With IMAR Back, This New Fairy Tale Continues

RETURN OF A PRODIGAL SON

From top to bottom and from side to side, I cannot imagine a better coaching staff at the University of ILLINOIS. This magic fairy tale that started with the hiring of Mike Poeta as head coach has just gotten better. 

I didn't think that I could be surprised. 

Then, there was the announcement that Isaiah Martinez would be coming home. 

The staff now consists of ILLINOIS and ILLINI legend Mike Poeta, then there's of one of the best folkstyle wrestlers to ever don a singlet (and a proven MMA fighter) in Ed Ruth; additionally, throw in an established builder of All Americans and National Champions in Jeremy Hunter and ILLINOIS folkstyle, freestyle and greco legend Bryan Medlin heading the IRTC. Now, IMAR, the most decorated wrestler in ILLINI history. On top of all that, there's All American Travis Piotrowski helping out as an assistant in the room. 

And they are all great people! 

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?

I trace all of this back--way back--to Coach Mark Johnson. It was he who got the ball rolling, and it was he who began hiring people like Hef and Hunter, folks who were rock solid wrestlers and people. Then, there was another ILLINI legend, Athletic Director Josh Whitman, who made the crucial (and wonderful) decision to go with Mike Poeta as head coach. 

From there, Coach Poeta has surrounded himself with the absolute best. 

From Ed Ruth to IMAR to the retention of Jeremy Hunter and Bryan Medlin, Coach has done exactly what Abraham Lincoln would have done: Selected the best people for the job, whether they were rivals or friends. 

WHAT THE ILLINI OFFER

Whether you're a little fellow, a big fatty or somewhere in between there's something for recruits at ILLINOIS. If you want to practice in the off-season overseas with the best, there's the IRTC. Need tips on becoming an MMA fighter? Ed Ruth. 

Want to hone your fast-twitch skills? Coach Poeta. Perhaps you'd like to wrestle some Funky Town? Jeremy Hunter. Power wrestling? IMAR!

Then, there are the financial incentives. The University of ILLINOIS has a NIL Coordinator, which is brand new across the country. Additionally, there's a very wrestling-friendly Athletic Director in Josh Whitman who's made sure you get to wrestle at the Assembly Hall, and who's instituted a program that can pay you over $5,000.00 each year that you make progress towards a degree. 

THE IMAR FILE

You might ask, "Why even go over this stuff, everybody knows and loves Isaiah Martinez?" Well, listen, mister, I'm going to go over the IMAR bio again because it is glorious. Growing up in Cali, the young IMAR had battles with another ILLINI legend, Jesse Delgado, twice while in high school. Isaiah was a four-time placer in the tough California tournament with a 205-7 record at Lemoore High School and three state championship crowns.  

IMAR won Junior Nationals and also Fargo (in both Freestyle and Greco). 

He came to ILLINOIS and won two National Championships, wrestled in four finals, and won four Big Ten championships while losing only three times. He has a winning record against everybody he faced in college. IMAR also won a U23 championship in freestyle. Since then, he's coached at ILLINOIS and at Oregon State, faced Jordan Burroughs in Final X and wrestled professionally on the freestyle world circuit. 

Congratulations to IMAR, his family, Coach Poeta and the rest of the ILLINI coaching staff! This is an absolute dream come true, an end of the beginning for the ILLINI Wrestling fairy tale. 

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Photo credits: ILLINOIS Wrestling, FightingILLINI.com, TeamUSA, Tony Rotundo and the ILLINI Wrestling Blog and Forum and Beyond.