Joe Boardwine Interview with ohiowrestlingsite.com

(above): Look for Joe Boardwine to build the Campbell University program to national prominence quickly.

Approximately one year ago at this time, Joe Boardwine was taking the reigns from legendary Walsh Coach Bill Barger (see http://www.ohiowrestlingsite.com/articles/article107.php).  At the time, Boardwine came in with great expectations based on his accomplishments over the past decade as a coach at CVCA and more recently at Aurora.  Now, quite unexpectedly, Boardwine has received an offer to become the Head Coach of Campbell University, a Division I school in North Carolina. With mixed feelings, Coach Boardwine has decided to accept the offer and step down as Head Coach of Walsh Jesuit. 

It would seem that Ohio’s loss is the North Carolina wrestling community’s gain.  Coach Boardwine has been not only an outstanding coach, and before that an outstanding competitor, but also a friend to all in the Ohio wrestling community, a true ambassasador of the sport.  However, that said, Boardwine’s Ohio connections could ensure that he opens new doors for Ohio wrestlers in terms of providing a great new scholarship opportunity for wrestlers in this state.

Ohio Wrestling Site caught up with Coach Boardwine shortly after he accepted this offer and talked to him about both his new position and the state of the vaunted Walsh Jesuit Warrior program.

Ohio Wrestling Site: Congratulations on the new position Coach Boardwine!
Joe Boardwine: Thanks! I’m excited about it.

OWS:  Let’s talk about Campbell University a little bit.  What can you tell us about Campbell?
BOARDWINE: Well the first thing I think about Campbell is that this is a school that as people read this they are thinking… Where? What’s Campbell?  It’s a school that nobody has thought of because it’s down in North Carollina, and up to a year ago they didn’t have the commitment necessary to be successful at the Division I level. That has changed in the past year with the commitment to brand new facilitites, new levels of scholarship funding, and new leadership. Basically it’s almost like a new program!

OWS: Yes I understand that Campbell has made a major financial commitment to the wrestling program by upgrading the facilities.  What can you tell us about that?
BOARDWINE: Yeah, I tell u I didn’t know what to expect when I went down there for the interview.  However, the new facilities are top of the line! The new wrestling room where the wrestlers are going to be trained is huge, spacious enough for about three mats and located in the brand new convocation center.  There is a brand new weight room with state of the art equipment.  Nice new locker rooms with widescreen TV’s.  A coaches’ office with a nice new video review room.  Basically it’s everything that you would need to become an NCAA Champion or All-American. I can’t stress enough, it’s basically like it’s a brand new program.

OWS: Where exactly is Campbell located in North Carolina? Is that more inland or near the ocean?

(above): This location within the city of Raleigh is just one of many reasons to consider Campbell University.

BOARDWINE: Campbell is located about 75 miles from the beach or the outer banks.  It’s in the Raleigh Era.  Raleigh is a very cool place.  It’s one of the fastest growing economies in America, it’s a real wide mix of people with many northerners moving in for job opportunites.  As we see a lot of the old “rust belt” economies shrinking unfortunately-  like Cleveland and many other Ohio cities, Raleigh is booming and thriving and people are moving there rather than leaving- there is a great energy about the city.  It’s young and vibrant is the best way I can describe it.

(above): Campbell is located near many beautiful beach venues such as this one.

OWS: Sounds like a great place, I have heard nothing but great things!  Now- of course Campbell has obviously not been noted as a wrestling power in years’ past, to put it mildly.  Can you tell us how you plan to build the program?
BOARDWINE:  Well. I put together basically an institution-specific plan. 

First, the athletes.  Nobody has ever really recruited at Campbell, or at least recruited hard nationally-speaking. So we are going to change that. We are going to turn up the volume on recruiting in a huge way, double or triple the work in that area.  But also we are going to be looking for kids who want that lifestyle…not for wrestling to last 2-3 months, but instead ready to make a year-round commitment. That’/s what it takes to succeed at the Division I level.  With recruiting, I intend to refruit the top kids in that region- states like Georgia, Florida, South Carolina- but even more, we’re going to go after Ohio really hard due to my background and personal relationships in the state.  Also the Leigh Valley…I lived there for three years and I have a lot of contacts there as well.

Second, visibility- getting the name Campbell out there in the wrestling community is going to be a big key. One example, we are going to wrestle Ohio State in the very near future, just to increase our name recognition.  I hope we can set the attendance record for that dual!  That’s just one example.  They’ve never had summer camps, so we are going to try to put that in place, a full camp system and a year-round club.  You’re going to see our new recruits and current wrestlers wrestling at big tournaments like the University Nationals. 

OWS: So you recruit heavily in Ohio?  Why should Ohio wrestlers consider Campbell?

BOARDWINE:
I can’t emphasize how hard we are going to recruit Ohio. I think that anyone who is reading this, thinking that they might want the opportunity to wrestle in college at the Division I level and get out the cold, all I can say is, call me!

