Completed Event: Men's Wrestling versus Harold Nichols Cyclone Open on January 18, 2026 , , One Champ
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Men's Wrestling
Harold Nichols Cyclone Open
One Champ
Iowa State University Athletics
Paulson Coming Into His Own As a Coach
10.18.2012 | Men's Wrestling
AMES, Iowa – Travis Paulson has been around the sport of wrestling for his entire life, and yet in the 2011-2012 season he experienced a side of the sport that he had not seen before - coaching. There was never a doubt in Paulson's mind that he wanted to coach collegiate wrestling, and he sees this current opportunity as a chance to contribute even more to the sport he loves.
“The last 15 years of my life have been nothing but wrestling,” Paulson said. “I want to give back to this program and I feel like I have a lot to offer. When you think about being a wrestling coach, it's not just coaching wrestling. It's recruiting, it's paperwork, and it's all those other things that allow a program to succeed.”
After becoming a three-time All-American and compiling a 106-32 record as a competitor at Iowa State, it is clear that Paulson knows what it takes to be successful on the mat. He said that in his first season of coaching at Iowa State, he learned that the key is to know what drives each individual athlete and to understand what each wrestler needs to be successful.
“I know what motivates me, but understanding the athletes and what motivates them and understanding their needs is the biggest challenge so far,” Paulson said. “I enjoy the challenge and I continue to learn. My biggest goal is to get athletes to perform beyond themselves.”
Iowa State head wrestling coach Kevin Jackson said that Paulson has grown tremendously as a coach and that his development continues every day.
“He continues to get better and to understand the things that he needs to do for us to be successful,” Jackson said. “His expertise on wrestling and his ability to recruit in the state of Iowa is huge for us. His individual relationships and training with our athletes is also going to be very important. (Paulson) continues to recognize how important his role is going to be here at Iowa State.”
Paulson said that with his first year of collegiate coaching behind him, he is excited to start the 2012-2013 season and show Iowa State fans the hard work both he and his Cyclones have put in.
“We're moving in the right direction with the way these guys are working hard,” Paulson said. “These guys are a bunch of workers and we just need to keep getting better each week.”
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