, so head coach Tony Ersland, Tanner Lipsett and Cory Palm talk through it and a few of the nation’s top events on the Always Aggressive Podcast. The Boilermakers’ eight conference duals were announced by the Big Ten, which will start on Jan. 7 at Nebraska.
In addition to the full dual schedule, the crew talked about two events, one coming, one passed, and some of the fireworks involved. Ersland is headed to Who’s Number One, presented by FloWrestling in Dallas this weekend, where he hopes to visit with some future Boilermakers, and the 2021 US World Team Trials were held last week in Lincoln, Nebraska, where the team headed to Oslo, Norway was solidified.
The show also took a look at the hot start to Purdue athletics this fall as soccer, volleyball, football and cross country are all underway in West Lafayette.
0:00 - B1G Schedule is here
12:00 - NIL Sidebar
14:55 - B1G on TV?
18:50 - Who's Number One
23:00 - 2021 World Team Trials Recap
25:35 - Hot start to the fall at Purdue
29:45 - Loyal podcast listeners
34:15 - Ask for guests? Going on a bear hunt
The Always Aggressive Podcast welcomed special guest Peyton Stovall to the show Thursday, ready to talk about the Boilermakers’ EMPOWER program, all things Name, Image & Likeness, and his path to joining the Purdue family. Stovall serves as Purdue’s Assistant Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Development and is a Lafayette native, growing up in the area and attending Lafayette Jefferson High School.
A member of the varsity basketball team in his undergraduate studies at Ball State University, Stovall jumps into the conversation regarding the athletics department noon hoops game, and talk steers to the concept of lunch-hour wrestling. Stovall also served as the athletics director at Lafayette Jeff and Evansville North High School before coming to join the Boilermakers.
0:00 - Welcome Peyton Stovall
4:15 - EMPOWER
9:40 - NIL & College Changes
20:20 - Craziest NIL Deal?
26:10 - Intra-department Sports Activities
33:40 - Purdue Football is Back (and so are recruits!)
38:45 - and a new Twitter Poll…
This week’s Always Aggressive Podcast features Purdue wrestling senior Max Lyon, who joins the show to discuss returning for his fifth year, how he spent the summer of 2021 and what lies ahead for the Iowa native.
Lyon is one-of-two Boilermaker wrestlers using an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is projected as the Purdue starter at 184 pounds again this season. He is a three-time Big Ten Championship placewinner and three-time NCAA Championship qualifier, in addition to earning Academic All-Big Ten, NWCA Scholar All-America and CoSIDA Academic All-District honors.
On the show Lyon talks through his summer internship with Target, his engagement and his future plans, in addition to a potential book he plans to author with head coach Tony Ersland.
Purdue wrestling head coach Tony Ersland, Tanner Lipsett and Cory Palm are back, opening the 2021-22 academic year with Season Three of the Always Aggressive Podcast. The guys take a deep dive into the 2021 Olympic wrestling performance in Tokyo, honoring the many successful efforts by the Americans and several of the other individuals around the sport that made their achievements possible.
Having coached several wrestlers who have had success on the Olympic and World Championship stages, Ersland has valuable insight on the journey and experiences of those who brought home medals from Japan. While the masses simply get to watch the handful of matches that are wrestled on television, Ersland looks into the four-year cycle and the lifetime of preparation that goes into those moments.
In typical fashion, the show closes with a pop culture question that pits Lipsett and Palm on opposite sides, while Ersland stays out of the fray.
0:00 - Season Three begins with the Olympics
2:57 - Women's Results
7:27 - Boilermaker in Tokyo
9:20 - Is this the launching pad for women’s wrestling?
12:15 - Greco
16:30 - Snoop & Kevin do Greco
17:50 - Ersland, Olympic junkie
18:30 - Freestyle
27:25 - Most Impressive Performance?
30:15 - Olympic commentators
37:40 - Coaching Olympic/World Champions
40:00 - Hat tip to the coaches
44:35 - The Black Album?
Purdue wrestling head coach Tony Ersland and crew bring you a summer update on the Always Aggressive Podcast, diving into the Boilermakers’ results from the U23 Freestyle Championships, the announcement of the non-conference schedule and some info on the newest group of Boilermakers set to come on campus.
Sophomore Thomas Penola and senior Max Lyon led a group of Boilermakers to Lincoln, Nebraska for the U23 nationals, both earning spots on the podium. Ersland spoke on the efforts of several other Boilermakers at the event and to the nature of how offseason freestyle competition helps the team in their training.
Purdue’s non-conference schedule for 2021-22 was announced in recent weeks, unveiling six dates for the Boilermakers to conclude 2021. Ersland walks through the schedule with various notes about the scheduled duals and tournaments
The NCAA’s recruiting dead period finally came to a close on June 1, meaning that Ersland and his staff could resume both on-campus and off-campus recruiting. The Boilermakers are already hard at work, searching for the next group of wrestlers to join the roster in 2022.
In addition, the newest group of Boilermakers are set to come to campus this weekend as summer school starts Monday. Ersland speaks to their recruitment under COVID restrictions over the past year and how excited the Boilermakers are to have them come to campus.
The show closed with a hat tip to Big Ten Network standout Shane Sparks, who came to West Lafayette to call some baseball recently, and a side-by-side comparison between Ersland and a WWE star.
0:00 - Welcome back, U23 Nationals
17:00 - 2021-22 Non-Conference Schedule
24:45 - NCAA Dead Period is over
28:45 - Freshman report to campus
32:25 - Thank you Shane Sparks
34:20 - What WWE Star does Ersland look like?
