Associate head coach Derek St. John and Iowa State’s inaugural women’s head coach Alli St. John sit down on the Full Tilt Podcast to talk about building a D1 wrestling powerhouse on both the men’s and women’s sides.

They dive into Alli’s journey from three-sport Illinois athlete to world silver medalist and trailblazing college coach, Derek’s path from Iowa state champ to NCAA champion and top-tier D1 coach, and how the Iowa State Regional Training Center is developing future world and Olympic medalists.

From the explosion of girls’ wrestling at Fargo, to recruiting entire wrestling families, to the lasting impact of legends like Terry Steiner, Nate Carr, and the late Mark Ryland, this episode is a deep look at where wrestling is right now—and where it’s going.

Timed highlights:
00:00 – Opening ad read: Hatch and Custom Community, Full Tilt intro, and setting up the “power couple” episode
03:10 – Alli and Derek’s roles at Iowa State and Derek’s recent Glen Brand Hall of Fame induction
08:20 – How the Iowa State women’s wrestling program came to life after gymnastics was dropped
12:45 – Women’s wrestling boom at Fargo and how the depth and level have exploded
18:05 – Alli’s path: three-sport athlete in Carbondale, IL, wrestling mostly boys, and qualifying for boys’ state
24:30 – Choosing King University over Oklahoma City, building a powerhouse team with future world and Olympic medalists
30:40 – WCWA explained and how the women’s college landscape has evolved into NAIA and NCAA divisions
36:00 – What it felt like wrestling in boys’ brackets with future stars like Tony Ramos, Ellis Coleman, and Zain Richards
43:10 – Transitioning to freestyle and the importance of getting girls international experience early
48:20 – Inside Japanese women’s wrestling: militant training, technical perfection, and why they dominate
55:00 – Alli’s Team USA years, training under Terry Steiner, and learning to coach every type of athlete
01:02:15 – How Alli and Derek met during COVID, long-distance while she was at HWC/Sunkist, and moving to Ames
01:08:40 – Building Iowa State women’s wrestling: fundraising, donor relations, and being “director of event management”
01:15:00 – Adding women’s wrestling vs. women’s flag football, and what it means for the sport in Iowa
01:21:30 – Recruiting, culture, and stealing staff from William Penn; why they’re excited about athletes like Piper Fowler
01:28:10 – RTC vision: men and women training together, building a unified CRTC to chase world and Olympic medals
01:35:00 – Brother–sister recruiting, families getting “one stop shop,” and how that changes the sales pitch
01:40:30 – The Carr legacy: Nate’s mentality, David’s selflessness in the room, and their impact on Iowa State
01:47:25 – Derek’s high school days at Iowa City West, powerhouse teams, and rivalry with Waverly-Shell Rock and City High
01:53:40 – Remembering coach Mark Ryland and the Ryland family’s impact on Derek’s life and career
01:58:30 – Walking into the Iowa room as a freshman: getting thrown to the wolves and learning from guys like Metcalf and Borschel
02:05:00 – Toughest college opponents: breaking down what made Kyle Dake and David Taylor so hard to wrestle
02:11:20 – How Tom Brands nudged Derek into coaching, early success at North Dakota State, and then Virginia Tech
02:18:00 – The wild transition when Dresser left for Iowa State mid-season and why Derek chose to follow later
02:24:15 – Growing the crowd in Ames, dual meet atmosphere, and why Iowa State is built for big-time wrestling
02:29:30 – Final reflections on growth of women’s wrestling, saving men’s programs, and what’s next for Iowa State

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Appalachian State head coach JohnMark Bentley joins Hatch on the Full Tilt Podcast to pull back the curtain on one of the most overachieving programs in Division I wrestling. From running one of the largest team camps in the country to funding staff and facilities through camp revenue, Bentley explains how a “small” program competes with the big boys year after year.

He shares his unconventional start in wrestling as a sixth-grade workout partner, his days battling at North Carolina and Oklahoma State, and the hard lessons that shaped his coaching philosophy. Bentley also talks about recruiting under-the-radar kids, navigating NIL and the transfer portal as a mid-major, rebuilding after Hurricane Helene, and the emotional challenge of coaching his own son.

