Kerry McCoy ready for new challenge after taking over program at Maryland

Kerry McCoy is widely regarded as one of the top heavyweight wrestlers this country has seen.

McCoy won a pair of NCAA titles for Penn State before going on to become a two-time Olympian in freestyle wrestling. He earned a silver medal at the 2003 World Championships.

McCoy spent the past three years as the head coach at Stanford, leading the team to a top-20 finish with a pair of All-American finishers at the 2008 NCAA Championships in St. Louis.

McCoy left Stanford to take over as the head coach at the University of Maryland this past spring.

McCoy served as an Olympic Freestyle Team Coach for the United States at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. He also was a member of the coaching staff for the 2006 and 2007 U.S. Freestyle World Team.

McCoy shared some of his views and philosophies during a recent interview with USA Wrestling.

How is everything going so far at Maryland? How has the transition gone?

Everything is going well. My family is settling in and that's the most important thing. The team is great. We are finishing up our preseason conditioning and they have been working very hard and looking good.

What led to your decision to leave Stanford for Maryland?

The main factor was to be closer to family. With a new baby, it was going to be tough for us to be so far away. We were ready to make it work, but when the opportunity to move back East presented itself we had to consider it. Once we began looking into the idea, we realized it would also be a good move professionally. I was very fortunate to have great support at Stanford, which allowed the program to be successful.

At Maryland, the support was just as good if not better and the foundation Coach Santoro built set the program up to be a national power. So it was a perfect opportunity to do something good for my family and my career at the same time.

How much potential does the program have at Maryland?

I believe the program has a huge amount of potential. It's located in a great area. We can attract kids for all over the country. The athletic department fully supports the program. The alums and fans are great. We have a great coaching staff. Most importantly, the guys on the team want to be the best and are willing to do the work to get there. With all of those things in place we are going to be very successful.

You have one of the nation's top wrestlers in All-American Hudson Taylor. What are your impressions of him?

Hudson is a great person on top of being a great wrestler. He really has not reached his full potential as a wrestler, which is kind of scary. The best thing about Hudson is that he has had to work for almost everything he has. He has not received many "free passes" in his life so it makes him a very strong person and he has a special appreciation for living life to its fullest.

Who are some of the other top wrestlers on your team and what are your expectations for the upcoming season?

It's still early so its hard to say who is going to "be the man" in some weights. We have five returning conference champs and six returning NCAA qualifiers. Mike Letts is a two-time conference champ and won a bronze medal at the FILA Junior Worlds this summer. He is primed to get on the NCAA podium. Hudson Taylor, Steve Bell, Jon Kohler and Brian Letters are the other conference champs returning. Eric Medina and Alex Krom are NCAA qualifiers, and have the potential to do great things. We also have guys like Brendan Byrne, Kyle John, Charles Golden and Pat Gilmore, who have put in a lot of work over the summer and should have a significant impact on the success of the team.

You were one of the top wrestlers in the World during your career. How different is it being on the other side as a coach now?

It's a little different, but you have to remember that I coached through my competitive career so there was not much of an adjustment. The biggest difference is as a coach only, when I am in the room with the guys, I can allow myself to try different things for their benefit. I do not have to wrestle "my style" all the time because the focus is on their development not mine. The other big difference is the fact that I have less control over the outcome of competition. As an athlete, I hold my fate but as a coach I have to watch and it can be pretty stressful at times.

You look like you could still compete, but maybe at a lower weight class now. How much do you weigh now compared to when you competed? How much do you still train and work out?

I walk around between 225 and 230, which is about how much I weighed through the last couple of years in college. A year or so after I graduated, I made a serious commitment to lifting weights and eating. I peaked at about 262 in 2000, and competed between 245 and 255 through 2004. Once I finished competing, there was no need to lift or eat as much so I returned to my natural body weight. I still wrestle with the guys at least 2-3 times a week and I will do pull ups and push up every now and then. I will do a little cardio here and there also, but I rarely go in the weight room. I always tell myself I need to start lifting again, but I have not made it a regular thing yet.

You have served as an Olympic and World Team coach for the United States. What was that experience like and what did you learn?

I am very honored to have been able to serve in those roles. I want the U.S. to be the best wrestling nation in the World and will do anything to make that happen. I have learned a lot from the other coaches. Kevin Jackson and I competed together, he coached me and I learned a lot from him. Same goes for Terry Brands. We were on the Olympic Team together and it was great to work with him as well. He represented a different perspective. That is important in coaching because you want to have as much input possible when you make decisions. I was also able to work with and learn from greats like Lee Kemp, Zeke Jones, Tom Brands, Bobby Douglas, Melvin Douglas, Donnie McPherson, Terry Steiner, Steve Fraser and Lou Rosselli.

What steps does the U.S. freestyle program need to take to improve internationally?

I believe the biggest component to success is personal accountability. The athletes have to take responsibility for their preparation and performance. All coaches, not just USA Wrestling coaches, need to make a commitment to helping the U.S. get better. The organization needs to explore some new strategies for supporting the athletes. Ultimately, it's the responsibility of every wrestling person in this country to get involved to help USA become the best nation in the World.