With the 2020-21 academic year coming to a close soon, the Purdue wrestling program remains buzzing with activity. Head coach Tony Ersland gave out team awards for the 2021 season, the nation has been taking a close look at the transfer portal and a handful of Boilermakers head to Iowa this weekend for the 2021 UWW Junior and Senior Freestyle National Championships.
Before the seniors set sail from West Lafayette to start life, the Boilermakers took one last opportunity to enjoy a meal together, and Ersland presented the team with their letter awards as well as the honorees from the 2021 season.
The transfer portal has become a permanent fixture in college athletics, and the squad takes some time to go through the positives and negatives it has to offer sports, specifically wrestling. Like any situation it has multiple points of view and sides to it, but Ersland and Co.
The Boilermakers are set to compete again, taking five individuals to Coralville, Iowa for a chance at making a world team. Purdue will have two entries in the junior division and three in the senior division.
0:00 - 2021 Purdue wrestling team awards
13:40 - the transfer portal, the good and the bad
27:25 - the Boilermakers get to wrestle again
32:20 - the dead period is almost over
34:50 - Mizzou back to the Big 12
36:50 - Purdue Day of Giving
Allowing enough time to pass, while still remaining close enough to the event to keep it relevant, head coach Tony Ersland and co-hosts Cory Palm and Tanner Lipsett look back at Purdue wrestling’s 2021 NCAA Championships performance on this week’s Always Aggressive Podcast.
The main theme of the show was to reflect on the successes of the 2021 season, the historical achievements of this group, while still not being satisfied with the progress to date and still pursing the team’s ultimate goals.
The Boilermakers had eight NCAA qualifiers for the third straight year, the fourth time in seven years under Ersland and just the sixth time in program history. The consistency in getting the majority of the team to the national tournament is the first step in getting guys on the podium and chasing top placements at NCAA’s.
Senior Devin Schroder and sophomore Thomas Penola advanced to the Round of 12 at 125 and 197 pounds, respectively, but fell one win shy of All-America status. All eight qualifiers won at least one match, and senior Max Lyon, junior Parker Filius and freshman Gerrit Nijenhuis all added bonus points to some of their victories.
Palm closed the show with an outstanding hypothetical: in the movie that portrays the rise of Purdue wrestling, what actor would play Ersland?
0:00 - 2021 NCAA’s happened, and we’re thankful
4:38 - Establishing consistency, progress
10:48 - Schroder's showing
17:03 - Big Ten at NCAA’s
21:00 - Penola's performance
24:15 - Freshmen Finishes
28:14 - Appreciating progress while chasing goals
41:55 - Who's playing Ersland?
The Purdue wrestling 2021-22 roster received some serious news this week as seniors Devin Schroder and Max Lyon announced their return to the program, while head coach Tony Ersland signed a pair of 2021 Indiana high school state champions. Schroder joined the Always Aggressive Podcast to talk about his return, the season and what lies ahead for the Boilermakers.
While Lyon has been consistent in his intentions for 2021-22, Schroder walked a very different road this season. Having wavered between his desire to take advantage of an extra year of eligibility, the Grand Rapids, Michigan native made a definitive decision to remain on the Boilermaker roster on Easter Sunday, and announced his decision via Twitter on Tuesday evening.
Ersland and Schroder opened up about some of the varying challenges that the 2021 season brought to the table, including multiple extended layoffs from practice and competition, the all-Big Ten regular season schedule and inability to know day-to-day which training partners and coaches would be available.
As announced Wednesday, Indiana natives Hayden Filipovich and Tristan Ruhlman officially joined the Boilermaker family, and Ersland and Schroder reflected on the recruiting process of the two, the importance of their addition to the roster and contributions to the team and culture. Schroder spoke about the team’s geographical diversity, what it lends to the program and some of the ways it has influenced him during his time in West Lafayette.
0:00 - Welcome back, Devin Schroder
4:35 - COVID Challenges
11:34 - Schroder’s Announcement
13:21 - The two newest Boilermakers
14:56 - Introducing new kids to the culture
20:10 - Geographical diversity in the program
26:30 - Etc.
The 2021 Big Ten Wrestling Championships are in the books and the Boilermakers have eight individuals qualified for the national tournament. Purdue head coach Tony Ersland, Cory Palm and Tanner Lipsett take a look back at the Boilermakers' performance over the weekend and what lies ahead at NCAA's.
The Boilermakers placed eight individuals at the Big Ten Championships for the second straight year and finished in the top-six for the second straight season as well, scoring 76.0 points. Senior Devin Schroder reached the finals for the second year in a row, wrestling five places ahead of his No. 7 seed with a runner-up showing. Purdue saw three individuals place fifth, one take six and three others place seventh.
Ersland goes through each guys’ performance and looks ahead at the opportunity that awaits the group in St. Louis at the Enterprise Center. Seedings and brackets for the NCAA Championships will be announced Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET at NCAA.com, and the show will return Monday with a look at the Boilermakers’ seeds and path to the championship at each weight.
0:00 - B1G Overview
5:11 - Devin Schroder, B1G Runner Up
9:30 - Fantastic Freshmen
18:10 - Fifth-Place Finishes
25:20 - Seventh-Place Standouts
30:49 - At-Large Announcements
34:20 - Seeding Situations
39:52 - Starting Fast, Finishing Strong
The Big Ten finalized seeds for the 2021 conference wrestling championships Friday, unveiling the first-round matchups for Purdue in tomorrow’s first session at the Bryce Jordan Center. The Boilermakers had two seeds changed from the initial release on Tuesday, seeing freshmen Jacob Rundell and Gerrit Nijenhuis move up one spot at 133 and 165 pounds, respectively.
