Kansas Wrestling Forums General Discussion High School Help Newman University

Recently our head coach resigned. As of right now we don't have a practice room but have been promised an area and a small amount of money for construction to actually make it a practice room. As most of you know the Heartland D2 conference does not have wrestling. Also due to not having a practice room our recruiting numbers aren't very high. So at Newman we have big problems. I'm hoping someone in the wrestling community, maybe even better someone that might be interested in the head coaching job could go in ASAP and make some promises to the university that they would recruit real hard or whatever they need to hear so that we have a team next year.

Something I forgot was that we have a new AD and he has also put in his letter of resignation but is still serving til August.I know the Athletic Director is having meetings today to discuss our program.

My information is the best to my knowledge. I know I shouldn't have been the one to do this and this probably wasn't the best way to do it.

Relax and do not panic. This morning I spoke with current athletic director Randy Smith about the future of Newman University Wrestling. He assured me that he saw no need to be concerned about the future of wrestling at Newman University. He also indicated that a promotion had already been made and that Assistant Coach Ryan Smith had been hired as the Interim Wrestling Coach for the 2008-09 school year. He then indicated that they will look for a permanent coach at the end of the season in 2009.

DII wrestling will remain in Wichita and in Kansas at Newman University. I now challenge all of us Kansan's that if we are that concerned about it, that it will be time to show support by attending Newman Wrestling Events, buying Newman Wrestling Gear, and donating money to Newman University in any amount to help this program build a great facility and have the necessities to compete at the High DII level.

Have a great week and looking forward to getting to Fargo, ND for Cadet/Junior National Championships with TEAM KANSAS!!!!

Coach Church

Newman University Wrestling Undergoes Change in Coaching Staff

Contact: Kelly Snedden
Director, Communications
Phone: 316-942-4291, ext. 2164
Written by Ken Arnold

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2, 2008

Ryan Smith Replaces Mark Stovall as Head Coach

Newman University Wrestling Undergoes Change in Coaching Staff

Wichita, Kan. – Newman University officials announced today that Head Wrestling Coach Mark Stovall has resigned to take a position with the Heartspring School in Wichita for special needs children. Newman Assistant Wrestling Coach Ryan Smith has been promoted to the head coaching position on a one-year interim basis. The change in coaching leadership is effective immediately.

“Mark has done an excellent job and has built a very successful wrestling program here at Newman, so naturally we are sorry to see him go,” said Newman Director of Athletics Randy Smith. “But, he has decided to pursue another area of interest, and we wish him the best in his new endeavor.”

“This opportunity was offered to me and I think it’s the direction I need to take in my life right now,” Stovall said. “I’m leaving with mixed emotions. I’ve learned a lot about college athletics at Newman University. I want to thank everybody that helped me during the four years I was here. I will miss my athletes with all my heart, and I wish the best to them and all Newman student-athletes.”

Stovall earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Newman in 1997. Following a successful coaching career in Texas, Oklahoma and Wichita, he returned to Newman in 2004 to help launch the university’s wrestling program. During his tenure, 47 wrestlers qualified for national tournaments and 14 gained All-American status. Newman also produced two national champions, Curtis Chenoweth in 2006 and Josh Fansler in 2008, and secured a runner-up finish at this year’s National Collegiate Wrestling Association (NCWA) National Championships.

Randy Smith said Ryan Smith (the two are not related) was offered the top coaching position because of his experience with Newman wrestling and the overall success of the program.

“If you’re happy with the direction of the program you promote from within instead of going outside,” Randy Smith said. “We’re very happy with the program and the condition Mark is leaving it in, and I am impressed with Ryan’s passion for Newman wrestling and his commitment to the program. I think it’s a great opportunity for him and that he’ll do an outstanding job next year.”

Ryan Smith said he opted to accept the position on a one-year interim basis then return to his assistant coach role because he plans to pursue a long-term career in business. Smith earned a bachelor’s degree in business management from Newman in 2005, and a master’s of business administration (MBA) degree from Newman this spring. He works for C.E. Machine in Wichita as a program manager. Before coming to Newman he wrestled for Labette Community College, from which he graduated in 2003 with associate degrees in accounting and business administration. After one year at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D., he returned to Newman for his final season of collegiate wrestling when the Newman program began. He has worked part-time as assistant wrestling coach at Newman since graduating in 2005.

“We’re going to keep moving in the same direction the program has been going,” he said. “I’ve been with the program since it started, both as a wrestler and as a coach, and I’ve learned a lot from working with Mark. He has a great love for the sport. I look forward to the guys who are returning from last season, and I hope we can fill some empty spots in the next six weeks to build a team that wants to work and be successful.”

Newman University is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Division II. Newman is the only private university in the state of Kansas that is a member of the NCAA. Newman teams compete in the Heartland Conference, an NCAA Division II conference founded in 1999 that currently consists of nine schools: six from Texas, and one each from Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Newman fields NCAA intercollegiate teams in both men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, golf, soccer and tennis, as well as baseball, softball and women’s volleyball. Newman also offers men’s wrestling, which competes as an NCAA independent, and men’s and women’s bowling, which compete in intercollegiate conferences.


Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2008 (Archive on Thursday, July 02, 2009)
Posted by admin_rasicoc Contributed by admin_rasicoc