Jamil Kelly’s wrestling story doesn’t follow the usual script. He wasn’t a blue‑chip recruit. He didn’t win an NCAA title. But he did become an Olympic silver medalist and one of the most respected coaches in the sport.

In this episode of the Full Tilt Podcast, we cover Jamil’s entire arc: – Growing up in Atwater, CA and getting pulled into wrestling as a late starter
– Learning from VHS tapes, “How Low Can You Go,” and studying the greats
– JUCO life at Lassen with future D1 and international stars
– Transitioning to Oklahoma State under John Smith and battling the mental side of confidence
– Wrestling Lightner, Guerrero, Ironside, Schmidt and living through the Bedlam era
– Training with Colet and the 2000 Olympic Team and realizing the Olympics were possible
– Beating Lincoln McIlravy, qualifying for Athens, and winning Olympic silver
– Coaching at Harvard, Stanford, Arizona State, UNC, and in the corner for world champion Trent Hidlay

It’s a masterclass in belief, persistence, and what it really takes to “know what it looks like” at the highest level of wrestling.

Timestamps:

04:15 – Growing up in Atwater, CA and getting “talked into” wrestling as a 4'11" freshman football player
12:40 – VHS tapes, “How Low Can You Go,” and learning wrestling by rewinding John Smith a thousand times
21:10 – From non‑power high school to California state podium and finding JUCO powerhouse Lassen College
32:00 – Life at Lassen: TJ Williams, Reggie Wright, Belarusian hammers, and turning JUCO into a D1 factory
41:30 – The Oklahoma State visit during World Cup, choosing the Cowboys, and first reality check in the OSU room
53:00 – Mental battles in college: wrestling not to lose, Lightner stories, and what held Jamil back at NCAAs
1:03:30 – How training with Colet, Terry Brands, and the 2000 Olympic Team made the Olympics feel possible
1:13:00 – Beating Lincoln McIlravy at the 2004 Trials, game-planning the Russian, and winning Olympic silver
1:22:00 – Coaching chapter: Harvard culture shock, building trust with athletes, and the “odd couple” partnership with Trent Hidlay
1:25:30 – What Jamil wants wrestlers and coaches to take away about belief, preparation, and “knowing what it looks like”

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Three-time NCAA champion and Olympic medalist Nate Carr joins Full Tilt to share how a house of 16 kids, a pastor dad, and a wrestling-obsessed family forged one of the greatest legacies in American wrestling. Nate breaks down his classic battles with Kenny Monday, the influence of Coach Nichols and the Gatsons, and what he learned competing against Soviet greats on the world stage. He also goes deep on mindset, visualization, and faith, revealing the mental tools he used to win and how he now uses them to coach the next generation, including his son and NCAA champion David Carr. This is a masterclass in building champions in sport and in life.

Timed Highlights:
00:00 Growing up in a 16-kid wrestling family in Erie, PA
06:30 Family rivalry, All-Americans, Olympians, and broken furniture stories
13:30 Setting goals to become the best wrestler in the family and a national champion
19:00 Why Nate chose Iowa State over Iowa and the power of winning over mom in recruiting
25:30 Coach Harold Nichols, legendary workout rooms, and tough practice stories
33:00 Classic Iowa vs Iowa State battles and early college rivalries
38:30 Scott Trizzino, Jay Robinson, and fueling the Iowa–Iowa State rivalry
44:00 Kenny Monday rivalries, overtime NCAA finals, and epic trash talk
52:00 Making the World Team, 1984 Olympic Trials heartbreak, and coming back for 1988
59:00 Wrestling Soviet legend Arsen Fadzaev and what made the Russians different
1:06:00 What Americans learned (and missed) from Soviet training systems
1:11:00 Coaching philosophy: purpose-driven practice, mindset, and self-talk
1:18:00 The visualization exercise Nate used before wrestling Kenny Monday
1:24:00 Coaching David Carr, raising seven kids, and being a “professional encourager”
1:28:00 Faith, purpose, and why failure does not make you a failure

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World champion, Olympic medalist, and finance executive Bill Scherr joins the show for a deep dive into one of the most fascinating careers in wrestling history. Bill shares how baling hay in rural South Dakota built his strength, why Randy Lewis changed what South Dakota kids believed was possible, and how Nebraska went from “death’s door” to national trophy contender.

He breaks down Soviet dominance, Iranian passion for the sport, training under legends like Dan Gable and Jay Robinson, and the brutal art of “Red Flag Days.” Bill also talks about his success in both freestyle and Greco, moving up to 220 for the good of Team USA, coaching the women’s national team, and chairing the global effort that brought wrestling back into the Olympic Games.

If you love old-school war stories, high-level strategy, and big-picture thinking about the future of wrestling, this one’s loaded front to back.

Timestamps:

02:13 Growing up in Mobridge, South Dakota, big family, farm work

05:34 South Dakota wrestling culture, influence of Randy Lewis

07:52 Rapid City dual: Randy pins Alexiev, arena explodes

10:09 How youth wrestling has evolved with better training and media

13:52 Choosing Nebraska, Lewis family connection, rebuilding the program

16:20 “Murderers Row” at Nebraska and comeback dual wins

17:29 College rivals: Pete Bush, Ed Banach, classic matches

21:13 Dan Gable stories and the congratulatory letter after 1985 worlds

22:18 Dave Schultz’s curiosity, learning from everyone, Book of Five Rings

25:48 Jay Robinson, visualization, and “fatigue is your friend”

27:39 Red Flag Days and training to get tired

32:03 1981: four national finals in a few weeks (AAU vs USWF)

38:24 Greco success, Frazier, Hauck, and choosing freestyle

47:11 Wrestling the Soviets: strength, systems, regional styles

52:03 Iranians, politics, and the 1985 world final medal stand story

55:57 Moving up to 220 so his brother and Mark Schultz could all make teams

58:28 Never cutting weight and advice to parents on weight cutting

1:07:07 Goodwill Games buzzer-beater and immediate jump to Goldman Sachs

1:13:08 Coaching at Indiana and Northwestern, Herbert and Fox

1:14:21 Coaching the U.S. women’s team and early growth of women’s wrestling

1:18:15 Tricia Saunders’ impact and resistance to women wrestling

1:24:58 Chairing the effort to save Olympic wrestling (CPOW)

1:27:52 How wrestling got dropped and then brought back to the Olympics

1:33:19 What wrestling must fix: rules, challenges, TV product

1:38:36 Funny Mark Manning story: selling blood for spring break

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