Senior Griffin Parriott is the Boilermakers’ overall top seed, earning the No. 3 spot at 149 pounds. He will open tomorrow’s tournament against No. 14 seed Michael North of Maryland. Sophomore Kendall Coleman secured the No. 4 seed at 157 pounds, where he’ll match up with No. 13 seed Luke Baughman of Indiana.
Sophomore Thomas Penola was named the No. 6 seed at 197 pounds, where he draws No. 11 seed Garrett Joles in the opening round, and seniors Devin Schroder and Max Lyon earned the No. 7 seeds at 125 and 184 pounds, where they’ll wrestle No. 10 seeds Justin Cardani of Illinois and Rocky Jordan of Ohio State, respectively.
Rundell jumped up to the No. 8 seed due to Rutgers replacing their original entry at 133 pounds, and he’ll now face No. 9 seed Kyle Burwick of Wisconsin. Nijenhuis and junior Parker Filius are both No. 9 seeds, matching Nijenhuis against No. 8 seed Jake Tucker of Michigan State at 165 and Filius against No. 8 seed Drew Mattin of Michigan at 141. Nijenhuis moved up a spot due to a clerical error in Tuesday’s pre-seeds.
Freshmen Emil Soehnlen and Dorian Keys wrap up the list of Boilermakers as No. 12 seeds at 174 and 285 pounds. Soehnlen will wrestle No. 5 seed Donnell Washington of Indiana, while Keys draws No. 5 seed Christian Lance of Nebraska.
Action starts Sunday at 10 a.m. ET, with the entire championship set to air on the Big Ten Network.
The Boilermakers welcomed a special guest to the Always Aggressive Podcast as they prep for this weekend’s Big Ten Championships. Willie Saylor of MatScouts joined to talk all things Purdue wrestling and conference tournament as Purdue sets sail for Penn State and the Bryce Jordan Center.
A former employee of The Open Mat and FloWrestling, Saylor currently runs his own site through Rokfin.com, and offers content that varies from high school wrestling to NCAA predictions to his own podcast show, “The First Word.”
Ersland and Saylor dive into the Big Ten Championship Pre-Seeds, which were announced Tuesday and look at some of the potential matchups for the Boilermakers. The conversation digressed into a variety of topics, including a new signee for the Boilermakers, the concepts of “busts” and “surprises” as kinds progress from high school to college and some potential upsets this weekend in State College.
0:00 - Welcome Willie
1:00 - Origin of MatScouts
7:20 - B1G Pre-Seeds
9:52 - Did he wrestle too much?
12:22 - Purdue's Pre Seeds
16:00 - Willie asks questions, who’s coming back?
20:13 - The newest Boilermaker and Willie’s thoughts on the class
24:14 - The evolution from high school to college
30:00 - The margin of error in wrestling
31:58 - Willie's look at Big Ten’s
39:37 - Etc.
On the heels of history, the Always Aggressive Podcast dives into Purdue wrestling’s outstanding win over archrival Indiana on Monday in Holloway Gymnasium. The Boilermakers won 38-3, taking 9-of-10 matches against the Hoosiers, extending their series win streak to 11 straight and posting the largest margin of victory by either side in the rivalry in 100 years.
Head coach Tony Ersland and co-hosts Cory Palm and Tanner Lipsett devote specific attention to the victories by senior Griffin Parriott and freshman Gerrit Nijenhuis, who both won by fall Monday and picked up signature victories on their respective resumes. Six of the Boilermakers’ nine wins came with bonus points, as Purdue finished the Big Ten dual season at 4-5 and will now begin preparation for the 2021 Big Ten Championships, scheduled for March 6-7 at Penn State.
The Purdue wrestling program has seen a pair of its members featured in the past week with feature stories produced on juniors Parker Filius and Jared Florell. The crew takes a look at some of the Boilermakers as more than just wrestlers, but takes a peek at them as individuals as they tell their respective stories.
A few short notes at the end of the show on the extension of the NCAA recruiting dead period, the Big Ten Championships and a special guest on next week’s show.
0:00 - Purdue over Indiana
2:12 - Historical implications
3:30 - Coaching insight in a win
10:53 - Parriott & Nijenhuis
19:24 - More IU Notes
31:00 - Boilermakers in the spotlight
42:50 - NCAA recruiting dead period extended
44:58 - Etc.
The NCAA announced its conference automatic qualifier allocations for the 2021 wrestling championships last week and it’s created quite the buzz over the last six days. On this week’s Always Aggressive Podcast with head coach Tony Ersland, Cory Palm and Tanner Lipsett, they discuss who got too many, who didn’t get enough and ideas for fixing the situation before we get to the conference tournaments.
In addition to the latest national issue, Ersland reflects on the Boilermakers’ dual win at No. 22 Michigan State last Friday, where Purdue took 6-of-10 matches in a 21-12 win over the Spartans. Ersland takes us match-by-match through the dual, with specific attention to seniors Griffin Parriott and Max Lyon in their big wins.
It’s rivalry week for the Boilermakers as they host Indiana on Monday in Holloway Gymnasium at 8 p.m., live on the Big Ten Network. The crew looks at some of the matchups in the dual and the significance of facing your in-state rival.
0:00 - NCAA Allocations
7:00 - What Could Be Done Different?
16:15 - Coaches Rank vs. Media Rank
20:05 - Look Back at MSU Dual
35:45 - Rivalry Week
43:20 - Boilermakers in the First NCAA Coaches Panel Rankings
While the 17th-ranked Purdue wrestling team had a tough weekend in Holloway Gymnasium, falling to No. 1 Iowa and No. 11 Ohio State, the matches were not without some bright spots. Head coach Tony Ersland, Cory Palm and Tanner Lipsett caught up on this week’s Always Aggressive Podcast to discuss the tri-dual, this weekend’s matchup at Michigan State and a few of the nationally relevant conversations in wrestling.