If you care about wrestling culture, blue-collar development, and doing more with less, this is a masterclass in building and sustaining a winning program.

Timed highlights:
0:00 Intro and Custom Community read
2:00 How App State built one of the largest wrestling team camps in the country
7:40 Using camp revenue to fund assistants, travel, facilities, and program growth
14:05 Structure, organization, and why coaches keep coming back every summer
19:30 Relationship-building with high school coaches and why it matters in recruiting and camps
25:10 JohnMark’s unlikely start in wrestling as a sixth-grade workout partner
33:00 Growing up in rural North Carolina and becoming a four-time undefeated state champ
42:15 First trips to national events, Fargo, and the legendary Iowa intensive camp
51:20 Wrestling at North Carolina, Midlands stories, and the influence of T.J. Jaworski
1:01:00 Transfer to Oklahoma State, injuries, and the gap between expectations and reality
1:10:25 Early coaching at Davidson and the grind of making it work financially
1:16:40 Building App State: Blevins, Trotman, and finally getting over the All-American hump
1:27:30 Recruiting “non-traditional” states and finding tough, under-the-radar kids
1:36:00 Culture, core beliefs, and why delayed gratification drives the program
1:44:30 The transfer portal, NIL, and how a mid-major survives in the new era
1:53:20 Scheduling bigger programs and the problem with top teams ducking big matchups
2:01:40 Building a rabid fan base and grassroots youth efforts in Boone
2:09:00 Hurricane Helene, flooding, losing the wrestling room and locker room, and rebuilding
2:17:40 Coaching his son Luke: the 20-minute rule, dad vs coach, and long-term perspective
2:27:10 Legacy, what JohnMark wants people to say about him, and golf with recruits

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Two-time NCAA champion and wrestling innovator Carl Adams joins the Full Tilt Podcast to share his journey from tough Long Island roots to Iowa State legend, world-level freestyle contender, and pioneering equipment designer. Carl breaks down how work ethic, family, and fearless competition shaped his career, what it was really like wrestling Dan Gable, and how the Adam machine changed wrestling rooms across the country.

Timed Highlights:
0:00 Cold open: Hatch and Custom Community intro
0:49 Meet Carl Adams: Innovator and retired coach who never left the sport
3:01 Discovering wrestling after a trip to Madison Square Garden
5:22 Dominating junior high and high school, New York state champion
6:41 High school rivalries, packed duals, and the influence of Coach Campo
9:22 Hard work at home: potatoes, landscaping, and learning toughness
12:41 The dream that became the Adam machine
15:21 Iowa State, Nichols Wrestling Products, and early innovation
18:01 Why takedowns and repetition drove the Adam concept
21:06 Constantly improving the Adam machine and going worldwide
23:06 Coach Campo’s impact and arriving at Iowa State “already there”
35:25 Inside the old Big Eight: brutal conference, national titles, and the “Big 8 jinx”
41:11 First time wrestling Dan Gable and learning what true toughness is
48:52 How Gable changed the entire world of wrestling
52:47 Wrestling for Harold Nichols and the power of recruiting
54:58 Winning NCAA titles and beating Stan Dziedzic in the finals
1:03:24 Bobby Douglas as mentor and how he reshaped Carl’s takedown game
1:04:31 Building camps, writing books, and teaching 20,000 wrestlers
1:12:18 Beating Wade Schalles five times and the importance of speed
1:18:25 Gable as the most influential figure in Carl’s wrestling life
1:20:50 How Carl Adams stacks up against today’s stars
1:23:52 Mental toughness of Dake, Burroughs, Taylor, Snyder and the new generation

If you enjoy this episode, hit subscribe, drop a comment with your favorite story, and tell us which wrestling legend you want to hear from next! www.thefulltiltpodcast.com

If you enjoy this episode, hit subscribe, drop a comment with your favorite story, and tell us which wrestling legend you want to hear from next!

www.thefulltiltpodcast.com

Produced by: ItsYourShow.co