WVU Wrestling
WVSN Exclusive: WVU HC Tim Flynn Interview at NCAA Championships
CLEVELAND, Ohio — WVU head coach Tim Flynn has spent years trying to elevate the Mountaineers into a program that can make real noise on the national stage, and this week in Cleveland, that vision is becoming reality.
WVU followed a strong showing at the Big 12 Championships with another impressive performance at the NCAA Championships, highlighted by Ty Watters’ run to the 157-pound semifinals and All-American status for a second consecutive year.
For Flynn, the Mountaineers have been solid in one of the sport’s most demanding environments.
“I think it’s pretty good,” Flynn told West Virginia Sports Now. “Obviously, individually, there’s a lot of ups and downs at an individual national tournament, so we have some guys that are really disappointed, we have some guys that are doing better. Obviously, Ty’s in the semifinals, so he’s doing well. So far, I think it’s pretty solid.”
That steadiness has become a theme for WVU late in the season. The Mountaineers wrestled well at the Big 12 Championships and have carried that momentum into nationals, something Flynn credits to both preparation and competitive makeup.
“I’d like to think they’re well prepared,” Flynn said. “But I just think we have some kids that are really good competitors, so they get to these big stages and they like to compete.”
No wrestler has embodied that more than Watters.
The redshirt sophomore delivered one of the biggest wins of the tournament when he knocked off Cornell’s Meyer Shapiro, 6-5, in the quarterfinals to secure a spot in the semifinals and become an All-American. It was a landmark achievement for both Watters and the program, and Flynn admitted the bout was difficult to watch in real time because of how dangerous Shapiro is offensively.
“With him and Shapiro, Shapiro’s such a good wrestler and you’re always on the edge of your seat because that guy can score almost at any time,” Flynn said. “And Ty puts himself in some crazy positions, so it was kind of nerve-wracking.”
Watters’ importance to the program goes well beyond one win.
Flynn made clear that the sophomore has become the face of WVU wrestling, both because of his results and because of the energy he brings every day.
“He’s got as much passion as any kid that I’ve ever coached and just loves to compete and loves to wrestle,” Flynn said. “What he means for the program obviously, right now, he’s the face of our program, so he’s super, super important, and we just love him. He’s a good kid and fun to be around.”
Given his career arc, Watters’ breakthrough has drawn comparisons to some of the best wrestlers Flynn coached at his previous stop in Edinboro (Pa.), including Gregor Gillespie, a four-time NCAA Division I All-American at 149 and 157 pounds, and Josh Koscheck at 174.
Watters is not there yet in terms of resume, but his toughness, motor and ability to deliver in big moments have made him the type of wrestler capable of joining that kind of company if his trajectory continues.
Part of Watters’ rise has come from his successful move up from 149 to 157 pounds. Flynn said that transition was a natural one because of Watters’ frame.
“He’s just real tall and rangy, so I knew he could get bigger,” Flynn said.
Flynn added that Watters may not even be done physically developing.
“He’s just a big kid. Six-foot or something like that,” Flynn said. “149 was quite a drop for him. He could probably stand to get a little bit bigger even at 157. But he certainly has a frame.”
While Watters has provided the headline moment, Flynn also pointed to another important sign of progress for the program this week.
Ian Bush, who wrestles at 184, was recently named Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year, becoming the first wrestler in program history to earn the honor.
In an era shaped heavily by NIL and the transfer portal, Flynn sees that as a major statement about what WVU can offer.
“I think you can now recruit really, really, really good students, and they know that West Virginia is a place where you can go and get a great education,” Flynn said. “We got the scholar-athlete award, and you can do both at West Virginia. You can excel in the classroom and on the mat.”
That kind of development speaks directly to the rebuild Flynn has overseen in Morgantown.
When he took over the program, WVU went 4-14 in his first year. Now the Mountaineers are beginning to establish themselves as a team capable of competing deeper into March.
“The first couple years were a grind,” Flynn said. “Just trying to get the type of kids you want to work with. We had some good kids when we got here, but it’s always difficult when you take over kids you didn’t recruit. That took some time, I guess, to try to get the kids you want and kind of get the culture where you want it. But it means a lot. Obviously, you go through it, any sport, any coach, you go through some tough years like that first one. It’s not a lot of fun. Coaching isn’t as much fun.”
Now, though, the vision is beginning to take clearer shape.
WVU is making noise nationally. The Mountaineers are developing All-Americans. They are winning in the classroom. They are drawing a louder following, too, something Flynn said has become increasingly noticeable at events like the NCAA Championships.
“I just want to thank them,” Flynn said of the WVU fan base. “We have one of the louder fan bases, I think, and we had a couple hundred people come out, get tickets through our sections, and it’s just growing. So we just want to thank everybody for making the trip, and hopefully they’re enjoying the tournament.”
Flynn also talked about Ohio State coach Tom Ryan’s recent comment that Penn State is the standard every program is chasing, a relevant question given Flynn’s own ties to Penn State who wrestled for the Nittany Lions from 1984-1987.
His answer was straightforward.
“I don’t know if it’s influenced me,” Flynn said. “I think my time at Penn State and the coaches I had there obviously influenced me a great deal. But Tom Ryan’s right. You’re always chasing whoever’s winning, and they’ve been doing a lot of it, so everybody in the country’s chasing those guys.”
For West Virginia, the chase looks different than it does for the sport’s blue bloods. It is not yet about catching Penn State. It is about becoming a program that consistently matters on the national stage, one that produces contenders, All-Americans and eventually wrestlers capable of winning the whole thing.
With Watters leading the way in Cleveland and Flynn’s long-term blueprint starting to show real results, WVU appears closer to that goal than it has been in years.
Find more coverage of WVU wrestling at WV Sports Now.