Ersland expresses his distaste for “moral victories,” but was willing to acknowledge the progress his squad is showing and put on display Sunday, taking four of 10 matches from both the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes, including big wins for seniors Devin Schroder and Max Lyon. While he would prefer to win the dual outright, the goal remains peaking in March at Big Ten and NCAA Championships and building towards those performances.
Purdue continues its dual schedule Friday at No. 22 Michigan State, set for 6 p.m. ET on BTN+. The contest is slated to have several top-tier matchups, notably at 125, 157, 184 and 197 pounds.
The show wrapped up with mentions of the inaugural NCAA coaches panel rankings, which will debut this week, and the merger of FloWrestling and TrackWrestling, which was announced late last week.
0:00 - Tri-Dual Wrap Up
33:15 - Boilers at MSU
37:45 - NCAA Coaches Rankings
45:00 - FloWrestling +TrackWresting = ???
- The Purdue wrestling Always Aggressive podcast welcomes special guest Earl Smith of The Open Mat to this week’s show to cover last week’s results at Rutgers, a preview of the Boilermakers’ home tri-dual Sunday and a deeper look at the work that goes into covering wrestling on the national scene at multiple levels.
A native of Virginia and the editor for The Open Mat since 2018, Smith has been involved in covering wrestling since 2007, and has tried to be a steady influence in the sport. He takes the crew through a bit of his background with the sport and how he came to land in his current position.
Purdue split duals at Rutgers on Sunday, and head coach Tony Ersland dives into the ins-and-outs of the day with some of the Boilermakers’ successes and shortfalls at the RAC. Sophomore Thomas Penola was a standout of the day, going 2-0 and improving his overall season record to 5-0.
The Boilermakers take part in their second-straight tri-dual this weekend, hosting top-ranked Iowa and No. 11 Ohio State at Holloway Gymnasium on Sunday. Purdue and Iowa matchup at 11:30 a.m. ET, live on the Big Ten Network, followed by another BTN dual with the Hawkeyes and Buckeyes at 2 p.m. Purdue and Ohio State will wrap the day, live on BTN+ at 4 p.m.
0:00 - Welcome Earl Smith
6:13 - Rankings, Rankings, Rankings
11:58 - 2021 Seeding Implications
20:18 - Why is Earl a Purdue Fan?
27:37 - Purdue at Rutgers Recap
39:28 - Thomas Penola
47:18 - Purdue Tri-Dual vs. Iowa/Ohio State
The Purdue wrestling team headed out on the road this past weekend and came up on the wrong end of duals at Illinois and Wisconsin. However, the trip was not without some bright spots as the Boilermakers got their first taste of travel and a few guys got some solid wins.
The weekend saw several season debuts, including freshman Gerrit Nijenhuis, junior Parker Filius and senior Max Lyon. Nijenhuis started his collegiate career 2-0, with a pair of dominant wins, while Lyon knocked off a highly-ranked opponent at Illinois and Filius put some points on the board at Wisconsin.
Head coach Tony Ersland dove into the steep learning curve that some of the Boilermaker newcomers have had to face as they’ve started their college careers, and some of the bright spots that rookies like Nijenhuis have brought to light.
There will be no rest for the road weary as the Boilermakers head right back on the road for a tri-dual at Rutgers on Sunday, where they’ll face the host Scarlet Knights and Minnesota.
This week’s show also touches on some of the differences the Boilermakers are facing on the road due to COVID and checks in on some of our future teammates with their high school seasons.
0:00 - Weekend on the Road
4:55 - Newcomer Situation and Highlights
9:21 - Lineup Mainstays
11:27 - More Extra Matches & Dual Energy
15:15 - Dual Point Importance
24:16 - Back to Rutgers, More Guys Back
27:50 - Travel with COVID Protocols
32:52 - Getting to the Finish Line / B1G Coaches
38:41 - Recruit Shout Outs
The 2021 season if officially in full swing, and the Always Aggressive Podcast continues to take you behind the scenes of the Purdue wrestling team with head coach Tony Ersland, Cory Palm and Tanner Lipsett. On this week’s show the Boilermakers say goodbye to a member of the Purdue wrestling family, look back at Friday’s season-opening win over Northwestern and take a quick glance at the weekend ahead at Illinois and Wisconsin.
The Boilermakers got sad news yesterday with the passing of former head coach Dr. Don Corrigan. Corrigan was the head coach at Purdue from 1969 to 1975, and was a Boilermaker assistant from 1965-69. After coaching he went on to officiate in the Big Ten and NCAA over the next 10 years and continued working at Purdue in the kinesiology department, where he served as the department head until 2002. Corrigan was a fixture in Purdue athletics and the Boilermaker wrestling room until the recent events began preventing his visit. He will be forever remembered and treasured by the Purdue family.
The Boilermakers’ 28-8 victory over Northwestern on Friday was a great start to 2021, and Ersland takes a closer look at several specific weight classes within the dual. He digs in on freshman Macartney Parkinson’s upset win at 184 pounds, a couple Boilermakers who wrestled up a weight, and the dominant tech-fall wins by senior Devin Schroder and sophomore Thomas Penola.
Purdue continues its Big Ten dual season this weekend, heading on a Midwest swing to Illinois and Wisconsin. The Boilermakers face the Fighting Illinois on Friday at 7 p.m. CT, live on BTN+, and follow Sunday at 1 p.m. against the Badgers.
