Badgering: Barry Davis
February 21, 2017 | Wrestling, Andy Baggot
Wisconsin’s wrestling head coach shares his favorite moment as a coach, what he looks for in recruits and the best advice he’s ever received
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BY ANDY BAGGOT
UWBadgers.com Insider
MADISON, Wis. — Barry Davis has been associated with the Wisconsin wrestling program since 1993, making him the longest tenured coach at the UW. His 18th-ranked team is fresh off closing out its dual meet season with a 19-17 victory over No. 14 Central Michigan. The Badgers (7-5) now brace for the most meaningful part of the season: The Big Ten Conference meet and NCAA championships. Davis has a very young squad, but it's led by two seniors capable of winning national titles in Isaac Jordan at 165 pounds and heavyweight Connor Medbery. Davis is a former Olympic silver medalist who won three national titles and left Iowa as the winningest wrestler in program history. He interrupted a recent video review to take a few questions, shining a light on his favorite moment as a Wisconsin coach, what he looks for in a recruit and the best advice he's ever received.
What's the most challenging aspect of coaching for you right now?
"Finding the right buttons to push with these athletes. The thing is, now you have things — things they didn't have — and it's getting bigger and that's social media. You have to get them to understand this: If you have dozens of followers (on Twitter or Instagram), if you have a Facebook account of 2,000, if you have an iPhone 7 or whatever, it doesn't score you any more points in a wrestling match. … It's about performing in your sport. Not about followers or iPhones or things you have."
This sounds like a dilemma for you. Is it?
"It's not. As I've gone through coaching things have changed and there are things we didn't have before. You've got more things to deal with. That's just the job nowadays."
What's the biggest misperception about your job?
"There's probably more than one, but some would say that wrestlers are all blue-collar people. We're not. We've got guys being doctors and guys going into business and guys doing very, very well. We've got smart kids."
What a way to end the regular season!
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) February 19, 2017
When the National Anthem plays before a match, what do you do? Do you sing, hum, what?
"I put my hand over my heart and think about how great our country is and that many people paid the price to allow me to do what I'm doing now."
What's the worst injury you ever dealt with?
"Never injured in college. Never been injured. I had a hip replacement, but I don't call that an injury. I call that wear-and-tear."
Who's the best wrestler you've ever seen in action?
"It would be a Russian, either Sergei Beloglozov — a guy I competed against — or Arsen Fadzayev, who I wrestled once in the world junior finals."
What made them so good?
"They understood the sport of wrestling and how to attack different people in different ways."
What's your favorite moment as a Wisconsin coach?
"There's been a lot of them. Pretty much every day's a favorite moment because I'm doing what I love to do. My favorite moment is probably this: Every year, when Coach (UW Director of Athletics Barry) Alvarez sends me a contract renewal. That's Coach Alvarez saying, 'We'd love to have you back.' I appreciate it. My favorite moment is when he says, 'Let's have a meeting. Let's have a review. Let's put that extra year on your contract.' That's my favorite moment."
Do you have a favorite item of memorabilia?
"I'm not too much into that."
What's the first thing you notice about a prospect you're recruiting?
"How they interact with their parents. I look for that. If there's respect there and eye contact, for both them and me."
What's the best coaching advice you've received?
"(Former Iowa wrestling coach) Dan Gable always said to take time, an hour a day, just for yourself. You need that time — whether you work out or something else — to think. So take an hour a day to get away and let your mind think. We can analyze things better that way."
Why is the Big Ten so dominant in wrestling?
"It's a Midwest sport. I think of Midwest people being people with a strong work ethic, strong values. Look at the Big Ten. It's mostly Midwest people and mostly Midwest schools."
Is it deeper than when you competed?
"A lot deeper. Team-wise and individually."
You were part of a dynasty at Iowa. Do you think we'll see that again in Big Ten and NCAA wrestling?
"Not at that level, I don't think, can one team be that dominant. Teams are more spread out now. Now everybody has 9.9 scholarships. Back then it wasn't the same because more scholarships were available. Some schools didn't have that many and some did."
What's the best thing to happen to you this season?
"I'd say being here when (senior All-America heavyweight) Connor Medbery came back here following an Olympic redshirt because we got a leader back and we got an individual back that had a chance to spend time in Rio and the Olympics. I think every team needs a great leader because we have a very young team. When he got back, that was exciting to me because I know what he's about and what he wants to do."
Beyond thankful for everything that this senior class has done. #ForTheW
— Wisconsin Basketball (@BadgerMBB) February 20, 2017
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