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Mizzou 25: Coaches Edition (Final Four!)

UPDATE: Don't mess with wrestling fans.  Pinkel had a small early lead but was overtaken by a tidal wave.  After 351 votes, Brian Smith moves to the finals with a startlingly easy 81%-18% win.

That's right...we've reached the Final Four in the Mizzou 25 Coaches Edition, the tournament to determine who was the best, most likable, most influential Mizzou coach in the last 25 years!  To no one's surprise, Norm Stewart has coasted to the finals--he has yet to garner less than 92% of the vote in any one competition.  But today comes one of the most intriguing matchups of this entire exercise, Gary Pinkel vs Brian Smith.  Two coaches who, in the last 15 months or so, have seen their teams ranked #1 in the country.

Click here for the bracket.

5/19: 1 Norm Stewart vs 5 Dr. Rick McGuire
5/20: 2 Gary Pinkel vs 3 Brian Smith

2 Gary Pinkel vs 3 Brian Smith

vs

2001-present

1998-present

Career Record at Mizzou:
49-37

Five Best Seasons:
2002 - 5-7
2003 - 8-5 (Independence Bowl)
2005 - 7-5 (Independence Bowl)
2006 - 8-5 (Sun Bowl)
2007 - 12-2 (Cotton Bowl)

Career Record at Mizzou:
119-58-3

Five Best Seasons:
2001-02 - 18-3
2002-03 - 15-6 (2nd in Big 12)
2003-04 - 15-3
2005-06 - 13-4-1
2006-07 - 12-2 (2nd in Big 12, #3 in country)

Gary Pinkel has survived all the peaks and valleys a coach can see and has come out the better for it.  After three seasons of steady progress, the bottom fell out for Mizzou in 2004, and a 5-6 season left Pinkel's tenure on the rocks.  Since then, Mizzou has gone from 7 to 8 to 12 wins, earning its first #1 ranking in 47 years late in 2007.  Mizzou will start the 2008 season in the Top 10, and Pinkel's slow-but-steady grind toward success has won over Mizzou fans, to say the least. A decade ago, Smith took over a moribund wrestling program and set out to build a national power, slowly but surely.  He has succeeded, producing 8 All-Americans, coaching Mizzou 25 Champion Ben Askren to two national titles, and, in 2007, leading Mizzou to a #1 national ranking.  In training methods and results, Mizzou Wrestling has fulfilled Brian Smith's vow of becoming a powerhouse.
Poll
Who wins?
Gary Pinkel
85 votes
Brian Smith
319 votes

404 votes | Poll has closed

0 recs | Comment 13 comments

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Comments

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Wrestling fans at it again...

Looks like the wrestling boards are winning this one...

http://www.thematforums.com/myforum/...

by rptgwb on May 20, 2008 11:54 AM CDT   0 recs

is that a bad thing??

every person who posted on here is a Mizzou Fan and I'm sure voted for Coach Smith.

by mizzouwrestling on May 20, 2008 12:11 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

It shows dedication. :-)

Don't mess with Mizzou wrestling fans!

by The Boy on May 20, 2008 1:06 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

No badness implied...

And I'm not taking anything away from Smith either. I'm just once again blown away by Mizzou wrestling fans' dedication.

by rptgwb on May 20, 2008 3:28 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

It wasn't me this time!

I know who it was, but it wasn't me!

by chitowntiger on May 20, 2008 12:10 PM CDT   0 recs

damn

i was on here early this morning and pinkel had a lead that i thought would hold up when i voted for brian smith.

boy, did that change.

by stlcardinalsfang on May 20, 2008 1:18 PM CDT   0 recs

Norm Stewart fans...

...better be posting the Finals link on Friday to offset the dedication of the missouriwrestling/themat/intermat etc. forums...the more the merrier, lol.

by The Boy on May 20, 2008 1:46 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

you bet

it's going to be a helluva final. is it tomorrow or are we gunna give them both thier days and vote on friday?

by stlcardinalsfang on May 20, 2008 1:50 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I figure...

...we'll do it like the last one--tomorrow will be Norm Day, Thursday will be Smith Day, Friday will be the poll.

by The Boy on May 20, 2008 2:22 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

or you know

i could've just read your first post.

/dumbass

by stlcardinalsfang on May 20, 2008 3:21 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

I won't lie.

I will bring it for Norm vs. Smitty. Wrestlers win every fight. :)

by chitowntiger on May 20, 2008 3:42 PM CDT   0 recs

Thanks for the warning. :-)

I'll have to make sure Normy has some fighters in his corner too.  I want to see a good fight!!

by The Boy on May 20, 2008 4:33 PM CDT to parent up   0 recs

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