0:00 - Remembering Dr. Don Corrigan
3:15 - Purdue vs. Northwestern recap
4:55 - Four Freshmen
8:20 - #BoilerNotes
10:17 - Macartney Parkinson Revisited
15:36 - Choice/Be Accountable to Yourself
17:40 - Dominant Wins
21:51 - Both Sides Missing Bodies/Everyone Be Ready
25:13 - Illinois and Wisconsin
35:29 - Extra Matches
It's match week on the Always Aggressive Podcast as head coach Tony Ersland, Cory Palm and Tanner Lipsett dive into the start of the 2021 season. The Boilermakers open their schedule Friday at 7 p.m. ET, hosting Northwestern at Holloway Gymnasium live on the Big Ten Network.
While the Boilermakers have to wait until Friday to start, several other Big Ten schools opened their seasons last weekend. The crew all watched some wrestling last weekend for the first time in months, and all had some takeaways. One of the most notable things was the abundance of new faces around the conference and true freshmen competing.
Expect to see some new faces in the Purdue lineup this weekend against the Wildcats. Ersland said that most notably we would see senior Devin Schroder, sophomore Kendall Coleman and freshman Emil Soehnlen on the mat.
The crew wrapped up the show looking at Monday night’s College Football Playoff Championship game between Alabama and Ohio State. While everyone remarked on certain aspects of the game, Ersland focused on football being able to complete their season and crown a national champion and looked at it as a win for college sports.
0:00 - B1G Opening Weekend
4:46 - Lots of New Faces
9:20 - Extra Matches
14:09 - Purdue vs. Northwestern
16:10 - Expecting the Unexpected and Facing Adversity
21:28 - More Purdue vs. Northwestern
29:55 - CFP Championship Game: A Victory for College Sports
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The first Always Aggressive Podcast of 2021 comes with a wonderful holiday present as the Big Ten released the 2021 schedule on New Year’s Eve and unveiled the nine dates for head coach Tony Ersland and the Boilermakers. Ersland and co-hosts Cory Palm and Tanner Lipsett walk through the schedule, talk challenges of the pending season and take a look at some of the team’s preseason rankings.
With the Boilermakers set to start competing in just over a week, Ersland dives into the team’s five duals and two tri-duals for the regular season, specifically commenting on how the structure of the slate worked out.
When asked if he has ever had a season this tough to prepare for, Ersland had a very simple answer: “No.” They look at some of the challenges coming at them this season and how every member of the Purdue roster will need to be ready to go this year.
Purdue has seven individuals with preseason rankings this season, headlined by senior Devin Schroder and sophomore Kendall Coleman. Ersland talks through what preseason rankings mean and how they are viewed by his team.
Finally with the recently published documentary film of Dan Gable, Palm and Lipsett take a moment to look at Ersland’s cameo appearances and some of the odd behavior of wrestlers.
0:00 - B1G Schedule is here!
21:05 - Season Challenges
27:34 - Preseason Rankings
36:30 - Ersland's Famous Blue Garments
While Purdue wrestling head coach Tony Ersland hasn’t had much new news since the U23 and Junior national freestyle championships, the Boilermakers are getting closer to the reveal of the 2021 schedule and wanted to share what we do know about the coming season on the latest episode of the Always Aggressive Podcast.
Ersland dives into the format of the pending Big Ten schedule, along with some of the potential additions and match structures of the coming season. The conference is tentatively planning to open action on the weekend of January 9, and feature a seven-week format with nine events.
The crew looks back on another outstanding semester in the classroom for the Boilermakers, which kept the squad’s cumulative grade point average north of the 3.0 mark and saw 19 individuals earn honors on the coaches’ and AD’s honor roll.
The likely-to-be final show of 2020 wouldn’t be complete without a little holiday fun as Ersland and co-host Cory Palm tell stories of their “elf on the shelf” escapades.
0:00 - 2021 Schedule Stuff
6:21 - NCAA Qualification Criteria
9:34 - RPI?
16:41 - More Schedule Questions from Cory
21:40 - Why is the Schedule Taking So Long?
26:33 - Boilers in the Classroom
29:38 - Merry Christmas / Elves on Shelves
The show dives into the overall results for the team, putting four placewinners on the podium in Omaha on Sunday, and breaks down the individual performances of senior Max Lyon, junior Parker Filius, sophomore Thomas Penola and freshman Gerrit Nijenhuis. They touch on the preparation for the event, what some of the results may mean for the pending 2021 season and how the Boilermakers used the tournament to continue their training.
Ersland often mentions his opportunity to work with Olympic champion Jordan Burroughs during his tenure at Nebraska, and Burroughs had his skills on full display over the weekend against NCAA Champion Zahid Valencia. The guys touch on several of the things that continue to make Burroughs great, and how Ersland continues to try and take from Burrough’s performances and translate them to his Boilermaker wrestlers.
The Boilermakers’ newest recruiting class continued to get attention over the weekend as The Open Mat tagged Purdue has having the best social media announcements for the signing period. Ersland recognizes the variety of people involved in this year’s efforts and the importance of celebrating the occasion.
0:00 - U23 & UWW Junior Nationals Recap
3:35 - Thomas Penola
8:15 - Max Lyon
11:25 - Parker Filius
15:20 - Weight Classes
20:18 - Gerrit Nijenhuis
30:35 - Burrough vs. Valencia
40:25 - What's on TV?
43:00 - Boilermaker Recruiting Honors
Head Coach Tony Ersland gets a chance to talk to the newest members of the Boilermaker Family as Stoney Buell, Dustin Norris and Ben Vanadia join the show. The three talk about their recruiting process, why they chose Purdue and what they are most looking forward to about joining the program.
