ASU coach Thom Ortiz: Reinstatement of program like winning the lottery
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by Craig Sesker
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Thom Ortiz's cell phone rang at around 3 p.m. Mountain Time on Friday.
The caller on the other end, Arizona State athletic director Lisa Love, quickly broke the news.
She was reinstating the wrestling program at Arizona State University.
Ten days after Love announced the Sun Devil wrestling program was being dropped, ASU brought wrestling back after receiving financial support from local civic leadership.
"Actually, I was real calm when Lisa Love called and I said 'Thank you very much,'" said Ortiz, ASU's head coach. "I just had to kind of take it all in at first. It was like we had just won the lottery. It seemed like it was too good to be true.
"I was very calm and Lisa asked me, 'You don't seem very excited.' I was just trying to compose myself and count my blessings. In the face of death, my dad always told me to smile. But when you get something like this you have to count your blessings and be thankful and grateful."
Ortiz, who was at the U.S. Olympic Training Center watching his wrestlers compete at the FILA Junior and World University Trials, learned ASU was dropping wrestling on May 13. Love also announced men's swimming and men's tennis were being dropped.
Ortiz was asked what the last 10 days have been like.
"I don't think it's been as difficult as people think because we've focused on the process of getting this program reinstated," Ortiz said. "I didn't realize it's been 10 days already - I don't even know what day it is right now. Every day is the same when things like this occur. We just focused on being positive. I really believed this whole time we were going to reinstate this program."
Ortiz credited Love for her recent decision.
"I am thankful Lisa Love is our A.D., and she showed a lot of guts in reinstating this program," Ortiz said. "She showed what she's made of. She took a lot of unnecessary flak, but that's the past. She's not vindictive in any way. She likes progress and she wants to move forward."
Ortiz was busy calling members of his team late Friday afternoon during the tournament in Colorado Springs.
"Our guys are very excited and very elated," Ortiz said. "We have a good young group. We're going to be strong and I think we can have a great team."
One of Ortiz's recruits, heavyweight Erik Nye, won a World University Team Trials title in Greco-Roman on Friday.
"I talked to Erik and told him we were reinstated," Ortiz said. "I said, 'Are you still coming?' and he said, 'Absolutely.' That was great to here.
The caller on the other end, Arizona State athletic director Lisa Love, quickly broke the news.
She was reinstating the wrestling program at Arizona State University.
Ten days after Love announced the Sun Devil wrestling program was being dropped, ASU brought wrestling back after receiving financial support from local civic leadership.
"Actually, I was real calm when Lisa Love called and I said 'Thank you very much,'" said Ortiz, ASU's head coach. "I just had to kind of take it all in at first. It was like we had just won the lottery. It seemed like it was too good to be true.
"I was very calm and Lisa asked me, 'You don't seem very excited.' I was just trying to compose myself and count my blessings. In the face of death, my dad always told me to smile. But when you get something like this you have to count your blessings and be thankful and grateful."
Ortiz, who was at the U.S. Olympic Training Center watching his wrestlers compete at the FILA Junior and World University Trials, learned ASU was dropping wrestling on May 13. Love also announced men's swimming and men's tennis were being dropped.
Ortiz was asked what the last 10 days have been like.
"I don't think it's been as difficult as people think because we've focused on the process of getting this program reinstated," Ortiz said. "I didn't realize it's been 10 days already - I don't even know what day it is right now. Every day is the same when things like this occur. We just focused on being positive. I really believed this whole time we were going to reinstate this program."
Ortiz credited Love for her recent decision.
"I am thankful Lisa Love is our A.D., and she showed a lot of guts in reinstating this program," Ortiz said. "She showed what she's made of. She took a lot of unnecessary flak, but that's the past. She's not vindictive in any way. She likes progress and she wants to move forward."
Ortiz was busy calling members of his team late Friday afternoon during the tournament in Colorado Springs.
"Our guys are very excited and very elated," Ortiz said. "We have a good young group. We're going to be strong and I think we can have a great team."
One of Ortiz's recruits, heavyweight Erik Nye, won a World University Team Trials title in Greco-Roman on Friday.
"I talked to Erik and told him we were reinstated," Ortiz said. "I said, 'Are you still coming?' and he said, 'Absolutely.' That was great to here.
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