Penn State wrestling coach Cael Sanderson excluded from top 5 USA wrestlers of all time list

Cael Sanderson is most known in the contemporary sporting world for his accolades as the head coach of Penn State wrestling. But before leading the Nittany Lions on a dominant run of 11 of the last 13 National Championships, Sanderson had one of the greatest competitive wrestling careers ever.

But despite his accomplishments on the mat, Sanderson still finds himself on the outside looking in on the top 5 of FloWrestling’s greatest American wrestlers of all time.

In previous years, FloWrestling has produced a list of the top 100 American wrestlers of all time. This summer, the outlet is rereleasing the series in video format on YouTube, which has reignited the debate among the wrestling community.

FloWrestling’s top 10 American wrestlers video was released on Monday, which has not gone without comment. Cael Sanderson was ranked No. 6 on the list, behind No. 5 Kyle Snyder, No. 4 Helen Maroulis, No. 3 Bruce Baumgartner, No. 2 Jordan Burroughs, and No. 1 John Smith.

Sanderson’s historic wrestling career

Cael Sanderson posted a 127-3 record at Herber City High School, winning four consecutive Utah State Championships in the process. He then finished his Iowa State career undefeated, going 159-0 and winning four National Championships. Sanderson is still the only Division I wrestler who has accomplished both of those feats.

Sanderson was named outstanding wrestler at the NCAA Championships all his four seasons. He also won three Dan Hodge Trophies, the only wrestler in NCAA history to do so.

During his time with the Cyclones, Sanderson was the definition of dominance. He won most of his matches by bonus points and picked up 64 career falls. At the time, Sports Illustrated named his run with Iowa State the second most impressive accomplishment in college sports history behind Jesse Owens. He won an ESPY for the top male athlete across all sports.

After his college career, Sanderson made the jump to freestyle wrestling, where he won a Silver Medal at the 2003 World Championships before taking home the Gold at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. He then retired from wrestling before returning for a brief stint in 2011, finishing fifth at the World Championships.

Will Penn State wrestling propel Sanderson to the top of the greatest coaches of all time?

Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-USA TODAY Sports

As with any list, FloWrestling’s top 100 American wrestlers has received its share of blowback, ranging from the value placed on international versus collegiate accomplishments to whether or not there should be distinct lists to recognize the achievements of male and female wrestlers.

Perhaps the most logical spot to slot Sanderson would be at No. 3, behind John Smith and Jordan Burroughs, who both had decorated college careers and are considered the two greatest freestyle American wrestlers of all time.

But regardless of where people rank Cael Sanderson as a wrestler, at his current pace, it seems likely that he will be considered the greatest college wrestling coach of all time within the next decade. The Penn State wrestling dynasty is one of the most dominant in collegiate sports at the moment, and it isn’t slowing down anytime soon.

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