OWS: Coach Boardwine, it surely must have been a difficult decision to leave Walsh.  A year ago you came in with some very high expectations based on your previous track record of talent development. What were the key factors in your decision?

BOARDWINE: That’s a tough question.  I think ultimately, the key factor is that at Walsh I was really volunteering my time,  and I’m definitely ok with that, but this was an opportunity to truly make wrestling my career, to put all of my effort into something that I love.  I really considered staying at Walsh and growing a camp system because I felt then and still feel so strongly that Walsh is on its way to becoming one of the top programs in the country again.  But at the end of the day, the opportunity to move into coaching as a profession, and the opportunities to be so involved with wrestling while not having to scramble to make ends meet was too much to pass up.  Also, if you follow college wrestling you know that there are not many opportunities to go from the high school level to a head college coach, it’s a very rare thing so it’s not likely the opportunity would come along again.

With my work, I was traveling so much, it was becoming a little tenuous doing both, I think they would have preferred me not to coach.  When I really searched my heart, coaching was what I really wanted to do for the rest of my career. So then it became “do you really want to stay at Walsh and struggle to do both, or do you commit completely to what you love and truly want to do?” So when this opportunity came along it was really hard to pass up.  I think anyone who has coached will understand exactly what I am saying.

OWS: That makes a lot of sense, I am sure all respect and understand your decision though they may be disappointed to see you leave.  Is there an heir apparent in place yet at Walsh Jesuit?

BOARDWINE:  I will tell you that all of our coaching staff is back from next year.  That includes Danny Hanson, Jeff Black- whose been there like 17 years- Fred Daugherty, Bill Barger, Mark Skonieczny, also there are two hungry young coaches in their 20’s who are friends of mine- Robert Blunk and Bob Curley. But the big news is that we are 95% of the way to signing a deal to bring back Josh Zupanic to Walsh Jesuit where he will be not only a coach but also as a part-time history teacher.  I think that’s great, Josh is not only one of the most decorated wrestlers to come through  the North Akron and Walsh programs (four-time high school state finalist and 2x NCAA All-American) but also one of the most decorated academians ever- a graduate of Stanford, Masters at Oklahoma, two years college coaching experience.  And of course Coach Barger still works in the school.  Bill is there every day and is really the glue that holds the program together.

(above): Joe Boardwine coaching 3x state champion Ty Mitch of Aurora at the state tournament along with Aurora Head Coach Dick Bliss.

OWS: No doubt about that! Now, the cupboard isn’t exactly bare at Walsh Jesuit next year or in the years to follow. I understand that in addition to two of Ohio’s best in DiJulius and Nate Skonieczny, and state qualifier Novak, and state alternates Nick Skonieczny and Anthony Melchiorre- you have quite a group of newcomers joining the team next year.  What can you tell us about that?

BOARDWINE:  Yeah, there’s some great kids coming to Walsh, not only great wrestlers but great kids from high-quality families.  I’ll tell you a little bit about them.  At 103 you’ve got Anthony Tutalo- a junior high state placer- I think he’s going to do really well. Probably the real blue chipper is Mike Kostandaros, who was 2nd at Junior High States as a 7th grader (Admin Note: Did not compete at Junior High States due to injury last year).

Other outstanding young wrestlers coming in are Roman Bell, who is a former Youth State Champion, Josh Leemaster who just missed placing at Junior High States a couple of times (Admin Note: son of former Walsh Jesuit great Dan Leemaster), Nolan Whitely is a great kid that we expect big things from. There are a couple of other possibilities I don’t want to mention yet until they are official.  Basically we have a whole slew of junior high state placers and qualifiers, and they are going to be really good.

OWS: And I understand that you have some more high profile additions to the program?

BOARDWINE: Yes we do, Cory Stainbrook (formerly of Streetsboro) is coming in at 112, of course last year he was a state runner-up at 103.  The other big one is Adam Bicek, a two-time small division state champion from West Virginia at 171.  His father is from Stow originally and now he’s coming back. Bicek is a great kid and a great student.
 
OWS: Well it sounds like a lineup that could easily produce two or three state champions and maybe seven or eight placers, or if everything goes right, perhaps even more.

BOARDWINE:  Yeah, well I don’t know that its enough to unseat the goliath (Admin Note: that would be Graham) but it’s a pretty darn good team.  A lot of people will compete at a high level at nearly every weight up and down the lineup, rather than just a handful.  For the first time in MANY years you are going to have kids on that second team that are going to be future state placers.   I feel 100% confident that the program is moving in the right direction.  And that said, I especially want to emphasize how thankful I am to Bill Barger for the opportunity  to get back into coaching, and how cool he was about me accepting this opportunity at Campbell.  I mention this because he kind of hand- picked me, so for me to have that conversation a year later….man that was not an easy thing to do. But Bill was just like “man, if I was your age I’d take that opportunity too”, and he just encouraged me rather than being upset. It says a lot about the kind of guy he is.

OWS: Coach Boardwine, thanks for taking the time to talk and best of luck at Campbell!

BOARDWINE:  Thank You!

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