Cael Sanderson reflects on Penn State coaching career ahead of historic milestone

No. 1 Penn State wrestling is gearing up for its biggest dual of the year on Friday against the No. 3 Iowa Hawkeyes in Iowa City. Beyond what Friday night means for the Nittany Lions in the quest for a third straight undefeated national championship-winning season, the dual also holds significance in the coaching career of Cael Sanderson, who is chasing his 200th victory at Penn State. This week, Sanderson discussed his view of the milestone and reflected on his time in Happy Valley.

Sanderson: “Most grateful” for the relationships during his Penn State coaching career

Now in his 15th season with the Nittany Lions, it’s safe to say Cael Sanderson is the most decorated coach in Penn State wrestling history. Already the winningest coach the program has ever seen, Sanderson has brought a staggering level of success to State College.

Sanderon’s Penn State resume includes 83 All-Americans, 34 National Champions, and five Hodge Trophy winners. As a team, the Nittany Lions have claimed seven Big Ten Championships and 10 NCAA Championships during the Cael Sanderson era. The Penn State wrestling coach carries an outrageous 0.917 winning percentage, losing just 16 duals since 2009. 

Now, Cael Sanderson has a chance at win No. 200 in Iowa City Friday night. When asked what a victory would mean to him this week, Sanderson unsurprisingly downplayed the meaning of the milestone. But he did reflect on what has meant the most to him during his time at Penn State: the people.

“It just means I’ve been here a long time,” Sanderson said of the milestone this week. “We’ve had a lot of great memories; it’s hard to say. My fondest memories are just the people. The coaches, the alumni, the kids on the team. And just those relationships. They’re by far what I’m most grateful for.”

Nittany Lions keeping it simple ahead of marquee matchup

Penn State’s foe on Friday night will coincidently be the same opponent that Cael Sanderson earned his 100th Big Ten dual win against last January in the Bryce Jordan Center. Iowa comes into the match 10-1 after suffering a surprising upset to Michigan last weekend. 

While they come into Carver-Hawkeye Arena as heavy favorites, the dual will still be the toughest test of the season for the Nittany Lions. But Sanderson and his squad look forward to the challenge and the hostile environment. As always, Penn State’s wrestlers will focus on what they can control, and the big things will take care of themselves.

“I think wrestling at Iowa is a lot of fun,” Sanderson said. “Their fans know the sport. Their event staff is probably second to none…And then they have one of the best athletic programs in all of sports in their wrestling team. So it’s a great place to compete.

“But everywhere we wrestle, we generally see a big crowd. Here [at Penn State] it’s standing room only. We wrestle in big environments all the time. So, from that standpoint, it’s not really that big of a deal. You get what you focus on, right? If you focus on your match, then that’s probably the best idea. And [we] just keep things simple.”

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