Coach Tony Ersland and hosts Tanner Lipsett and Cory Palm talk about U-20 and U-23 Nationals, the importance of voting and making informed decisions and the support structure in place at Purdue from an academic standpoint . Coach Ersland also answers the hypothetical situation of how difficult it would be to have to watch his team compete on television as Purdue Football Coach Jeff Brohm had to do last weekend in the win over Iowa.
The NCAA eligibility extension ruling, Dan Gable earning the Presidential Medal of Freedom and an update on the current team are all on the docket this week as head coach Tony Ersland sits down with hosts Tanner Lipsett and Cory Palm. The guys also discuss a few hot topics in the wrestling world including Super 32, Fresno State and USA Wrestling's decision not to take part in 2020 Worlds.
Senior Devin Schroder joins Coach Tony Ersland and the guys to talk about his senior season, how much he has grown as a wrestler and a student while at Purdue and his academic journey as an industrial engineering. Coach Ersland also gives a little insight into the scheduling process and what fans can expect from the coming season as conversations continue within the Big Ten Conference offices and the group discusses high profile high school tournaments taking place in recent days and how much they figure in the recruiting process.
Head coach Tony Ersland and hosts Cory Palm and Tanner Lipsett talk about all things Purdue Wrestling. In the latest episode, they discuss the current recruiting landscape, some high profile events on the horizon and the development of the team so far this semester. They guys also talk about the return of football and how it affects the wrestling world and they give some shout-outs to some program alumni doing big things in the mixed-martial arts world.
Coach Tony Ersland and friends welcome redshirt junior Jared Florell to the show this week to discuss his life on the mat with the Boilermakers and his VERY busy life away from wrestling.
The Krannert School of Management student talks about his work in the classroom, his wide-ranging academic experiences at Purdue and his involvement with a variety of leadership groups including the Purdue Student-Athlete Advisory Council and the Big Ten Anti-Hate, Anti-Racism Coalition.
The crew wraps up by discussing the Purdue Day of Giving and the importance of supporting college athletics.
Coach Tony Ersland joins hosts Cory Palm and Tanner Lipsett to talk about the first few weeks of the fall semester, how good it feels to get back to work with the team and who took major steps forward this summer. The guys also talk in depth about the logistics of scheduling classes, practices and training in the new era.
Head coach Tony Ersland joins hosts Tanner Lipsett and Cory Palm to open up the second season of the Always Aggressive podcast. This week, Coach Ersland talks about the team's very productive summer, welcomes graduate transfer heavyweight Jamarcus Grant and discusses the full team's return for the opening of the fall semester this week in West Lafayette.
Coach and the guys also speak at length about the John Purdue Club's "More Than a Game" campaign and the importance of supporting the larger mission of collegiate athletics.
And finally, Coach Ersland talks about the several wrestling showcases that took over the sport in recent weeks and mentions his favorite matchup of the summer.
This week’s Always Aggressive Podcast put the finishing touches on the 2019-20 Purdue Wrestling season as head coach Tony Ersland and hosts Cory Palm and Tanner Lipsett broke down the Boilermakers’ postseason awards both on-and-off the mat.
The Boilermakers killed it in the classroom this season, earning NWCA Scholar All-America team honors for the second straight season, grabbing three individual NWCA academic awards and tying the program record with 13 Academic All-Big Ten selections. The team had a 3.29 grade point average (GPA) during the spring semester, and pushed the squad’s cumulative GPA over a 3.0. Dylan Lydy put a cherry on top of the academic recognition Wednesday, receiving Purdue’s Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship honor.
Unable to hold the team’s 2019-20 postseason banquet, the Boilermakers announced their team award for the season via social media. Ersland handed out eight honors for the season, recognizing Lydy, fellow senior Christian Brunner, junior Devin Schroder, sophomore Parker Filius and freshmen Thomas Penola and Kendall Coleman.
Purdue wrestling welcomed Big Ten Assistant Director for Sports Administration A.J. Edds to Episode 30 of the Always Aggressive Podcast on Wednesday, offering fans a chance to get to know the conference’s wrestling liaison. Like head coach Tony Ersland, Edds is a University of Iowa graduate, starring for the Hawkeye football program from 2006-09, and just finished his second season working with wrestling for the Big Ten.
A native of Indiana, Edds played for Kirk Ferentz at Iowa and then was picked by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He spent five seasons in the league, despite tearing both of his anterior cruciate ligaments, and then has begun a second career in athletic administration with the Big Ten Conference. Edds reflects on some of his time in the NFL, lessons he learned, coaches he played for and how it all impacted his current role at the conference office.
Edds also talks about his role with the Big Ten Wrestling Championships, which he calls one of the most impressive athletics events he’s ever attended. He goes behind the scenes to discuss a variety of things it takes to put on such a monumental event, and how he navigates the challenges of making it a success for the coaches, wrestlers and fans.
Episode 29 of the Always Aggressive Podcast dives deep into the recruiting world as Purdue wrestling head coach Tony Ersland not only welcomes the newest crop of Boilermakers, but talks into the future classes of 2021 and 2022.
The Boilermakers added a handful of members to the roster with the late signing period, inking Indiana natives Dorian Keys and Macartney Parkinson and Illinois two-time state placewinner Mitch Hutmacher to go along with several other commits in the 2020 class. FloWrestling ranks the group the No. 13 class in the country, in addition to other top-25 marks from InterMat and MatScouts.
Ersland goes into some of his early commitments from the Class of 2021, and what he’s looking for with the rest of the recruiting class as we go into the summer and fall, and also peeks ahead to the nation’s rising class of juniors in the Class of 2022, discussing when he can start talking to them and visiting their homes.
