Mike Bennett is in his fourth season as an assistant coach with the W&L wrestling program. During his first three seasons, Bennett has helped the Generals to 11 dual match victories while developing seven Scholar All-America wrestlers. An alumnus of Washington and Lee, Bennett returned to Lexington in the summer of 2007 after serving as a director on the Peace and Prosperity Project, a non-profit issue advocacy organization, and in various capacities for the Indiana Republican Party.
1. How would you describe yourself as a coach?
I don’t like to pigeon-hole myself as one type of coach, because there is no one type that works in every situation. Sometimes I am fire and brimstone, sometimes I am much more calm and collected, and everything in between. I have extremely high expectations for all of my athletes on and off the mat, and I will push you to your limits. I am deeply interested in the lives of each of my wrestlers, and want them to reach their highest potential in all aspects of college. Growing up I was always undersized for my weight, so I had to be more of a technician than an overwhelming force. We spend a lot of time refining technique and finishing it. Practice doesn’t make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect! I believe that if we take care of the little things, the big things will take care of themselves. I believe that fundamentals win at the highest levels, and I also believe that we must have fun while we’re working. I try to incorporate different types of training as often as possible to break up the monotony of wrestling practice, and we utilize our awesome campus setting to do some different things.
2. What?s unique about the experience at your school?
I truly believe that no other University in the country can give you as great a return on your investment as Washington and Lee can. We pride ourselves on the Division III philosophy of Student-Athlete, and to that end, we have a perfect balance of academics, athletics, and the ability to simply enjoy being a college student. You want to be an Academic All-American? We can do that. You want to be an All-American? We can do that. You want to be able to study abroad, join a fraternity/sorority, go tubing on the river, or do nothing but enjoy your life as a college student? We can do that, too! At W&L, you will receive a top 15 education and play on a competitive team, and have a great time without having to choose any single aspect. You can truly do it all here! When your 4 years are done, you will have a great job waiting for you, or be accepted to a top graduate school.
3. What do recruits need to know about you?
I have an intense passion for Washington and Lee (my Alma Mater, Class of 2004), for my wrestling team, and for life. My mission is to ensure that you get the best experience possible while here. Wrestling is important, but I want to prepare you for life, and I keep that in mind every day. My ultimate goal is for each kid to have a great overall college experience, and go on to lead successful and honorable lives. I am from Indiana originally where I wrestled for and coached with Bob Kopnisky, a legend in my opinion, and one of my best mentors. I began coaching when I was in high school, and have coached every level from elementary through college, totaling 12 years of experience. My high school and college careers were completely derailed by injuries unfortunately. I wrestled at Washington and Lee University for Coach Franke, my current boss, and due to multiple shoulder surgeries, never completed a season. On the plus side I never lost a match to a DIII opponent, and have an 85% winning record dating back to my freshman year of high school. Because of my injuries, I don’t have the credentials and stats of other coaches, but also because of my injuries, my passion for coaching grew at an early age and I still have a burning desire to compete and win! By being injured, I had to reinvent my game multiple times according to what my body would allow me to do, making me much better in all areas.
4. What do you look for in recruits?
Due to Washington and Lee’s admission standards, the most important thing we look for is GPA and test scores. We are looking for 3.5 GPAs, or towards the top 10% of your class, with a course load featuring language, AP courses, and upper level math. SAT scores averaging around 650 in each subject, or a 29+ ACT.
Once I’ve established that a recruit has the academics needed for admission, the next biggest thing I look for is how much does a kid want to come to W&L. I do 95% of my recruiting in Early Decision. I believe that W&L is an incredible place, and if you can come here, see what campus is like, see what the wrestling team and myself are all about, then you should be set on early decision.
5. What is the one thing every recruit needs to do with the recruiting process?
Think long term. Where you go to college is a 40 year decision, not a 4! What school will prepare you the best in the long run. School X may have a better team/program at the moment or meet your short term goals, but most likely you are not going pro, and school Y has an impressive record of alumni doing very well immediately out of school. So take a look at what the school offers you in terms of post college, real world. That’s great that this school’s team is great right now, but what are their kids majoring in? What is the team GPA? What do most of their graduates do? How much class will you miss? Your athletic career is important for sure, but life should be your tip priority.
6.. What sort of questions do you really like to hear from recruits?
ANY QUESTIONS! Many recruits have none, or don’t speak too much when we’re meeting. Mom and Dad always have a bunch, but there must be some things on your mind! Ask me about my philosophy, my techniques, state of the program, direction of the program, questions about life as a student athlete. I just want to hear from you!
7.. What turns you off when you?re recruiting a student athlete?
I am turned off by kids that are not necessarily dishonest, but are also not being completely truthful. If you’re looking at 2 other schools, tell me. If I’m number 3, tell me! I try to be as upfront and honest about everything from my end, and I expect the same in return. As a true Division III University, I have no control over your financial aid package, and I cannot guarantee you an admissions slot, so don’t ask me what I can do for you in those regards. If that’s what it takes for you to want to come to my school, perhaps you are better off elsewhere. Other programs and schools may do that, but that is not what we believe in. I want to know the good, bad, and ugly things that you think about my school and program. I have a policy to never speak ill of other Universities, coaches, or programs, so I welcome any and all questions, and can guarantee that it doesn’t leave my office. So please be honest with me!
8. What do you think your program is the most successful at?
We are in a transitional phase wrestling-wise. I have just completed my third year on campus and we have moved up 1 spot in our conference tournament each year. We are a very young team and next year will have more freshman than all other grades combined. We are certainly up and coming. The best thing we do is provide you with an unforgettable college experience. The wins will come, and we have some individuals who compete at very high levels, and each year we grow stronger. If you’re looking for a school where you can be on an Academic All-American team (3 of the last 4 years), be an Academic All American (10 in 4 years), have the opportunity to be an All-American (that’s where you come in!), all the while enjoying your time at college, Washington and Lee is one of the top 3 most successful schools in the country at doing just that.
9. Why should a recruit consider your program?
I have a lot of pride in being smart and being competitive, and I have a big chip on my shoulder to prove that both can be done at very high levels. We don’t lower our standards in order to achieve athletic success, and I believe that we have a superior product because of that. We haven’t had a very successful past few years, but I promise you that the wins are coming. There are plenty of kids out there that have the intensity, the integrity, and the intelligence to do great things at W&L on and off the mat, and when their time is up, will go on to do change the world! Our entire campus is run on an Honor System, created by Robert E. Lee himself, that allows us great freedom, and great responsibility. We schedule our own exams, take tests from home, and have zero tolerance for lying, cheating, and/or stealing. Our student-athletes are truly some of the best and brightest in the world, and like I said before, it is my mission to provide you with the absolute best college experience you could have and prepare you for the next 40 years, not just 4.
10. If a recruit is interested in your program, how should they reach out to you?
My email is bennettm@wlu.edu, my phone is 540-458-8091, our prospect form can be found at www.generalssports.com, and you can read all about myself, the team, Washington and Lee University, etc. on my blog at www.generalswrestling.blogspot.com.
