“I’m getting tired of talking about last year,’’ Hand said Wednesday night at the I-Club banquet hosted by the North Scott and Quad-Cities I-Clubs.
“In my mind, that’s already in the past, and it won’t mean a thing next season. All of our guys need to be thinking that way.’’
Hand said that is the one dynamic that has changed in the past year.
“Summer will always be an important time for us, but we have to find a way to keep that hunger that was there a year ago. We can’t let up,’’ Hand said.
“In reality, only two of our wrestlers achieved their goal last season (by winning national individual titles) and only one of those guys is back, so we should have nine guys who are still pretty hungry and are ready to work.’’
Hand said that mentality is what longtime Hawkeyes coach Dan Gable brought to the program and remains at the core of what Tom Brands wants Iowa to become as he prepares for his third season as the program’s head coach.
“Gable never wanted his wrestlers to be satisfied, and we shouldn’t be satisfied. We won one championship, but there is another one out there for us to win next season,’’ Hand said.
Settling in
Iowa receivers coach Erik Campbell said he is settling into his new role after spending the past 13 years on the staff at Michigan.
“There are a lot of similarities between the two programs, and that has made it easier,’’ Campbell said. “Ken O’Keefe’s offense is similar to what we had at Michigan, very similar, and there is talent in this program. I found that out this spring.
“We dropped a few too many balls, but that will change, that will change.’’
Campbell, who took the place of Carl Jackson on the Hawkeyes staff, is also taking over Jackson’s primary recruiting territory of Texas.
“Big shoes to fill, I know that,’’ said Campbell, who will assist Iowa’s recruiting efforts in the Detroit area.
Quick change
Jan Jensen, the assistant head coach for the Iowa women’s basketball program, arrived just in time for Wednesday’s I-Club outing.
The Hawkeyes are hosting camps this week, and Jensen was caught in traffic in Iowa City, where a number of streets and bridges are closed because of flooding.
“My problems are miniscule to what some people are going through, but I had to hurry to get here,’’ Jensen said. “I had to check to see if I still had my high tops on.’’
High tide
Floodwaters are rising in the Iowa City and Coralville area at a time when Iowa coaches are welcoming a number of potential recruits to campus for summer camps.
Men’s basketball coach Todd Lickliter and his staff will host an elite camp during the next week, and Lickliter said he is keeping a close eye on the rising Iowa River that splits the Iowa campus.
“We’re getting a good reception from recruits, and hopefully once they get here there will be still be a campus for us to show them,’’ Lickliter deadpanned. “We do feel like things are going well from a recruiting standpoint and we feel like we have a lot to offer.’’
Steve Batterson can be contacted at (563) 383-2290 or sbatterson@qctimes.com.