On a somber note, the show pays homage to the recent passing of wrestling journalist Dan McCool and long-time Purdue supporter John Nine as Ersland and the hosts talk about what they’ve meant to the wrestling and Boilermaker communities. However in celebratory fashion, they’re able to close out the show with birthday wishes to Ersland’s twin sons, Jaxon and Mason, who are reveling in their gifts and cake for their 10th birthday.
The show welcomes the third and final member of Purdue wrestling’s graduating class of 2020 to the show as Nate Limmex joined head coach Tony Ersland and co-hosts Cory Palm and Tanner Lipsett for Episode 28.
Limmex was Ersland’s first commit after he became the Boilermakers’ head coach in June of 2015, and had a solid career at Purdue with 69 wins and a pair of trips to the NCAA Championships. An incredible leader and teammate, Limmex put together some unforgettable moments in his final season with the Boilermakers and definitely helped leave the program in a better place than when he arrived. His 2019-20 campaign featured a trio of Big Ten dual victories and not one, but two weight class jumps to fill in for his team.
In his final week of school at Purdue, he is set to graduate with his degree in chemical engineering and has a job lined up with Amway back in his hometown of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Limmex is a four-time Academic All-Big Ten pick and two-time NWCA Scholar All-American.
In addition to looking back at Limmex’s career and legacy with the Boilermakers, the group dives into the recent movement in post-graduate wrestlers around in the country. In the last year several wrestlers have left their alma maters to train at a different regional training center, and Ersland, Limmex and the hosts offer some different viewpoints and opinions on the trend.
Coach Tony Ersland and hosts Tanner Lipsett and Cory Palm talk about a busy off-season week with FIVE Boilermakers earning All-America honors from the National Wrestling Coaches Association. Seniors Dylan Lydy and Christian Brunner, junior Devin Schroder and freshman Kendall Coleman all earned First Team All-America, while junior Griffin Parriott was named Honorable Mention All-America. Ersland introduces the latest commit to the program from the great state of Minnesota, while Palm adds some impressive, internet-research background on the newest Boilermaker. The show also includes an update on the team and what they're doing in quarantine, in addition to an extended discussion of Coleman, who posted one of the top freshman seasons in program history.
Coach Tony Ersland and hosts Tanner Lipsett and Cory Palm catch up with a wide-ranging discussion this week, focusing on the current state of recruiting and how Coach Ersland and his staff have adjusted their approach to match with the current state of college athletics. They also discuss the newly debuted Boilermaker Rewind series which helps shine a light on several of the great moments the Boilermakers had this season as well as various other topics.
Senior Christian Brunner joins head coach Tony Ersland and hosts Tanner Lipsett and Cory Palm to talk about his wonderful career in West Lafayette, including a senior season that saw him climb to as high as #2 in the national polls after winning the prestigious Midlands Championships. Brunner talks about the culture in West Lafayette, why this team meant so much to him and his plans beyond this year, at Purdue and beyond. Coach Ersland also shares some fantastic information about the promotion of wrestling and the record-setting year the sport had on the Big Ten Network as well as other information he acquired this week during annual Big Ten Coaches meetings.
Assistant Director for Compliance Jacqueline McGill joins Coach Tony Ersland and hosts Tanner Lipsett and Cory Palm to talk about hot topics in college wrestling, including this week's big news from the NCAA regarding eligibility clock extensions for winter and spring sports. The crew also talks about how the Purdue team responded to the abrupt ending to the 2019-20 season as well as other general topics related to NCAA compliance. Coach Ersland also speaks briefly about a schedule proposal for the 2020-21 season that may take him back to his high school gym to take on one of the top programs in college wrestling history.
Coach Tony Ersland and senior Dylan Lydy join hosts Tanner Lipsett and Cory Palm to discuss the 2019-2020 season from Lydy's perspective and talk about the current state of collegiate wrestling. Lydy talks about his favorite moment from his senior season (hint it was NOT the moment when he won the CKLV Invitational or the Midlands Championships) and the guys discuss where Lydy goes from here as well as other current happenings in the wrestling world.
Head coach Tony Ersland discusses the major take-aways from the 2019-20 season including gratitude for all the support the program has received this year from fans, alumni and families of current and former student-athletes. A special thanks to everyone who's listened or watched the show this season, it's been incredible to create each week and share with you all.
Along with hosts Hunter Massingill and Tanner Lipsett, Ersland also talks about the historic successes of the season and the feeling of having it all come to an abrupt end. The Boilermakers put together one of the most outstanding campaigns in program history, both in dual and tournament formats, and made a variety of marks that will not soon be forgotten.
The guys also discuss what the future might look like and how the optimism generated this year can head continue the success in future seasons. The Boilermakers return at least six NCAA qualifiers in 2020-21, and welcome in one of the top recruiting classes in program history.
Coach Tony Ersland recaps the Big Ten Wrestling Championships and talks about how his team will approach next week's NCAA Championships in Minneapolis. Ersland and friends discuss the Boilermakers placing 5th at Big Ten's, the program's best finish in nearly 30 years.
They also talk about the program-record eight national qualifiers including Big Ten runners-up Devin Schroder and Kendall Coleman and third-place finisher Dylan Lydy. Ersland also discusses how he approaches the year-end championship event from a mental standpoint. NOTE: This podcast was taped prior to the release of the official brackets for the NCAA Championships.
Head Coach Tony Ersland comes back from his one-week hiatus an reclaims his show after B1G Coordinator of Officials Mike Hagerty sat in last week as the guest host. Coach Ersland and friends also discuss the Big Ten Championships, the importance of maintaining mental discipline and what he hopes for this weekend in New Jersey.
With Coach Ersland out of town on an NCAA committee, Hunter and Tanner welcome Big Ten Coordinator of Officials Mike Hagerty to the show. A veteran of the NCAA officiating scene, Hagerty takes the show behind the curtain of a variety of issues for the guys in the stripes, and talks about some of the challenges and opportunities he’s faced in his first year on the job.
A native of Blue Springs, Missouri, Hagerty talked a little bit about Purdue graduate assistant Daniel Lewis, whom Hagerty coached in high school and helped to four Missouri high school state titles before going on to become a four-time All-American for the Tigers.
Hagerty also goes into some of the details on how he’s preparing for next weekend’s Big Ten Championships at Rutgers, how officials are selected for matches and championship rounds and how he hopes to make this year’s conference tournament one to remember.
Purdue head coach Tony Ersland and friends discuss wrapping up the Big Ten Dual season with a HUGE road win at Illinois despite having a short-handed lineup to close out with a 12-5 overall dual record and a 5-4 mark in the Big Ten, Purdue's first winning conference record since 2013. The Boilermakers took 6-of-10 weights against the Fighting Illini, including ranked upsets at 141 and 184 pounds.
They also discuss the tenants of training in the lead-up to Championship season and a busy recruiting weekend when the coaching staff will be splitting time between the IHSA State Championships in Champaign and the IHSAA State Championships in Indianapolis. Ersland dives into some of the qualities he looks for in Boilermaker recruits, and they wish some good luck to a pair of future Purdue wrestlers who take the mat as a high school competitor for the final time this weekend.
Purdue head coach Tony Ersland and the crew talk about the importance of the college wrestling’s increased national TV and streaming exposure via the BTN and FloWrestling this year, and what it could mean for the sport moving forward. Ersland goes into his involvement with some NCAA committees, the proposals to transition wrestling to a one-semester sport and the potential of an NCAA Dual Championship.
The fellas also discuss the Boilermakers' dual against Nebraska last Friday night and preview this weekend's regular season finale at Illinois. They talk through the importance that the three-man senior class of Christian Brunner, Nate Limmex and Dylan Lydy has made in Purdue's rising national profile this season, and dive into everything the trio has accomplished and are yet to accomplish in 2020.
On Episode 16 of the Always Aggressive Podcast, Coach Ersland and the crew revisit outstanding weekends from a few different Boilermakers in their matches against #14 Minnesota and #9 Wisconsin, review a couple huge duals on the national landscape and peek ahead at Friday's dual against #6 Nebraska. Junior Devin Schroder, freshman Kendall Coleman and senior Dylan Lydy all went 2-0 for the Boilermakers, all showing off some different skills and scenarios in their respective matches, while sophomore Jared Florell picked up his first dual win of the year at 197 pounds. In addition, Purdue raised almost $2,700 for the Purdue Center for Cancer Research by auctioning Friday's special edition singlets.
On Episode 15, Coach Tony Ersland and friends talk about the Boilermakers winning road duals at Maryland and at #22 Rutgers, where Parker Filius scored a takedown in SV1 at 141 lbs. to clinch the team win, 20-18. The crew then previews upcoming Top Ten matchups with Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Four-time All-American Daniel Lewis joins the Always Aggressive Podcast on Episode 14 for a great conversation. Currently in his first year as a graduate assistant coach with the Boilermakers, Lewis joins head coach Tony Ersland to discuss the transition from competing to coaching, what he brings to the table and why he thinks several Boilermakers are primed for success this season.
Special guest Jason Bryant from the Mat Talk Online Podcast Network joins Coach Tony Ersland and the crew for a great conversation about the where the Purdue program is at the moment, why the future is bright and how important it is for the entire sport to continue to grow in interest and quality across the country.
Episode 12 of the Always Aggressive Podcast features in-depth analysis on the 2019 Midlands Championships where the Boilermakers had two champions for the first time in program history. Find out why Dylan Lydy and Christian Brunner were able to go the distance in dominating very strong fields at the showcase event.
Coach Tony Ersland and friends preview the dual with SIUE and give an early preview of Midlands.
Coach Tony Ersland and friends talk about results from the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational, including Dylan Lydy's run to the title at 174 lbs.
Coach Tony Ersland and friends discuss the upcoming Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invite as well as best holiday foods and favorite things about the annual pilgrimage to Vegas.
Catch up on the Boilermakers after the home opening Boilermaker Duals and take a good look at nutrition with team dietitian Elaine Wanstreet.
Coach Ersland and friends talk about positive results at North Dakota State and preview this weekend's home opener, the Boilermaker Duals.
Head coach Tony Ersland and volunteer assistant Leroy Vega join hosts Hunter Massingill and Tanner Lipsett to talk about 2019 Signing Day, Journeymen Duals results and an upcoming trip to North Dakota.
MSU Results, previewing the Journeyman Duals and some real nonsense with Coach Ersland and assistant coach Jake Sueflohn joins hosts Hunter Massingill and Tanner Lipsett.
Coach Tony Ersland is joined by top assistant AJ Schopp, and hosts Hunter Massingill and Tanner Lipsett this week to talk about wrestle-offs, the upcoming MSU Open and a couple of guys they are REALLY excited to see crank it up this season.
Coach Tony Ersland and friends talk about team bonding with full-contact paintball battles and preview this weekend's wrestle-offs.
Coach Tony Ersland, director of ops Tanner Lipsett and host Hunter Massingill talk about the first week of practice, Super 32 results and additions to the coaching staff.
Coach Tony Ersland, director of operations Tanner Lipsett and host Hunter Massingill talk about the beginning of the 2019-20 season.